Bunche Beach East

Until this past week, it had been a very long while since I visited the east channel that cuts its way from San Carlos Bay into the estuary at Bunche Beach Preserve.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

I was well aware that my early morning visit, when I had the chance this week, would be at a very high tide which would make passing the channel impossible on foot as I was.

Even at a very low tide, the east channel is nearly chest deep in places if you choose to cross it, though gets shallower the further you go out into the bay.

The Willet above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

The approach to the channel was met with very still air and little bird activity.

The biting insects were at their worst after exiting the car a mile back and not bad compared to how they can be after sunset under certain conditions at the preserve.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

The water of San Carlos Bay was closer to the grass along the dune than I ever recall seeing it before.

Once at the channel, a Reddish Egret was seen in the company of a Willet feeding close to shore as the tide peaked when I took my first shots with the water three feet above mean sea level.

The Cattle Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

I had been forewarned by a weather forecast on the radio that this would be the hottest day of the 2010 summer.

There had been many other days already that were more uncomfortable due to higher humidity conditions while my morning through early afternoon visit to the preserve was comparably very pleasant.

The Snowy Egret with Reddish Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

A goal was to ensure that the shots I would take were level, without a need to rotate any shots in post processing, which was made possible by a bubble level in my tripod.

I initially made a great effort with this in mind by kicking the sand along the shore to a depth of a few inches where I was able to set one of the tripod's legs where it allowed me as low to the ground as possible without having to hold the camera.

The White Ibis above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

The water of the bay actually felt surprisingly cool as I entered it while planting myself down where I remained within a small radius for the next four and a half hours.

Photographs of birds, if they're not in flight typically, I find most appealing in an image from a low perspective while as close to their height as possible.

The Little Blue Heron juvenile above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

At about the time I saw evidence of clouds around 9:00am was when a strong and welcome breeze picked up from the east.

With the sun at my back, I simply waited for the action to happen.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

I have to admit that I would not have considered making this trip under the conditions of such a high tide if there wasn't the possibility of seeing the Black-necked Stilt for the first time.

Tom Obrock had told me that the species had been seen at the preserve about a month ago while he has noted seeing it more recently at the I-75 rest stop near the Fort Myers airport.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

The stilt regrettably remains elusive to me after my most recent visit to Bunche Beach Preserve.

I did, however, see some surprisingly enjoyable action that I would never have expected.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

The conditions turned out to offer some of the most enjoyable and prolific wildlife observation I had yet to encounter in one day.

Shortly after a few wading species passed overhead, I decided to change my strategy and primarily focus my efforts on photographing birds in flight which I continue to struggle with successfully.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

I adjusted the camera's settings many dozens of times to compensate for the different species and the perspectives I had of them.

It was a treat of course to see species I hadn't observed in a long while and to photograph juveniles which should be expected this time of year.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

This visit to the preserve was an opportunity for me to acquire a much better appreciation for the differences in shorebirds and improved identification of them.

Sandpipers, plovers and terns were abundant as the tide waned and the bay's flats were exposed offering the birds a resting and feeding opportunity.

The Great Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

My first few shots of the day were taken into the light.

I don't like shooting under those conditions as the results are often unreliable for an appealing image unless compensation is made diligently in the camera's settings or through flash which I chose not to use.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

In this most recent visit to Bunche Beach Preserve, I made my typical adjustments I do with the camera's exposure bias which was determined by the subjects that I thought warranted it.

The lower settings were used for the most part when I was photographing the Snowy Egret and other species seen in the surf with significant white in their appearance.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

The higher settings were used when I was photographing many birds in flight in the bright sky.

I've never trusted the camera to take an image with automatic settings and most often choose to make any inferior images with full accountability to myself.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

There were a few disputes of territory between a pair of Snowy Egrets and a pair of Tricolored Herons which occupied some of my observation time.

At one point I was surprised by a juvenile Snowy Egret having apparent dominance over an adult.

The "Great Getaway" above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

The Tricolored Heron juvenile was harassed by its elder when the younger bird got too close.

It was interesting to see the successful feeding by the birds with the Snowy Egret in particular making numerous stabs into the water which brought two fish at a time.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

It was on this trip that I made an observation, with the most confidence I've yet to have, of the Western Sandpiper.

I continue to struggle with the identification of these birds with subtle differences in their appearance.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

I consider the highlight of the trip my sighting of the Bald Eagle which I observed at the preserve for the first time.

A fellow visitor of the preserve told me of a visit he made to Bowman's Beach on Sanibel Island in June of this year.

The Least Tern juvenile above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

He commented on his observation of Snowy Plover juveniles that ran into his shadow to escape the heat of the sun.

I also heard this week from American Birding Association member, Hemant Kishan, who told me of his "spectacular" observations last month at Estero Lagoon which included the sighting of a juvenile Yellow-crowned Night-Heron "hunting plover chicks as if they were crustaceans."

The Western Sandpiper above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

Thanks for that report, Hemant.

I also had an interesting visitor to my Pbase site that commented on images cryptically over a half dozen images which when strung together read . . . IN SEARCH OF PEACE AND LOVE, I AM EXPANDED TO PROTECT MY WORLD. PLEASE COME AND JOIN WITH ME, LET US TOUCH THE SKY & REACH THE HIGH. FLY BEYOND THE BONDAGE, FOR FOOD TO MY SOIL MOTHER, I MUST RETURN TO YOUR PLACID BREAST.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

Although I missed photographing a flyover of a juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron as I wasn't prepared for it, I fortunately observed another of the species on the roadside while leaving the preserve which made up for the earlier loss.

I certainly won't consider a high tide visit to Bunche Beach Preserve any less than very favorable again.

The Osprey above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

And I have to add that I'm very much looking forward to frequent trips to Bowman's Beach during the 2011 breeding season.

The inclination of Bowman's Beach appears very favorable for great light during morning or afternoon visits as is Bunche Beach.

The Black-crowned Night-Heron juvenile above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2010.

Eight Days and Counting

I'm not sure if the Scarlet Ibis I observed last week was a hybrid (Scarlet X White Ibis) although I believe the bird to be pure as it was quite brilliant in its red.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

My effort to observe it again at Lakes Regional Park this week was met with failure.

There was action however in the bathing area, as I now consider it, as the White Ibis in particular flew in from their roosts from the northern area of the park.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

The grackles were of course active in the reeds from the start and noisy for my entire stay.

The first ibis flew in after I had settled down on the sidewalk of the park with a concern for the legs of the tripod firmly planted for the low light conditions and the slower shutter speed that would be required.

The White Ibis with juvenile and Mottled Duck above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

It wasn't soon after that I moved the gear into the grass and then the sand to be more comfortable and attempt to have a better view of the wildlife with the rising sun somewhat more directly behind me.

The White Ibis flew in from their roosts and landed in great numbers including numerous juveniles.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I noticed in almost every case that the first thing the ibis did was to take a drink of water after arriving on the scene.

There was a lot of opportunity for me to practice capturing images of birds in flight.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

In addition to the ibis, I also observed a pair of Tricolored Heron, one seemingly much smaller than the other.

An Osprey was seen overhead being chased by a grackle.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I believe I made my first sighting of four Least Bitterns, two pairs in flight, but was unable to photograph them.

A Swallow-tailed Kite was also in the area and offered me the opportunity for a few shots as it flew from the west and then north.

The Common Moorhen above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

Behind me at one point, a pair of Red-bellied Woodpecker were quite vocal and hide and seek in a palm tree.

Four Mottled Duck took claim to some space in the shallow water and seemed to be more dominant of the territory than the ibis.

The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

There was also a Least Sandpiper very seemingly out of place in all the activity which I'm surprised by as this species is considered a winter visitor to my area.

At one point the bird settled down in a clump of grass in a seemingly nesting behavior.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

A Common Moorhen was also making its rounds and occasionally made its distinctive call.

The Great Blue Heron arrived on the scene to ply its trade in the reeds and was not well received by the grackles that harassed it.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

Additionally observed in flight at Lakes Park were Great Egret, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, and Snowy Egret.

A Little Blue Heron with great color in its lores was the last to arrive at the time I was speaking with Bob Chamberlain.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I found out that Bob is a member of the Fort Myers camera club.

Bob had asked me if I knew what PSA was and I have to admit I didn't have an immediate answer.

Bob Chamberlain above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

He was referring to the Photography Society of America of course while I had visualized the PRE and PSE icons fresh to my computer with the installation of Photoshop Elements 8.0.

I later found out after visiting the camera club's website that Bob is a PSA representative.

The Common Grackle juvenile with Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Bob's wife Bonnie who told me of the delicacies she prepares for the camera club's meetings.

I had the great fortune of hearing from Hemant Kishan, a member of PSA, this past week advising me of his sighting of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher near STA-5.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

Hemant also told me that he was able to see the Burrowing Owl at Cape Coral and has images of this species and the flycatcher he has recently photographed which can be accessed here.

I've had the opportunity to use Energizer's latest rechargeable batteries these past weeks and find them inferior to the 2450 mHa available as the flash doesn't seem to cycle as quickly as the 2450 version.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

The newer version is advertised to be able to be recharged more than others of its type.

I've had the opportunity to see the video recording of the mating Burrowing Owls I made last week and as feared the quality is not what I had hoped.

The White Ibis juvenile above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I will nonetheless attempt to have it available to view at YouTube which is another project I am excited to learn about.

Among the most interesting and must see wildlife videos I've seen, titled "Battle at Kruger," is one available to view at Ken Conger's wildlife blog and can be accessed here, and be sure to see it full screen for best viewing.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

The title of this post is the executive branch's response time to the ecological disaster in the making in the Gulf of Mexico.

The potential impact on Florida's west coast and panhandle is quite chilling to fathom.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana will certainly be adversely impacted as well.

Audio Visual

In my hope to observe the Scarlet Ibis, I finally found it at Lakes Regional Park this past week.

The scene above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I had brought my kayak with the expectation that I would find it roosting in one of the park's many very small islands within it.

Mere minutes after getting the watercraft on the ground upon my arrival, I caught a glimpse of a red spot out of the corner of my eye.

The scene above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

The Scarlet Ibis was in a group of White Ibis feeding in the shallow water at the park's south beach.

As I stealthily approached to get my first photograph of the creature, from about 50 feet, all the birds nonetheless took flight and I missed the shot.

The scene above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

Within minutes all the birds returned after circling the park, except for the Scarlet Ibis.

I launched the kayak to have an enjoyable morning attempting to find the Scarlet Ibis roosting, though was disappointed to find that the prime area for that possibility is off limits to public paddle boats.

The Green Heron above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

There are tremendous opportunities to capture images of a diversity of birds in flight at Lakes Park and I will return to take advantage of that.

Yesterday evening offered another first for me when I made another trip to Cape Coral to observe the Burrowing Owl.

The juvenile Bald Eagle above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

While I initially captured a few still images of the birds I was observing, the primary intent was to create a movie of the owl's mating behavior which the Canon 5DM2 is capable of doing.

After finding a burrow and birds that might accommodate my mission, I settled down and prepared the camera's settings.

The White Ibis above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

With patience, I was rewarded with documenting the event at the burrow which I had only observed the male at the last few occasions I drove through the area.

Regrettably on this first attempt, the male's wings were clipped out of the frame and the composition of the birds could have been much improved.

The White Ibis above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

The quality of the audio recording could also be much improved with an external mic as the wind was buffeting the camera gear pretty hard.

When I acquired the latest version of Photoshop Elements this past week, I chose the basic version, so back it will go to be exchanged for the version that can edit movies.

When You Least Expect It

In my recent travels to Cape Coral, Florida, making an effort to observe and document the Burrowing Owl, I found a few surprises.

The Osprey above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in March 2010.

I have to admit that I found myself getting lost on the roads of Cape Coral even though the majority of them traverse the city east/west and north/south.

My GPS device was useful on one occasion after I thought I had completely lost my bearings which I'll blame on the bridges from the mainland.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in March 2010.

Earlier than that, however, I was seemingly going to run out of daylight as I traveled west on a highway (for the second time that afternoon) that offered in a few minutes time the sighting of two bird species I had not seen before in my near three years of Florida birding.

Flyovers of birds of many different species while driving can be expected to occur regularly in such an accommodating climate as southwest Florida.

The budding wildife enthusiasts above were photographed near Cape Coral Library in March 2010.

The rarer extraordinary event is when you have a bird such as a Wood Stork pace you at eye level along your route as experienced during a trip to Bunche Beach Preserve traveling south on Summerlin Road last month.

A Cape Coral experience was especially interesting as a bird I saw heading south and very low to the ground seemed to be in distress.

Frank above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in March 2010.

I made the earliest u-turn to get a closer look at what I thought was surely a hawk then clearly seen in an undeveloped parcel of property.

I wasn't able to identify the hawk as Cooper's nor the prey at its feet which was a Eurasian Collared Dove until I hit the books back at home.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in March 2010.

This was an extraordinary experience to say the least.

That sighting is put in perspective somewhat as I think of the many hours I've spent observing the Burrowing Owl in which time I've seen in relative seconds the mating of the birds or even more uncommon their feeding behavior.

The Cooper's Hawk above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in March 2010.

An unusual late winter storm attributed to El Niño dumped a large amount of rain on the area these past couple of days which may prove beneficial to the owls with insect and other photographic opportunity across much of the state.

I would certainly like to have the opportunity to re-shoot the owls with them hunting for food with prey in focus beyond mice considered to be a staple in their diet.

The Cooper's Hawk with Eurasian Collared Dove above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in March 2010.

On my most recent trip to see the owls at and near the Cape Coral Library, I was very surprised to see fellow wildlife photographer Frank, visiting from Montréal, who I've seen for the third time at different venues in the area coincidentally.

With extreme optimism I hope to see my friend Tim Rucci later next week as he makes his way across Florida for some wildlife documentation with his friend Ken Conger.