Too Many Birds At Ding Darling NWR

The title of this post is made in jest while it's somewhat accurate with regard to my perceptions for bird photography at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge of late.

The Great Egret with White Ibis above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

Of course, an early morning visit to the refuge at a low tide is the ideal time to be here for wildlife observation.

At that time, the rising sun will be for the most part behind you as you make your way along Wildlife Drive.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

To clarify earlier comments made related to the importance of the tidal conditions, it is best to arrive at Ding Darling four to five hours after a low tide at Matanzas Pass timing a visit as close to sunrise as possible.

The time of an ideal low tide will vary depending on the time of year of your visit.

The Ring-billed Gull above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

Biting sand gnats can be a nuisance at the Refuge as I've observed in virtually all of my visits, so you may want to have an insect repellent with DEET available.

Please note that if viewing the exif data for any of the photographs taken this week that I failed to change the time ahead an hour in my camera.

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

I've observed the tide to change this many hours after the low at Water Control Structure 2 with predictability.

My last three visits to the Refuge have been particularly overwhelming in the wildlife seen.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

This smacks in the face of commentary I've been told or read that there has been a reduction in wildlife observations made in recent years across the state of Florida.

I've given some thought to this perception and what the explanation for it may be.

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

I have been diligently observing wildlife in southwest Florida for about four years with 12 favorite venues that I visit as regularly as possible.

These southwest Florida venues include Ding Darling, Bunche Beach, Estero Lagoon, Lovers Key, Harns Marsh, Lakes Park, Corkscrew Swamp, Six Mile Cypress, Venice Rookery, Eagle Lakes, Tigertail, and Babcock Webb in no particular order.

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

So what might be the cause for such a negative perception of a wildlife decline?

I can think of a few things that may have different degrees of relevance.

The Great Egret above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

Foremost is perhaps the unprecedented back to back hurricane seasons of 2004 and 2005 when hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne in '04 and Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma in '05 undoubtedly devastated countless nesting colonies.

Hurricane Charley is particularly noted as having changed the ecology and topography of Ding Darling NWR.

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

Hurricane activity in Florida has fortunately been subdued in more recent years giving wildlife the opportunity to recover with more favorable conditions.

Abnormally cold weather the last two winters has possibly impacted birds favorably in Florida with the '09-'10 fish kill when wading birds gorged themselves earlier than they typically do when water levels are at there lowest before the start of the rainy season.

The Great Egret above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

A comment overheard by a volunteer at Ding Darling noted however that rainfall, whether plentiful or not, has not been a cause of the failure of Wood Stork nesting colonies at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary the last couple of years to the extent that cold weather has been.

Wood Stork have been seen in the Fort Myers area with frequency this winter (though not this past week), particularly at Ding Darling NWR and Harns Marsh Preserve.

The Pied-billed Grebe above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

In addition to the above speculated uncontrollable forces, I've made observations that have negative impacts from moment to moment.

Most recently was an observation of a few young kids at Estero Lagoon that were running into a flock of resting birds near the surf.

The playful activity above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in February 2011.

This event reminded me of kids doing the same on the flats at Lovers Key State Park at New Pass with much greater numbers of birds impacted a few years ago.

The lack of parental supervision is disappointingly seen with positive efforts made at Ding Darling noted recently as a bus load of kids passing by were heard educated about the wildlife they could see.

The Pied-billed Grebe above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

The education about wildlife has been made in the form of questions like, "What do you see?"

On occasion I've also observed pets that are allowed to run unrestrained by their owners with the dogs as expected attempting to play with wildlife which reacts as you might expect.

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

I'm not sure the impact of exotic pet release or hunting, but these factors may have notable impact for observations of wildlife as well.

Florida has allowed the hunting of snakes in the Everglades this past year.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

I've encountered an abundance of wildlife during my visits to the venues mentioned in this post with very rare exception.

Ding Darling NWR was my sole focus this week devoting much time along Wildlife Drive at my favored observation point at WCS2 with numerous observations made that were no less than extraordinary.

The Little Blue Heron juvenile above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

As was normal in the moon's cycle, the favored low tides had been getting higher and later in the morning each day.

I believe this was the cause of fewer birds seen overall on each successive visit to the refuge while the most recent visit I found to be the most memorable.

The Pied-billed Grebe above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

A Swallow-tailed Kite was seen for the first time this season as it gracefully circled above.

Toward the west near mid-morning I thought I observed smoke rising into the sky, but it was thousands of Tree Swallows upon closer inspection.

The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

There were many opportunities to observe feeding behavior, overflights of birds, and the mere daily routine of the interesting avian creatures.

I was able to photograph for the first time the double crest of a cormorant which is not an easy thing to do even considering how abundant this species is in the area.

The Tree Swallow with egret above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

An adult Snowy Egret was not tolerant of a juvenile that was within its territory.

A distinctive waterfowl observed flying with a pair of Mottled Duck would be identified as the rarely seen Northern Shoveler at the Refuge.

The Northern Shoveler above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

And perhaps the most exhilarating experience was an overflight of about a hundred Willet that strafed me at less than ten feet from behind.

The allure of Indigo Trail has been incredibly enticing, though yet to be explored.

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

Too many birds at the refuge has been my concern for a photograph of the wildlife without a distraction in an image taken of a particular subject ideally engaging in behavioral action.

I'm not a fan of manipulating photographs beyond traditional means though desperately need to learn how to add canvas to an image which I hope to do in the near future.

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

For returning visitors to my blog, I hope you find the new look appealing.

I'm grateful to Tim Rucci for his help with my Pbase style sheet while attempting to emulate it in this blog.

The Pied-billed Grebe above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in March 2011.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of timing visits to venues nearby the Gulf of Mexico for the most part at a low or near low tide.

If you fail to do this, you may end up being disappointed.

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

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).

Harns Marsh Preserve VI

With great anticipation, I made my sixth trip to Harns Marsh Preserve in Lehigh Acres, Florida today.


The birds above were photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

The correct spelling of the preserve is a mystery to me as the Caloosa Bird Club identifies it (with directions to the preserve here)as Harnes Marsh.

I was unsure of what the lighting conditions for photography would be. As was the case on prior visits to the preserve, the sky was somewhat overcast with intermittent high clouds today.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

This made for less than ideal conditions where I would prefer consistent bright light. This allows the chance for better imagery at a greater distance.

The temperature was 44 degrees Fahrenheit upon my arrival. The relative warmth of the water created a heavy mist on the marsh that burned off quickly once the sun had risen over the trees.

The Boat-tailed Grackle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

It was my initial intent to walk around the preserve as I had on my last visit, but there was enough action in the vicinity of the parking area to keep me busy observing what was immediately accessible.

Not to mention, I wasn't rested enough for the journey that can be daunting.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

I thought I had made a sighting of the Snail Kite which I would note as a given at the preserve, but after review of my images taken, the bird I thought was a kite was actually an Osprey. This was the first occasion I have not seen the Snail Kite at the preserve.

I did, however, see a few other species up close I had not seen before at Harns Marsh including the Bald Eagle, American Kestrel, and Killdeer. The latter I was especially surprised by which I would only expect to see at the beach, or at least much closer to it.

The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

Gayle Schmidt's checklist for the shorebirds at Harns Marsh is surprising to me with a dozen species observed. The Killdeer made my first sighting of plover at the preserve.

The Limkin was present, but disappointingly silent. I missed its call across the water which is very distinctive.

The Killdeer above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

It was a treat to meet Jerry and Susan, from Naples, whom had made a walk along the Northeastern boundary of the preserve. Upon their exit, they told me that they had observed the merganser which I didn't clarify. I had assumed it was the Hooded, but the Red-breasted has also been observed at Harns Marsh in the past. Susan and Jerry were planning on making a trip to Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve to observe the smaller birds, as Jerry described them, before heading home.

Before the arrival of the first fisherman to Harns Marsh on this day (I think its only half the time I haven't seen one), I thought I was observing the breach of unusually large fish on the water's surface. After a short while, I realized I was seeing something else.

The River Otter above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

As I made my way South, a large River Otter crossed my path within a dozen feet of me. It was quite fast in its effort to leave the marsh, crossing the small ravine to my left, and entering the woods. Since I had observed two of the creatures together in the water, I walked a little further and waited with hopes to see the other otter. After a few minutes, it also made a bee line to the woods, but somewhat cooperatively stayed in the ravine for some portraits.

This was the first occasion I've seen the River Otter. The second otter was significantly smaller than the first I'd seen out of the water but was not as fast. A female or juvenile I'm not sure.

The Cattle Egret above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

Across the marsh, at first light, I observed what I thought were Snowy Egrets. Closer inspection identified them as Cattle Egrets.

The highlight of this most recent visit to Harns Marsh, without doubt, was what appeared to be a territorial battle between two Great Blue Herons.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

All the other typical wading birds were observed with the exception of the Reddish Egret which I have yet to see at Harns Marsh.

The Osprey were in greater numbers than I've seen before here. They were in the water twice, but not to be photographed.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

The Bald Eagle was an unexpectedly observed predator of the marsh. Susan mentioned seeing the juvenile of the species which I did not.

The eagle was harassed by the kingfisher on a couple of occasions.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

I also observed the American Kestrel and Northern Harrier, but was not able to photograph them. I considered the harrier too far away to pull the trigger.

The kestrel fought a strong wind from the North where it was virtually still for what was a good 10-15 seconds, but I could not respond quickly enough to get the shot of it. I was more memorized by its presence for half the time than I had to react before it took the wind way out of range.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

Another treat in visiting the preserve was my first observation of the Tree Swallow. The species made its way through in a flock of a few dozen. There were some stragglers that allowed for some photographs.

This species, which is extremely fast in flight, reminded me of my challenge in capturing images of even the larger and slower birds I often see.

The Tree Swallow above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

Before leaving the preserve, I also met Bob and Denise visiting from England. They had plans to bike the preserve at least in part. This is a recommended way to visit here as the boundary of the preserve is too large for a walk, especially in the summer months.

Bob had told me of his and Denise's trip to San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve where a recommendation was made to visit where we were. I, of course, recommended that they visit Little Estero Lagoon, a stones throw from where they're staying.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

One of my work mates that makes frequent trips to Fort Myers Beach for physical fitness has told me that the bird migrants have arrived. It's been nearly five weeks since my last visit to the beach which seems like an eternity.

In another month or so, a greater diversity of ducks should arrive, when I hope to make my next visit to Harns Marsh Preserve.

The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

A trip to the beach is a long overdue necessity at this point while I haven't had a recent opportunity with preferred conditions.

There are going to be extremely favorable low tides at the beginning of next month.

The Osprey above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

I hope to visit Bunche Beach Preserve, Little Estero Lagoon, and Tigertail Beach in the coming weeks to take advantage of the better shore birding known.

Before the year ends, I also hope to report from DDNWR. As a reminder, this venue is closed on Fridays.

The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in November 2009.

I also need to update my pbase galleries of the Great Florida Birding Trail (where you may click on a venue of interest) from a recent trip across the state.