Beachcombers

We recently went on a little excursion to one of the barrier islands off SW Florida's coast with visitors from 'up north'. The morning started off with somewhat unseasonably low temperatures and we tried to huddle down as the small boat whisked us across calm waters.

After taking 'the tram' (a pickup truck pulling a wagon) to a beach on the far side of the island we set up base camp for the day's stay. I'm not sure when this fellow arrived - in fact, he may have already been there when we set up - but he wasn't shy at all. I was able to walk to within a few feet of him as he posed to have his portrait taken. You might wonder how I know this was a male - any self-respecting female would have straightened her feathers before allowing a photo.

While waiting for the forecasted weather to arrive, we decided to explore a bit of the island. After following trails for some time we returned to 'camp' along the shoreline. By now the fog had crept in and covered the strait rather than giving way to the promised sunshine but we hardly noticed as we discovered some of the life forms along the shoreline and marveled at the power of the Creator.


everything fits neatly inside the protective shell including the eyes

this one looked ready for action as I stared him in the eyes

and these sea urchins looked like they would give an inattentive beachcomber a nasty surprise

A fair feather friend

First I want to thank all you lovely people who came by and left words of comfort and support on my previous post - they were much appreciated. I hope you'll excuse me for not having come by lately but my motivation was lacking. I'd always considered myself a fairly strong individual but Sasha's passing struck me (and my wife) particularly hard. I'm sure (or at least I've been assured) that time softens the sharp edges but for now some of the lustre has gone from the thought of going out on a photo shoot, alone. However, I still try to follow the ABCs of photography when we go out.

And so, recently we spent an afternoon on Boca Grande. The promised forecast of some sun and 'warmish' temperatures didn't materialize but I did meet an interesting fellow on the beach who had positioned himself closely behind a couple of fishermen. Unfortunately I had only taken a wide angle lens (17-40mm) vs the whole arsenal and so I had to rely on the stealth approach. You might imagine how hard that would be on a wide open beach. He seemed intent on watching the fishermen (in vain it turns out) for a scrap of fish to be thrown his way so I made it to within about 10' (3m for you metric types) of him before he decided I had encroached sufficiently on his margin of comfort. I had been taking some shots during my approach in case my next step would cause him to take flight.

At the 10' mark, however, he took a step away every time I took a step closer until he ended up standing in shallow water. And that's where he drew a 'line in the sand' apparently for when I tried to narrow the gap between us one more time he decided to leave for safer ground. I did manage to get a few shots of his getaway (which I cropped due to my focal length limitations). Check him out below.

where the 'stand-off' took place

arrivederci

Come Sail Away

"I look to the sea,
Reflections in the waves spark my memory,
Some happy, some sad,
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had,
We lived happily forever, so the story goes,
But somehow we missed out on the pot of gold
But we'll try best that we can to carry on ..."
Come Sail Away [Styx]

 I hope you're carrying on into 2014. If you need a momentary break from winter, then close your eyes and come sail away with me (click on the link below the photos) ...

Snake birds and pirates

You might well wonder how these could possibly be connected. Well ...

It continues to be unseasonably cold down here in Florida, so the pool is not in high demand by our guests, although our grandson did briefly consider it today. Instead we made our way down to a local park this afternoon so he could release a little pent-up energy. Graydon had a lot of fun on the swings and slides, while I had fun capturing some of his antics. He continued clambering over the playground equipment when I left him with his parents for a few minutes, while I stole over to a nearby lagoon for a look around. That's where I discovered this snake bird (or anhinga), presumably after a successful afternoon of fishing since he was now drying his wings.

I'm still gaining experience trying to photograph a very active 3-year old (aren't all 3-year olds very active ?). It's a bit like trying to nail jello to the wall. My best success came when I caught him in those rare instances when he stood still. So here he is with a pirate's headdress (fashioned by his father), followed by a shot of him with a handful of playground mulch that he was scheming to stuff down his father's shirt. [my shutter's had a great workout during their stay with us so far. I'm trying to squeeze in a few visits to blogland when I'm not on call as grandpa or family chronicler].

One last look

Before we head back up to colder climes, I thought I'd share a last glimpse of the wildlife we've encountered down south. On our way to a friend's home recently we had to stop as a group of 4 sandhill cranes strolled nonchalantly across the street. Against my better judgement, I was dissuaded from grabbing the camera to get some shots.

Later that day as I toured the neighbourhood in our friend's golf cart, I was rewarded for my earlier contribution to marital harmony by spotting another couple of cranes. These are frequent visitors to the golf course and are quite accustomed to people. I have read, however, that they can be aggressive if they feel threatened (and especially if defending their young) - they can stab with their sizeable beak and kick with their feet. No problem this day - they were focused on eating and I was focused on them.

[I will again be MIA for several days as we brave the increasingly cold elements on our trek north. I hope to catch up with y'all again next week]

Birds of a feather ... IV

I first saw one of these odd-looking (to a northerner) birds from an airboat in the Everglades a couple of years ago [note - an airboat is not the best way to get close to wildlife, unless the wildlife is quite deaf]. But a couple of weeks ago patience paid dividends as I was able to approach a mixed flock of some 70 - 80 birds of different species precariously perched in a lone pine tree.

For those of you who haven't had the pleasure, let me introduce to you the obviously-named roseate spoonbill. A little research revealed that the ones I saw were juveniles (either they haven't learned to fear humans yet, or my stealth skills were exceptional). They almost became extinct as they were hunted for their plumage, but in Florida there are now an estimated 1,000 breeding pairs.

I don't know what startled them, but after an hour of creeping up and getting my shots, the birds decided they'd posed enough and flew off in unison. I then turned my attention to a nearby slough where there was bound to be some action, but that's fodder for another day.

I hope all my American friends had a lovely Thanksgiving; we did as we were invited to share it with our wonderful neighbors and their family.

Birds of a feather ... III

Hope you haven't tired of our feathered friends quite yet. While the more gregarious ones were gathered on the pine tree, I noticed a few less sociable, or perhaps ostracized, birds nearby. Careful not to disturb the group just above me, I swung my lens around to capture a great blue heron and a turkey vulture.

Today's interesting fact: vultures often appear to have white legs because they squirt feces onto their legs and feet to cool themselves. Who says reading blogs can't be educational ? Keep that one in mind for your next trivia quiz. And a bonus fact: vultures are related to storks.

Note: I will be MIA for the next number of days as we welcome company. I expect to come visit you in about a week (although I might sneak a peek at comments you leave here ... shhh).

I don't think this spot was very conducive to fishing ...

 and it seems he agrees

 a member of the clean up crew arrives

Birds of a feather ... II

I have seen these beauties (well, it's said that beauty IS in the eye of the beholder, and these have a face I'm sure only a mother could love) before in Florida - the wood stork. But I'd never been able to get within twenty feet of them before. Apparently they are the only stork that breeds in North America. If you're interested, Wikipedia has some more interesting information on them.

Curiously, the storks seemed to be the only ones who took an interest in me creeping up towards the gathering.

Here he's with his friend Pinocchio

Birds of a feather ...

I developed a habit while completing a Project 365 during 2010 of making mental notes of places to visit, or re-visit, where I thought there were photographic opportunities. [editorial note: a better practice is to carry a notebook to jot down the info since, if your memory is anything like mine - good but short - you greatly increase your chances of finding the place again].

While on an expedition recently to get another check mark on our Christmas gift list, I saw a spot along a highway where a large number of birds were gathered. Mentally noted. Three fortunate things then happened - 1) I remembered by the time we got home; 2) I had the opportunity the next day to go back there; 3) the birds were waiting for me.

There was a bit of a logistical problem, however. The birds had congregated in a lone pine in the middle of a field. There would be little cover to allow me to get close. I parked a hundred yards or so away and assumed my best nonchalant stealth shuffle. I paused every so many feet to get a few shots in case I lost the whole flock suddenly. All went well until I got a sand spur (those of you living in Florida know what those are) lodged between my sole and the sole of my sandal. I managed not to do a crazed pain dance as I balanced on one foot, removed the sandal and sand spur, and continued my advance. Amazingly I managed to get within about twenty feet of the tree. Now and then a bird would depart but another would come in to take over the vacated spot, while most of the others just stared curiously at the slow-moving creature below them.

I'm no bird expert but I think most or all the ones I spotted in the pine tree are known as wading birds. Maybe they just appreciate a change of view. I'll show you them over the next few posts.

The first one is an ibis which I affectionately call a pinocchio bird.

Here's a partial shot of the tree, and an incoming ...

Farewell

No, this is not my farewell to blogging - just a [temporary, I hope] farewell to the Sunshine State. Before you go further, click on this link to enjoy a little farewell music while you have a look at the rest of my post:



We shall soon be heading back north where we learned that spring still awaits us, despite a couple of false starts. If all goes as planned, Sasha will enjoy temperatures much more to her liking - 7C/45F instead of 31C/88F - in a few days. Our woolies will be within reach as we near home. Brrrr !

[I will have limited internet access over the next few days. However, our extremely poor wireless internet service back home will be swapped out for a new satellite-based service which is being touted as far superior. Being a half-glass-full person I am cautiously optimistic that I will be able to resume posting and visiting early next week. Hope springs eternal !]


Here are a few more memories from our stay.

Overheard

"Hey, looks like something interesting going on down there."

"Sam, what do you think ?"
 
"I don't know, Charlie; do you think we should go check it out ?"

"Well you two can sit here talking all day; I'm getting hungry !"

"Hmmm, the grasshoppers DO look greener on the other side !"

"Eenie, meenie, miney, mo ..." "Aw, forget it; last one down's a dirty rotten egg !"

"That figures - Art's always last; what a birdbrain !"

"Finally ! Now I've got this side all to myself !"

♫ Happy trails to you ...

As you're reading this, we hope to be well on our way 'up north', having left the balmy south early yesterday morning in order to spend Christmas with family. We've traded shorts and sandals for boots and warm winter woollies. Tonight, if all goes well, we'll be sitting around the crackling wood stove. That will be a stark contrast to the scenes we savoured so recently.

Note: not only are we leaving the wonderful warm weather behind but we're also leaving the urban high-speed internet connection behind. For the next several weeks I will have to make do with a connection that is 400 times slower. I will likely have to restrict myself to doing the bare minimum online i.e. paying bills. I'm doubtful that I'll be able to post, let alone visit anyone's blog during this time.

If that's the case, then I want to wish each and every one of you a Blessed Christmas, and peace and joy in 2012.

Till we meet again ... ♫

What's in a name

Thanks to the ABC principle that was burned into my subconscious whilst completing a 365 photo project last year, I was prepared when I happened upon this anhinga striking a familiar pose - for anhingas, that is. Since water does not run off their backs, like a duck's, anhingas must dry their feathers after diving for fish and frogs if they want to take to the air again.

Now anhingas are also known as snakebirds since most of their body is underwater as they swim on the surface with only their long neck and beak showing. I've seen them swimming like that, and the name is an apt one. But apparently they're also known as water turkeys, and to be honest, I just can't make the connection. No one here mentioned them during the recent Thanksgiving celebration.

(70-200mm  f5.6  1/80 sec  ISO200)

An uncommon rainy day

Based on the rain that's welcomed us back so far, I'm expecting a bumper crop of May flowers. The forecast called for more rain this afternoon so Sasha took us for a walk this morning, and sure enough, the gray scudding clouds opened up around noon. It became a good day to stay warm near the wood stove as the outside temperature climbed to 5C/41F !

At one point I got up to have a look out the back window at the rain. I spotted what I thought was a robin pecking enthusiastically at the ground, but its furious action caught my attention. Then I noticed a splotch of red on its neck, and I knew it wasn't a robin - I'd never seen a bird like this before. Of course I had to get a few shots of this visitor. I watched its peculiar pecking for a while - apparently ants are a staple - and soon it was joined by 2 others.

I was further surprised when I researched it online and discovered that this bird is actually a woodpecker, known as a 'common flicker'. To paraphrase a favourite author, don't you think that if this flicker was all that common, I'd have seen more of them around ?

I had to shoot these through a rain-covered window and crop the shots a bit - no sneaking up on the birds on this day !

(70-200mm  f5.6  1/200 sec  ISO400)

(70-200mm  f5.6  1/60 sec  ISO200)

Read my lips

On this cool, dreary, rainy day (I know, I know ... April showers bring ...) I elected to browse through my photo archives to find cheerier moments. I came across this series from last year in which I got busted trying to sneak up on a birdie that was just trying to enjoy a quiet moment. Here were her reactions:

(all shots made with a 70-200mm lens at f8.0, 1/125 sec, ISO200) click on photos for a better view

"I can HEAR you ..."

"I know you're OUT there ..."

"Are you under THERE ?"

"Where ARE you ... ?"

"Aha ! Busted !"

"Ok, now get that camera out of my face and leave me alone"

In the spotlight

"The birds came marching two by two, Hurrah, Hurrah,  
 The birds came marching two by two, Hurrah, Hurrah ... "

Just having a little phun on a phriday. Hope you did too ! 

(10-22mm  f10  1/400 sec  ISO100) 

click on photo for a better view

Phor more phabulous phun, have a look at Scott's blog. 

Don't even think about it

On a visit to Bonita Springs last week with our daughters, I grabbed the camera and went for a stroll while the others soaked up the sun on the beach. I found many interesting subjects and will share some in future posts. On our way into the park, however, I had noticed an osprey nest high up on a pole. I found it again and stopped by to watch for a little while.

I noticed that an adult was busy tearing morsels off a fish and feeding it to a youngster down in the nest. I focused my lens on the activity and got a few shots. Then it seemed that the osprey noticed my presence and decided it had better thwart any attempt by me to climb the pole and steal its meal. Several times it spread its huge wings and gave me the proverbial hairy eyeball ! I was quickly convinced that it would be foolhardy on my part to even give it a thought !

(70-200mm  f6.3  1/800 sec  ISO200)

Well-dressed for the beach

Last week on our visit to Captiva Island where we watched fishermen trying their luck, we also noticed some other creatures that were even more engrossed in watching those same fishermen. In fact, they were so engrossed that I was able to get within 10 feet of them and they took scant notice of me. They were much more interested in the outcome since occasionally a smaller fish that wasn't worth filleting was tossed their way.

I consulted wikipedia and other sources and I believe this fellow is a grey heron. He obviously put on his best plumage for the occasion.

(70-200mm  f7.1  1/800 sec  ISO200)

Sheepshead and others beware !

This brown pelican, ensconced on the railing of the pier, must have been in between meals when I came across him the other day. Normally he'd be flying between 20 and 60 feet above the water, spotting herring, sheepshead, pigfish, mullet and other types of fish with his keen eyesight. Then he'd dive almost straight down and fill his pouch with more fish than his stomach could hold. During a normal day of fishing, he'd consume about 4 pounds of fish.

As I approached him, he was very focused on my lens and his eyes told me "Don't come any closer to me with that thing, buddy !" I obliged.

(70-200mm  f9.0  1/500 sec  ISO200)

click on photo to enlarge

Line up ... smile ... click

I set out this afternoon to try to find some large birds that we had spotted along a highway a few weeks ago. I found the highway and drove up it for a number of miles - nothing to be seen. Several miles further I finally spotted some birds in the water-filled ditch. I pulled onto the shoulder and got out quietly. These were the same ones - they were quite wary and while I managed to make a few shots, they flew off before I got within close range. I drove several more miles but the ditch came to an end so I reluctantly turned to head back home disappointed. The ditch on the return side appeared to be almost dried up.

As I came near the end of the highway where I had to turn off, I noticed what appeared to be construction ahead. I slowed, and then noticed a large excavator removing plant material from the ditch. And there, surrounding the digging, were scores of egrets, ibises, some herons, and the birds I was after. The noise of the excavator drowned out any sound I made, and I was able to capture what I was after. These 'beauties' are known as wood storks, and they lined themselves up nicely to have their photo made before taking up new positions on the other side of the ditch.

Note: our popularity with our friends and family in the frozen north was ratcheted up a few notches when we bought a home in Florida. We have company again for the next few days which will limit my time to visit and respond to comments. I hope to continue to post during this time.

(70-200mm  f10  1/320 sec  ISO200)