"Delete Images. Are You Sure?"

It has again been enjoyable photographing wildlife with Frank Constantin when I've been able.

The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

Frank has been visiting from Montreal, QC, where he noted a mild winter is taking place.

It's hard to believe that Florida was the only state within the United States not to have snow on its grounds this week, but true.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

Frank and I met up at Harns Marsh Preserve on a morning this week that would unfold with the unexpected.

The sky was a bit overcast with high clouds to the east while early morning light was captured with its deep oranges in the marsh with great fortune.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

While we chatted, a once in a lifetime opportunity unfolded with the approach of an American Bittern in flight.

I was able to track the bird, but the lens failed to focus as I was using other than a single focal point.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

Frank got the bird after it landed in a pose that is often seen in imagery of the species.

Shortly thereafter, a fellow visitor of the preserve named Jim Gibbons arrived to chat briefly before continuing on with a walk further into the offerings of the great wildlife venue.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

Jim noted that he was visiting from New Hampshire while also commenting that he's been birding for about two years and has visited STA5 several times.

Jim told the story of observing an Ahinga at STA5 with two other enthusiasts at his side while each had a different interpretation of how the bird met its demise before their eyes.

The Blue-winged Teal above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

With the near start of baseball spring training, Jim is in town to do work for the Boston Red Sox as a security person of sorts I gathered.

I believe I made my first personal sighting of Lesser Scaup while Gayle Sheets notified me this week that my mid-November 2010 sighting of Redhead was added as the 144th bird species accounted for at Harns Marsh Preserve.

The Lesser Scaup above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

Another unexpected surprise at Harns Marsh Preserve were representatives of the United States Geological Survey that made an investigation of the preserve via airboat.

It seemed awkward for the men to make their apparent studies while flushing many bird species well ahead of them.

The scene above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

At the time of this writing, there is no reference to Harns Marsh Preserve at the USGS website.

I met up with Frank at Jason Verdow Memorial Park in Cape Coral later in the day to attempt to observe and photograph Monk Parakeets that I would see for the first time.

The Ring-necked Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

Fellow local wildlife observer Tom Obrock has written of his sightings of this species numerous times yet I'm unsure where his favorite spot to view them is.

It was at the recommendation of work mate Rick Leuzinger to visit the park that Frank and I did.

The Osprey above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

When I told Rick that I saw a price of $300 for a Monk Parakeet on the internet, he jokingly told me, "Oh yeah, all you need is a really big net and you can make tons of money off them."

Regrettably the Monk Parakeet, or Quaker as Rick refers to them, is considered an invasive species.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in January 2011.

The parakeets observed this week were readily seen in flight and nesting in the light towers at the park while the most notable characteristic were their vocal calls.

Another work mate named Margie Congregane who never shies away from talking about her Windjammer Resort and Beach Club vacations in Lauderdale By The Sea told me this week of a recently installed Beach Cam at the resort.

The Osprey above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

Margie interestingly commented about a man from Winnepeg, Canada, who was watching the webcam and observed a Brown Pelican in distress.

Margie told me that the man alerted Windjammer management who immediately responded to save the pelican with Windjammer now referring to the Canadian as the “Pelican Man.”

The White Ibis above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

It is now that I'm compelled to explain the title of this post as the coffee is brewing with hopes of getting my musings to you on schedule.

Normally I will immediately transfer images from the camera to the computer upon the return from a wildlife excursion, but in this case went through the multiple steps to erase the images in the camera and accidentally deleted them before the transfer.

The White Pelican above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

I was sure not to delete the images in the camera as the erasure of them was in progress.

Frank and I made one last attempt for good wildlife photography this week following through on his recommendation to visit Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge after his great success there the day before.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

Frank's images that he showed me on his camera's monitor were remarkable and yet certainly an injustice to what he will have at his pbase site once he gets home and processes his work.

I arrived at the refuge later than I told Frank I would be there allowing him the chance to make the trip along Wildlife Drive and pull up behind me near the entrance.

The Willet above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

The tide was lower than I have seen it at Ding Darling before which I think indicates excellent management of the refuge.

The birds were very prolific in variety and numbers, more so in fact than I've seen at this place before.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

I recently heard first hand the recommendation by renowned wildlife photographer Artie Morris to use a single focus point.

This advice relies on many factors including the camera you're using and the distance of your subject while I've found using a wider array of focus points more successful for me with the 1D Mark III (except when I'm tracking an inbound bittern).

The Osprey above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

I was actually much more concerned with the proper exposure of the difficult to photograph white birds at Ding Darling while the series of shots of the Osprey gathering nesting material may have greatly benefited from the single focus point.

The majority of time at DDNWR was spent adjacent to the north entrance of Indigo Trail.

The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

It was at this spot that a very affable fellow introduced himself as John David.

John David told me that he was at the venue to take photographs for a story being written about the refuge for "the paper."

The Reddish Egret juvenile above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

He asked me a couple of questions while astutely remaining for some time to observe the remarkable wildlife before us.

The highlight of my experience this particular day was observing the Osprey that was diligently collecting nesting material.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

The Belted Kingfisher that Frank has affectionately called the little bastard was occasionally present but failed to offer a really good photo op.

Frank and I mutually agreed on a more appropriate name for the species in reference to the challenge of getting a really nice image of it.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

While I continue to shoot in JPEG, Frank and I were discussing that as one of the causes of less than favorable images while my typical use of the 1.4X teleconverter, and heavy crops were noted as attributable as well.

As I've used both Canon and Nikon photo gear, I express apologies for generically using terminology that refers to the same thing for the two brands while subconsciously favoring Nikon.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

It was difficult to confirm John David's credentials and for which paper he works for, so am especially glad that he allowed me to take his photograph for the record.

For John David Emmett, staff photographer for the Fort Myers News Press, is an image of him below to accompany his name.

John David Emmett above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in January 2011.

The lingering effects of near frostbite of my fingers was felt until the end of the day.

Duck pond near Fort Desoto

I'm going with a ring necked duck. At first I thought it was scaup but the presences of the white ring on the beak says it should be a ring neck. Although, you can't see his neck so who knows.

Redhead. I think this is the first time I've seen one.

Lots of sleeping ducks in the afternoon.

My first Northern Shoveler. This is a female. They resemble mallards but with a really big bill.

I had read on Pinellasbirds.com that there were a lot of migrating ducks at the duck ponds in Tierre Verde before you drive into Fort Desoto. I was near there one afternoon and stopped by to see if I could spot anything.  There were a lot of usual moorhens and coots but I did notice the redheads and ring necked.  Most of them were sleeping on the other side of the pond but a few floated over by the sidewalk.  I can't believe I found the northern shoveler. She was hiding in the reeds but came out for a few seconds. I hate that I didn't get a front picture of her big bill. I'll have to check the pond again next time we head to the beach.

A Gorgeous Redhead At Harns Marsh Preserve

After failing to make my monthly trip to Harns Marsh Preserve in October, the November 2010 visit was particularly rewarding.

The Pileated Woodpecker above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

I was surprised to see large tents certainly used for overnight camping south of the parking area upon my arrival.

There was no wildlife action evident at all before parking the car at the north gate access point.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

Immediately upon getting out of the car, however, the unmistakable calls of Limkin could be heard to the north.

With great fortune, my first photographs taken were of Pileated Woodpecker flying overhead from the stand of trees directly in front of me and across the water.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

It didn't take long for my eyes to focus on the surroundings and see the majestic Osprey perched in the early morning light.

A few Mottled Ducks were then seen floating in the water seemingly waiting for my next move.

The Osprey above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

An overflight of Mallard was observed within the next few minutes.

A solitary Limpkin was working the shoreline and would prove to be the only one seen, though countless others of the species were heard in the preserve's tall grass.

The Mallard above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

As I made my way to the north on a journey I didn't have a specific goal to accomplish, the thought of walking around Harns Marsh Preserve crossed my mind and I couldn't help but dread its distance.

The weather was initially relatively cool at 59 degrees, but was expected to warm up quickly which it did.

The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

Not too far along my walk, I encountered a rarely seen (for me) Black-crowned Night-Heron at the preserve.

A mystery species seen in a flock of 23 I would later identify as Red-winged Blackbird with the assistance of local birding expert Wes Dirks.

The Black-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

And very shortly thereafter a Wood Stork gave me a flyby that was so close, I couldn't fit it in the frame of the shots taken of it.

A Wood Stork was also seen in the company of a Great Egret at close range while another stork was seen to perch with a pair of Black Vultures and a Turkey Vulture across the lake.

The Red-winged Blackbird above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

It was at about this location that I observed Tree Swallows that were by far the most abundant species seen during my November visit to Harns Marsh Preserve.

It was nearly a year earlier to the day at this same wildlife venue that I was able to capture my first image of the species.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

Although I tried my best to ignore these quite fast and extremely unpredictable birds due to my initial very fuzzy unrecognizable images captured of them, they would instill in me a passion I couldn't resist to attempt to photograph them and their behavior.

Of the hundreds of swallows that swarmed around me for an extended period of time, I would only see them at rest on a tall weed for mere seconds.

The Wood Stork juvenile with Great Egret above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

The Tree Swallows were otherwise constantly on the move and would be seen nearly until the time I left the preserve in the late morning.

The second most prolific species seen at Harns Marsh Preserve was American Coot.

The Tree Swallow above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

These relatively diminutive birds considering the somewhat unpleasant guttural vocal calls they made throughout my stay were very good cover for a new bird sighting for me.

The Redhead required intensive study for me to identify it in my Sibley guide, with the bird's yellow eyes the clincher.

The American Coot above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

I saw no evidence of what may have caused them to take flight leaving the coots behind while the Redhead regrettably did not return to my observation area although likely remained nearby.

Tom Obrock's previously reported Blue-winged Teal was also observed within the group of waterfowl as was a solitary Common Moorhen.

The Redhead with American Coot above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

As Black Vultures made flybys, a few Snail Kites were seen actively feeding on Harns Marsh's Apple Snails.

As I had the gumption to continue my walk, I encountered an Eastern Phoebe that I had just photographed for the first time a month earlier at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers.

The Black Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

And while walking even further I was able to observe a pair of Sandhill Cranes that I see infrequently at Harns Marsh Preserve.

As I settled down near a pile of discarded Apple Snail shells, the smaller of the cranes was meticulously preening itself for over a half hour.

The Eastern Phoebe above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

It was interesting to see that it created a small hole in the ground with its beak near the shoreline.

The Sandhill Crane would put its beak in the hole every moment or so to cover it in water which it then used to preened its feathers.

The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

At one point the cranes would call in almost perfect unison while other Sandhill Cranes across the marsh replied.

The Sandhill Crane has an exceptionally loud call and it was quite exhilarating to be so close to them in experiencing this auditory marvel.

The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

When the cranes decided to move on, it was late in the morning and I decided to return to the car.

About a dozen Cattle Egret were feeding successfully on insects in the grass along the roadway.

The Cattle Egret above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

About a half dozen Pied-billed Grebe were seen occasionally resurfacing for air with one coming up with a small fish in my observations.

A pair of Roseate Spoonbill were seen doing a rarely seen and unusual acrobatic midair dance.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

As a small number of vultures were climbing the thermals in the area near the car, a bird that didn't quite seem to fit in was initially a mystery to me.

When an adult Bald Eagle flew into view a short while later, I was confident that I had earlier seen a juvenile of the species.

The Bald Eagle juvenile with Wood Stork above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

I investigated my images of the Bald Eagle to be assured that it was a juvenile and not a second or third year sub adult.

I was pleased to see the Pileated Woodpecker again at the spot I had begun my journey as this species cannot always be expected to be seen at Harns Marsh Preserve.

The Pileated Woodpecker above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

In all, there were 32 species of bird seen at Harns Marsh Preserve.

This post is something of an experiment in the presentation of images going forward.

The Tree Swallow above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2010.

I've learned that with the manipulation of images in CS5, the use of default in the reduction of image size, Bicubic (best for smooth gradients), leads to a less distorted image when presented here, as opposed to Bicubic Sharper (best for reduction).