Everglades National Park

The Florida Everglades, a destination in Florida I have wanted to visit for several years.  Being as much into avian photography as I am I found it strange that I was actually going down there to concentrate 90% of the time into the beautiful and unique looking landscapes down there.  While my travels went much better then how they did last month when I went to Ocean Shore, the weather did not work out in my favor as I had hoped.  None the less, my friend and I made the best of it.  I was accompanied by Don Hamilton who lives in Florida and spends every other weekend in the Everglades during the winter time.  As another friend of mine said, we were “hardcore” because we were camping down there during our stay…chilly stay.  A lot of people thought I was crazy thinking I was going to be eaten by an Alligator or one of those Pythons they have all over down there.  Honestly I had those thoughts a couple times thinking, “am I crazy sleeping out here in the middle of now where?”  No cell reception down there, at least Verizon.  We had to drive to Anhinga Trail in order to get cell reception.  Up until my trip there, the furthest south I had been in Florida was Naples when my wife and I visited Corkscrew Sanctuary.  

So anyways, I flew in on Thursday to a complete overcast. My friend picked me up from the airport and we were off for some shooting for the late afternoon into evening.  We stopped by to visit the Burrowing Owls.  We spent the late afternoon into evening there.  Most of my shots I was not happy with due to the lighting that we had.  Even using flash (more so then I would usually use) I was not real please with those shots.  We headed back and crossed our fingers that the weather would improve some over the next few days.

We left the next morning at 5am for the Everglades in a drizzle.  That would be the story on and off for almost the entire weekend.  We arrived to the Everglades just before sunrise, no sunrise to be seen that day or really any of the other days with the exception of Sunday.  We set up camp in the late afternoon after exploring the area.  We were originally going to stay for two night but only ended up staying for one night due to the showers and cool weather that we encountered during our stay.  None the less, I came back with a few good shots from the area, including some stellar images of a Red-Shouldered Hawk.   Not the stellar landscape images that I had hoped for but sure can’t complain when you come home with some good wildlife images.  

A Turkey Vulture that thought he was a bus!!

Double-Crested Comorant

We did get a fairly decent sunset opportunity on Saturday evening before we left. At a favorite location of my friend in Everglades National Park is where I captured this sunset.   

Sunset at Everglades National Park

Sunday we focused on a sunrise opportunity on the east coast.  We got skunked on the sunrise (boy I thought avian photography was frustrating!)  I decided to try my hand at some timed exposures I have seen others do along the coast line.  I came away with one image that I was happy with the results.   

Ocean 'scape in Jupiter Florida, receding tide

 We then followed that up with some photos of Orchids and Sunday evening we went back to visit the Burrowing Owls and got some sweet light at the end of the evening.  Unfortunately we were in a location that did not offer us any good photo opportunities for the sunset.   It was beautiful to see none the less.  

Acker's Sweetie Orchid (hybrid)

Burrowing Owl at sunset

Damon Point State Park, Washington - Snowy Owls Experience

Damon Point State Park, Ocean Shores Washington,  January 31^st – February 3^rd 2013.  That was my destination for a two day photography outing with Snowy Owls, a first for me with this species.As with new species that you first capture, the fact that I have never encountered one makes it all that more special to me.  Damon Point is a 61 acre State Park on the southeastern tip of Ocean Shores.In 2012 there was an irruption year for these Snowy Owls.  I was unable to make it out to Damon Point last year.  So when I heard this winter the area was experiencing a rare “echo” irruption I made every effort to make it out there in hopes of capturing my first Snowy.  Accompanying me on this journey were two friends of mine, Don Hamilton and Tinman Lee.  

**Before I get to my experience, I do have to disclose the travel aggravations that I endured.  The aggravations ultimately made my experience even more unforgettable in the end.**   So flashback to a couple weeks ago when I was sitting in Akron/Canton airport waiting to fly out on an undisclosed airline with a 6:30am departure time to Detroit then on to Seattle.  My plane ended up being delayed because of mechanical problems.  So I was bumped to fly into Atlanta instead of Detroit.  During the flight down to Atlanta I wondered if they had switched my luggage between the two planes.   I would have my answer to that when I land in Seattle.  So I land in Atlanta, and find out my connecting gate is on “the other side of the world”, clear across the airport and was about to begin boarding.  So here I am speed walking with my Gura Gear bag on my back fully loaded with my gear as I felt like a running back in the NFL sprinting through the airport dodging incoming linebackers for the opposing team.  Guess all the running with the heavy load would prepare me for my adventures at Damon Point though.  J  I made it to the gate in Atlanta and get my assigned seat at the check-in.  Whew!  Should be an easy ride now into SeaTac now and was relieved to finally be on the last leg of my flight into SeaTac.  My friend was to land at noon and I was originally supposed to land shortly after 11am.  We had hoped to get in a couple hours of shooting that day that would not come to be as I found out after I landed in SeaTac.  So, fast forward to SeaTac, I finally land at the airport shortly after noon PST (an hour later then I was supposed to land).  Boy was I glad to be in Washington to begin my Snowy journey.  I wonder if my bags arrived with me or if they were clear across the USA still getting snowed on??  I would come to find out from the agent at the gate that my bags were in Detroit on my original plane and would not arrive until 5:30pm!  Dang, there goes my shooting with my friend for the day as I had my tripod and head in the luggage.  Forget the clothes; I can pick up extra clothes at the store, a Gitzo tripod…well not so much.  So I was told go to baggage claim and they would deliver my luggage to my hotel.  Cool I thought, that works for me!  I should have known it would not work out like that on what was the worst traveling experience for me ever.  I come to find out Ocean Shores (where I was staying) was outside their delivery radius and they would have to go through FedEx and my luggage would not arrive until Saturday morning sometime.  WHAT!!!!!  Those were approximately my words.  Trying to contain my cursing at the poor lady that was trying to help me.  “That isn’t going to work for me, I flew across the country for Snowy Owls, to photograph them and I have photography gear in that luggage that I need, “ I said.  I might as well stay at the airport until my luggage arrives, which is ultimately what I ended up doing.  I was given a $25 voucher for airport food for my headaches, which I split with my friend since they gave him nothing because he wasn’t “affected” by the situation.  Yeah right, he was stuck there with me as the rental car was in my name.  We got something to eat with the voucher (which was another story in of itself).  Off to get the rental car, thinking to myself what are the odds I don’t have a rental car or hotel room.  In the end, I had both.  We killed time at REI (a sporting goods store) where I bought myself something to make me feel better after the day I had, an upgraded headlamp which I needed for the Snowy Owls anyways even though I had brought one with me from home.   This one is 2x brighter though,  that headlamp will always have a special place with me.  J  Finally we get to the hotel at 8:30pm. 

Off for an early start the next morning.  After a short breakfast at the hotel we were off.  BTW…if you are traveling out to Ocean Shores, I HIGHLY recommend staying at the Guesthouse Inn & Suites.  After we found were we had to park, onward we began what ended up being 4-5 miles of walking in a span of two days as we zig-zagged across the Point.  Sooooo worth all the effort and soreness that I endured and I’d do it all over again!.  We came to our first of many Snowy Owls just as the sun was rising and I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief knowing all my aggravation was going to be well worth it.  We had some clouds in the morning that burned off as the day went on.  We were lucky in that the first owl we encountered the sun seemingly broke through a clear patch in the horizon to give us that stellar light before it disappeared again for about another hour. 

Was so happy to see our first Snowy Owl on Friday morning!

We found some Snowy Owls in some interesting perches on the first day.  Found a lot of them perched atop of evergreens and found one that was almost cradled in one.  It was nice to be able to mix up different habitats with them. 

We worked around looking for some higher ground to get near eye level for Mr. Sleepy here.

Both days we left for the Snowy Owls walking to them in darkness and left them in darkness being guided by our headlamps. 

The second day there we had some strong winds.  On an open piece of land like Damon Point there was nothing to break the wind.  I would guess 25 mph winds.  Temps were warmer then Ohio so can’t complain there. J  The winds died off as the day wore on.  We found the Snowy Owls closer to the ground that day as they tried to shield themselves from the wind.  We really lucked out with the weather as this time of year in that part of the country it is usually overcast and raining.  Abundant Snowy Owls on various perches, fantastic weather, and met some great local photographers out there as well.  Can’t go wrong with that recipe!  Heeding the warnings of fellow photographers Tinman and Conrad Tan we brought lots of water with us.  What I took out with me I slimmed down on by the second day.  Ditching my backpack on the second day to cut down on some of the weight I was hauling around and only taking two lens and my fanny pack with me that was so packed it was bulging. 

We took a short rest in the afternoons.  This was taken by my one of my friends, Tinman.  A pair of Snowy Owls had just left this piece of driftwood.  I decided to take a snack break and to stretch my back where they were.  It was so a cool feeling to be in the exact location where they had just been resting.  Sounds weird, but I almost felt their presence there still. 

Photographing Snowy Owls can be exhausting!  Photo taken by my friend Tinman Lee.

The scenery around Damon Point was breath taking.  On a clear day you can take in great views of Grays Harbor, the Olympic Mountains, and Mount Rainier.

My first Snowy Owl experience will definitely go down in the books as one of my more memorable photography trips. 

Upcoming Months

Well I booked a short trip out to Ocean Shores Washington for the "echo" irruption of Snowy Owls that is happening out there this year.  It will be my first experience with a Snowy Owl, and have been told they are a real sight to see.  I have a particular fascination with owls.  Something about the eyes, they portray a certain amount of mystery and curiosity within me I suppose.  Meeting up with a couple friends of mine out there that will share in the experience as well.  Hoping to have a great time with the owls and them. 


Then, I will be going off to the Everglades....first time there as well.  Really looking forward to that trip.  I plan to do some landscape and wildlife photography.  Never thought I'd hear myself say, "I'm going to do landscape photography."  The Everglades is a beautiful place for that and I have a good friend of mine guiding me down there.  We will be camping in the 'glades, the best way to experience them.   Should be a different and exciting experience.  I will be flying in with some shooting time to burn up before we depart for the glades so I am hoping to work on some more Burrowing Owls before we head out extremely early the next morning.  So stay tuned tuned for some upcoming posts....

Be back soon....Stay tuned.

Sorry to have been absent from my blog lately, well since my April Florida trip.  I shall start my blog up here soon with some of my newest adventures.  Rest assured, I have not been absent from photography at all.  With some remarkable experiences least of which the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird nest that I had the oppurtunity to photograph just outside of Columbus Ohio a few months ago. 

Ruby-throated Hummingbird nest, Gahanna Ohio

 The beginning of August I was back down in Florida again.  I got some great shots of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in Ocala Florida.

Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Ocala Florida

 I also paid a first time visit to Fort de Soto.  Not the best time to visit there becuase as I laid on the sand for my shorebird photography it was like laying on a hot skillet.  None the less, I was able to check the place out and get my barings.  A very cool place indeed! 
As for places I hope/am visiting in the future...well I guess you will just have to stay tuned! 

My Photography Filled Florida Birthday

For my birthday this year my wife decided to send me down to Florida for 3 1/2 days of photography filled fun.  I went down to Florida at the end of April (sorry for the late blogging) and met up with a photography friend of mine that lives down there.  During my stay we photographed many things and racked up some major mileage on his car.  One goal of mine was to photograph the Burrowing Owls.  Something that I tried to do in December of 2011 but had miserable luck at.  I kept three of the photos (never processed them) as motivation to do better the next time around.  Below are some of the Burrowing Owl photos that I photographed during my stay in the sunshine state. 



Burrowing Owl - The big yawn.  So tired from me taking all those photso of him



Burrowing Owl - Taken just after a rain storm passed.  So colors were nice and saturated.

Another place that we visited was Blue Cypress Lake, a first for me.  There we took my buddies kayaks out onto the lake and made our way around.  I took my 300mm with me as I could easily hand hold this lens and stash it easily in the kayak.  I really like the 300mm as a lightweight alternative to BIF lens.  It served me well on this trip and really put it to use for the Osprey and some other static images of other species. Here are a few images of the Ospreys I captured during my visit to Blue Cypress Lake.  

Osprey

Also ran into some cooperative Barred Owls and baby Limpkin that struck a pose for me while in the the kayak.  What a great birthday present from my wife!



Baby Limpkin - Photographed from a kayak



Barred Owl

San Carlos Bay Bunche Beach Preserve

A new location that we visited and a new favorite of mine is San Carlos Bay Bunche Beach Preserve, doing a little research ahead of time and finding the low tide time pays off greatly at this location much like Ding Darling.  When the tide is out the area is loaded with all kinds of shorebirds, which is a personal favorite of mine to photograph.   I had a lot of help regarding this location from two Florida friends of mine, Bob Pelkey and Marina Scarr.  Never would have come to know of this place if it weren't for those two.  Thanks to both of you!  The banded Piping Plover below was reported to the Great Lakes Waterbird Research Program at the University of Minnesota.  During my visit I also photographed another Piping Plover, but the other one had not been banded. 

Endangered Piping Plover

 On our particular visit I was able to see 200+ Black Skimmers which was quite a sight, even more so when they all simultaneously exploded into flight on occasion.  My first visit there was a windy one, and one that found me leaving my waders which I brought with me in my vehicle.  With Gulf temps in the mid 60’s and the wind left me quite chilled but with all the action going on at this location that helped take my mind off the somewhat uncomfortable conditions.  My second visit, I remembered those waders though.  



White Ibis

  I was able to photograph Snowy and Piping Plovers at this location, two shorebirds that I badly wanted to see.  Some of the Snowy Plovers I noticed were banded.  Other notable sightings were Reddish Egrets,  Little Blue Herons, a Bald Eagle, Snowy Egrets. 



Snowy Plover



If you are ever in the Fort Meyers area in Florida, this location is one that is definately worth checking out. 

J.N. "Ding Darling" Wildlife Refuge, Florida

My wife and I just got back from a trip from Southwest Florida for the holidays.  We spend several nights on Sanibel Island visiting some familiar photographic grounds and others not so familiar.  We made several trips to J.N. “Ding Darling” Wildlife Refuge located on Sanibel Island.  I have had good luck there in previous visits to this location and would highly recommend visiting this location if given the opportunity.  You never know what you are going to see around every bend on the road. 

White Pelican coming in for a landing.

 

 

 

You pay a fee and drive your vehicle throughout the 4 mile stretch of roadway through the Refuge.  It is always a good sign when you drive along and you see multiple cars pulled off the roadway and several photogs lining the roadside.  I had good luck with the several visits we made to this location this time around.  I was able to photograph Tricolored Herons, Anhingas, White and Brown Pelicans, Snowy Egrets, Great White Egrets.   Also seeing an occasional Spoonbill which seemed to be less numerous then in our past visit in the summer last year.  

White Pelicans, gulls, and shorebirds preening

Species at this location at times can be far off but more often than not are well within photographic range and are quite tame as they are used to the vehicles and human traffic.  Excellent opportunities for flight shots exist as I had a great experience photographing the various White Pelicans at "Ding Darling"  Other times during the year you can yield great result of Spoonbills in flight. The refuge is closed on Fridays to give the wildlife a break from us humans and vehicle traffic. 

Great Egrets