Florida Birding

[TitusvileSurfer]

With all the neat bird threads of late I thought I would contribute. These are all from the last couple of days at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The land was bought by NASA as a buffer zone from the public. They decided to turn it into a wildlife refuge and let the public enjoy the area when they aren't launching.

Eerie sunrise, the fog lasted a couple hours in the swamp.
Edit: I don't know why there is a box in the top left. I'll try to fix it.
Edit Edit: It just won't die but if I make it bigger, the littler box stays the same size. So at least its pushed into the sky now...stupid flickr

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) in the mist

Great Egret (Ardea alba), notice NASA's Vehicle Assembly Building in the background.

Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor)

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja) and White Ibis (Eudocimus albus)

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

 

[Recty]

Nice clear shots.

At times I wish we had birds like that up here, but I'm OK with eagles.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

There are severaleagle nests in this specific marsh that I know of, but I only have a 200mm to work with. I'd have wade waste deep in muck to get close enough to one. I can see the nests though and sometimes a hunting eagle will swoop overhead.

 

[klepto]

Re: Florida Birding

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14260346#post14260346 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TitusvileSurfer
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)

[/B]

This is a great capture T.S.

thanks for sharing your images.:thumbsup:

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Its a little soft for my tastes...I'd guess it is a 90% crop. Then again other than #1 and # 3 they are all heavy crops.

 

[ahuxman58]

Lots of nice subjects to be photographed there.

 

[Reef Bass]

Beautiful. I like the swamp at dawn, the Great Blue Heron and the composition of the Snowy Egret in flight. I've been inside the VAB and it's HUGE!

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Oh yeah when it was built I understand it was the largest building in the world. I think it's 3rd now. I've watched one launch on top of it and many at its base. Unfortunately I don't work there anymore.

I just got back from the refuge. This day was a complete adventure in every sense of the word. I hunted down an eagles nest, and went waaaay off the beaten path to get there. I almost got killed! So much fun (no seriously it was stupid and dangerous but exhilarating). Photo journal to come.

 

[tls]

awesome pics!! i need to make a poitn of going there during this season to see all the migratory birds that pass through.

 

[Reef Bass]

Sounds like a fun day at the swamp, err, I mean, refuge. I look forward to seeing pictures. You must have been limited in the gear you could take. That 200mm lens of yours is pretty big by itself.

 

[IPT]

Amazing how much trouble we can get into searching for subjects. I remember looking for Moose and turning a corner and damn near walkign right into one. Scared the hell out of me! (and the moose).

What's that pink bird? Of course I suspect it's a Flamingo but it;s head just looks different than I expect or recall.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14263963#post14263963 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tls
awesome pics!! i need to make a poitn of going there during this season to see all the migratory birds that pass through.

Yeah it’s a lot of fun. There are many birds that I haven’t even seen yet this year. I know others have though.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14264716#post14264716 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reef Bass
Sounds like a fun day at the swamp, err, I mean, refuge. I look forward to seeing pictures. You must have been limited in the gear you could take. That 200mm lens of yours is pretty big by itself.

I have a tripod and other lenses in my truck just in case. Most of the time though everything is locked inside and I’m out with just the 40D and 70-200. Yesterday for example I was knee to waste deep in water a couple of times. I would hate to have a bunch of lenses on my back…so I don’t.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14265568#post14265568 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by IPT
Amazing how much trouble we can get into searching for subjects. I remember looking for Moose and turning a corner and damn near walkign right into one. Scared the hell out of me! (and the moose).

What's that pink bird? Of course I suspect it's a Flamingo but it;s head just looks different than I expect or recall.

Yeah being an animal paparazzi is a lot more difficult than being a celebrity paparazzi. The celebritys might run away, but unlike a panther they are bound by the law and can't just decide to kill you. The bird is a Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja).

Yesterday was a lot of fun. The fog from the day before had lifted, which was a big help with seeing where I was going! A little raccoon was right beside me when I took this shot but he didn’t stick around for the sun to come up.

These tricolored herons sure have a lot of character. They run around chasing fish, and they become visibly angry when unsuccessful.

I’m not sure what these species is, perhaps a Clapper Rail. Notice the tube worms covering the black mangroves.

Roseate Spoonbill (Ajaia ajaja)

This alligator was pretty big. I’d guess 10 feet.

This is a Salt Marsh Snake (Nerodia clarkii compressicauda) flashing her baby blues.

I’m glad I was paying attention when I walked by this alligator.

I was specifically hunting eagles. This one seemed to be hunting me. I was shooting a flower when I saw the shadow zip passed me. I looked up into the sun and thought it was a vulture. Luckily it circled by again, and landed about 200 yards away. Even thought I wish I used different settings, I got a few frames off and decided to leave him be.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Here is another Salt Marsh Snake (I think).

Well I got my eagle, so I decided to follow this flock of random and interesting birds.

Then it happened. I was walking through some brush brush about waist high, trying to figure out how to get to those birds, when I stepped on something squishy. Trying not to hurt whatever I stepped on, my footing immediately changed, but I lost my balance. Deciding I would rather fall down than break my camera and lens, I decided to purposely fall on my back. I stood up and composed myself just in time to see what I stepped on retreating into the brush: A big, fat, eastern diamondback rattlesnake.
Here is the “path” I was walking on when this happened.

I am not sure what species of bird this is. Any help?

Tricolored Heron

I think this is a Florida Red-bellied Turtle (Pseudemys nelson)

As I got closer to that flock of birds, this 7 foot gator was laying in the middle of my path. Nice lizard. I'll go another way.
 

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Eventually I got around the alligator and found the flock.
Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)

Snowy Egret

Juvinial Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus)

Juvinial White Ibis (Eudocimus albus) Adult behind

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

Roseate Spoonbill

Roseate Spoonbill

 

[Reef Bass]

Awesome! Many beautiful pics. Love the 2 spoonbill in flight shots. The snake was getting close to shedding (note the opacity of his eyes). The gator tail is a great shot as it tells what was just there. The cormorant type bird may be an anhinga. The snowy egret with the "bad hair day" makes me laugh.

I'm not seeing repeated technical issues in your shots. Well done.

You have a talent with birds in flight and birds "doing their thing". Your comment about the visible frustration from the heron was amusing. I can visualize it.

You were very fortunate that the E.D.R. didn't strike when stepped on. That's their usual M.O. in that situation.

Thanks for sharing the wonderful images. It has brightened my day.

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

You know I think you just might be right about the "anhinga". Thanks for the tip and kind words!

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

I am now 100% sure it is an Anhinga, and have even sexed it as a male. Thank you!

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Day 3: I went back to the water hole were the birds were yesterday. Sure enough they were back. The past images did not have EXIF. I skipped the USM in Photoshop to preserve EXIF in this batch. I think the "sharpness" slider is primitive but what can you do. My version of Photoshop (5.5) is way past upgrade time.

Sunrise

Great Egret

Snowy Egret

White Ibis

Spoonbill

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

(Ibis has a fish)

 

[TitusvileSurfer]

Wood Stork

Black Bird (he has a fish)

?Unknown? The Great Florida Birding Trail features a silhouette of this bird on their signage. I guess its some kind of Shrike.