SWFL Early 2011 Birding Bonanza

While typically attempting to highlight a particular focus of interest here in Southwest Florida, I'm this week able to report on a handful of venues of great interest to me and hopefully you as well.

The Savannah Sparrow above was photographed at Devils Garden in February 2011.

I missed seeing Tom Obrock at STA5 last week as I would especially find it an enviable opportunity to accompany such an accomplished birder as himself to learn from.

Frank Constantin made his rounds of the local area while I regret not being able to meet up with him either.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Devils Garden in February 2011.

Devils Garden Bird Park is a venue I was compelled to visit while I had the chance after hearing enthusiastic comments about it.

Devils Garden was officially opened to public wildlife tours in late 2010.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Devils Garden in February 2011.

The full day (9-4) tour was made with Jose Santiago as guide while accompanied by a fun couple from Minnesota.

I had thought Snail Kite were prolific at Harns Marsh Preserve, and then STA5, but Devil's Garden has the best opportunity to view this species of bird at close range I've yet to see.

The Limpkin above was photographed at Devils Garden in February 2011.

Jose told about the farming endeavors made on a visibly small portion of the 7000 acres that encompass Devils Garden.

He noted the hunting characteristics of hawks preying on doves that are flushed from the stands of sugar cane that serve as wind breaks for the vegetable plantings.

The Eastern Meadowlark above was photographed at Devils Garden in February 2011.

The tour additionally traversed the working ranch's wetlands, tree hammocks, and prairie wildlife habitats.

A stunning Northern Harrier was observed though stayed tantalizingly just out of photographic range.

The Red-shouldered Hawk in its nest above was photographed at Devils Garden in February 2011.

A never before seen nest of Red-shouldered Hawk was a highlight of the tour.

In addition, a nice sighting of a pair of American Bittern at very close range was made at Devils Garden.

The alligator above was photographed at Devils Garden in February 2011.

Sandhill Crane, White Pelican, Eastern Meadowlark, Savannah Sparrow, Osprey, Tricolored Heron, Crested Caracara and additionally seen wading and shore birds were welcome as well.

A future visit to Devils Garden will perhaps involve my investigation of one of the venue's covered viewing platforms.

The American Bittern above was photographed at Devils Garden in February 2011.

Additional visits to the venue will be required before I'm confident in "designing my own tour" of Devils Garden to take full advantage of its offerings.

Jose also commented that we have had little rain these past weeks.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Devils Garden in February 2011.

This certainly doesn't favor Devils Garden and its birds when compared to the conditions at STA 5 where the water is intentionally pumped into its cells.

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve was overdue for a visit and thus spent a morning making my way along the boardwalk at this venue that I strongly encourage you to visit.

The Pileated Woodpecker above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in February 2011.

The Carolina Wren is a species expected to be seen here, but is too often missed.

The Pileated Woodpecker was also a species of interest at Six Mile Cypress as it foraged near Otter Pond with the water's namesake yet to be seen.

The Carolina Wren above was photographed at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in February 2011.

A follow-up trip to J.N. Ding Darling NWR this week was timed to take advantage of a low tide which I've found to offer best conditions for wildlife viewing at this jewel on Sanibel Island.

My expectations were exceeded with a greater abundance of wading and shore birds than ever seen before along Wildlife Drive.

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

At first light, it was particularly entertaining to observe the feeding behavior of snowy, great, and Reddish Egrets, not to mention the White Pelicans at very close range.

I found myself particularly entranced as well by no less than a dozen Red-breasted Mergansers that I have not had the opportunity to study at such close range and for such an extended period of time before.

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

The White Pelicans were much closer to the drive than seen before with their trek northward soon to be underway.

It was interesting to observe Tricolored Heron to have dominance over Little Blue Heron with control over a pair of logs fallen in the water.

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

A very unusual observation of a Double-crested Cormorant was made where it is undetermined whether the bird was engaged in nesting, playful, or feeding behavior with a stick.

I overheard a refuge volunteer note that low tide occurred at 6:00am while low tide took place at 1:00am at nearby Matanzas Pass.

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

A 1:00-2:00am low tide at Matanzas Pass is thus the time we need to be noting ideally with the refuge opening at 7:00am while remembering that Ding Darling is closed to the public on Fridays.

Great numbers of shorebirds flew in to the primary area observed while many dozens of visitors had moved on.

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

Closing out my wildlife observations for the week, I had the chance to meet up with Hemant Kishan visiting the area for observation of Bald Eagle 862 and its nest at Big Carlos Pass.

The adult eagles were regrettably not cooperative in staying within view of the nest through much of the early morning while the juvenile laid low.

The Western Sandpiper above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in February 2011.

After investigating New Pass nearly two miles south where Double-crested Cormorant with Brown Pelicans and an Osprey hunting for a meal were primarily observed, Hemant and I headed to the southern end of Estero Lagoon at his recommendation.

The target species was Snowy Plover with anticipation of seeing more from my perspective as I had never walked on this particular ground before.

The Red-breasted Merganser above was photographed at J. N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge in February 2011.

A small flock of Royal Tern was initially seen (with one of the species in the group sporting near prime breeding plumage) in the company of quite a few Forster's Tern with a solitary Common Tern and a couple of Laughing Gull.

Numerous resting Western Sandpiper were in this group of resting birds as well.

Hemant Kishan above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in February 2011.

The walk was led by Hemant from Big Carlos Pass whom was very familiar with his surroundings and the wildlife that could be seen here while many personal walks from the Holiday Inn south never reached this point.

When Hemant returned after walking ahead of me, he noted that he had seen Red-breasted Merganser and American Oystercatcher which I would attempt to photograph as he left the beach to meet up with his family.

The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in February 2011.

Hemant also told me that he made a rare sighting of and photographed a Great Black-backed Gull near the Big Carlos Pass bridge adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico.

I finally heard from the USGS bird banding laboratory late this week regarding my inquiry of eagle 862 with my surprise that they are requesting additional information from me.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in February 2011.

I'll be seeking a more timely and efficient resource to submit information about and learn of banded birds and their history.

All of the wildlife venues mentioned above are deserving of as many repeat visits as possible.

The Snowy Plover above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in February 2011.

I will include an image of eagle 862's band engraving in next week's blog entry.

The Chicken Or The Egg

As the 2011 Great Backyard Bird Count (February 18-21) is underway, I ponder the question why one would want to be a "birder."

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

A harder question answered is "what is a birder?"

If you've ever taken interest in the flight of a bird that may have crossed your path or winged creature that may have merely been within your view, you might consider yourself a birder.

The Mourning Dove above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

There are certainly birders with qualifications raging far and wide from filling a box with seed to traveling the world.

It's been my great pleasure to encounter birders in my travels whom have the ability to identify birds with a skill that seems to be acquired with many years of observation and faithful dedication.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

It has taken me several years to reach the point in which I consider myself a novice birder devoting as much time to Southwest Florida wildlife observation as I can which typically averages seven hours a week.

I occasionally ponder the question asked of me by someone I've worked with if I would ever lose interest in photographing birds.

The Downy Woodpecker above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

As I immediately answered then, and as I feel today, definitely not.

There's simply too much unexpected opportunity with appreciation for the fact that these creatures are believed to be descendants of dinosaurs with a fossil indicating a winged creature lived 150 million years ago.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I have thus far documented 137 different species of bird in Florida, with a lifetime endeavor to merely observe as many of these beautiful creatures as I am able.

A greater personal endeavor is to study the behavior of birds.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

This week's effort was to continue my observation of a Bald Eagle's nest that has a solitary fledgling.

A contentious behavior between the adult eagles and Ospreys was again noted.

The Bald Eagle juvenile above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

The aerial dogfights between the species, if you will, are quite extraordinary and very difficult to document effectively through photography.

It was also particularly interesting to observe the eagle I call "862," as indicated by the metal band on its right leg.

The Bald Eagle with Osprey above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I reported the identification of the bird to the United States Geological Survey for information on the bird's history, but have not received a reply after two weeks.

What was of particular interest to me about the eagle's behavior which lasted 12 minutes was the manner in which it apparently was attempting to cool itself down on the morning when the temperature was about 70 degrees in the shade.

The Yellow-throated Warbler above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I have only seen similar behavior made by a Great Blue Heron on a couple of occasions and never before by the eagles.

This behavior should not be mistaken as similar by an Anhinga which stretches its wings in a similar manner to dry its feathers which lack waterproof characteristics of other birds.

The Roseate Spoonbill (note the middle bird's interest) above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

While observing the eagle's nest I again saw the Blue-headed Vireo which was favoring the seeds of a nearby Gumbo-limbo tree, with the bird both eating and regurgitating them.

Although this tree is known to be used for a great number of reasons including carousel horses, medicinal purposes, and Haitian musical drums, I pondered at the time while observing the vireo if the brightly colored seeds of the tree may have been cultivated by native American Indians as a resource for pigment in their paints.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

If you have the opportunity to offer a landscape addition in your yard where climate should be of concern, consider my favorite shrub known as Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana) which is incredibly fragrant while in bloom.

In the past, I have observed the Red-belied Woodpecker as another bird species that regurgitates seeds.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

Other bird species easily captivated my attention as a Yellow-throated Warbler was observed for the first time in over four years, coincidentally within a few miles from where I observed it last.

I also had the opportunity to photograph the Downy Woodpecker in the company of the much more common Red-bellied.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

The Downy Woodpecker is quite distinctive in the sound it makes which would allow its identification without seeing it.

Another rare observation was made with the sighting of an American Kestrel.

The Northern Mockingbird above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

When I first caught a glimpse of the bird as it flew overhead, while not immediately able to identify it, I knew that it was unusual with regard to its flight characteristics.

I learned some valuable lessons in camera settings that need to be used in the future to offer consistently improved images.

The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

It was interesting to observe as well the carcass of a turtle that possibly had its shell penetrated by the Black Vulture in the tree directly above it.

Though I've only picked up and kept one shell from the beach in my travels, it was interesting this week to meet someone that told me I had to give up my Alphabet Cone if I found one.

The American Kestrel above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I'll leave the reason why a mystery.

I was particularly intrigued with the workings of photo editing this week (which I attempt to keep to a minimum of crop and sharpening) as I attempted to remove a color cast in the Downy Woodpecker image included in this post where utilizing CS5, the opposite of what I thought should happen occurred.

The turtle carcass above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

Though I'm not sure what caused the color cast to begin with as it's not often produced in my images taken, the hue/contrast feature in CS5 minimized the effect by moving the slider darker after selecting the color I thought closest to that I wished to remove.

The fledgling eagle is progressing well.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

"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.