Feature: Harns Marsh Preserve

Harns Marsh Preserve, including a north and south marsh, located in Lehigh Acres, Florida, is a wildlife venue I strongly encourage you visit as I hope to many times in the future.

The Turkey Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2009.

Currently at 578 acres in size, Harns Marsh is under control of the taxing authority, East County Water Control District (ECWCD), whose mission, in part, is to preserve and protect, in a financially responsible manner, water resources within 68,000 acres in Lehigh Acres (in Lee County), and about 2000 acres in western Hendry County.

Harns Marsh's construction was completed in 1985 after four years of effort after its initial design. 478 acres of property had been excavated at that time to improve storm water storage.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2009.

It wasn't until 2007, when a drought in southwest Florida allowed dredging of 182 acres of the North Marsh's sediment and silt with removal of invasive plants and dead trees improving water quality and allowing significant water retention capability with hopes to minimize potential flooding of the Orange River and its adjacent communities during severe tropical storms or hurricanes.

Although not clearly noted in the source for the information above, there was hopefully revenue generated from the soil removed at that time to facilitate, at the end of the real estate boom, much needed repairs of the water structures in the area. ECWCD will be benefiting from federal stimulus funding in addition to local monies to progress with improvements within its jurisdiction.

The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2009.

Harns Marsh Preserve will be undergoing major water storage facility improvements to its inflow and outflow weirs (small dams) in the winter of 2009 and in 2010. Harns Marsh Preserve is expected to become a Lee County Regional Park in 2011.

Improvements you will see at the preserve include a planned boardwalk. There will be extraordinary wildlife viewing opportunities going forward whatever happens, with plans as well to facilitate fishing at the preserve. The boardwalk will eliminate the experience of grasshoppers beating you in the chest as you currently must walk through the knee high grass they inhabit. I suspect there's a mowing of the grass at some point, but saw no recent evidence of it upon my first visit.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2009.

I consider this venue as part of the Great Florida Birding Trail although it is not officially so yet.

It was here this week, upon my first visit to the preserve, that I was pleasantly surprised by what I observed. The water level from what has appeared an average summer rainy season was appealing. This may be perceived a classic case where water is an essential ingredient to viewing of relative wildlife rarities. Drought conditions would certainly negatively impact the presence of wildlife species here.

The Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2009.

What appeared to be the greatest amount of litter at the preserve were the shells of snails along the water's edge (hence the presence of the Snail Kite) which unfortunately included many plastic bottles and discarded shoes.

After reading of the abundance of fire ants here, I was pleased not to experience them at all, but there is poison ivy that should be avoided.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2009.

I observed species of bird here that I have not seen anywhere else in my two years of diligent birding throughout southwest Florida which included the Limpkin. I found this species to be extraordinary in how its voice gave the venue the appeal of a jungle environment.

I also had the experience of observing a helicopter make a couple of flyovers of the marsh which included a landing that didn't seem as disruptive to the birds as was recently experienced at Bunche Beach Preserve.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2009.

The chopper made its landing within the preserve beyond some trees and across the marsh which lasted for several minutes. I remember technical advice given to me to try to capture the blades of aircraft in motion which I believe I was able to master on this visit to the preserve. Unfortunately, I was not able to catch the entire "bird" in the frame.

I was tempted to wade in the water as I do at Great Florida Birding Trail venues for the enjoyment of it and to get closer to the wildlife as well. However, I didn't do so here as I was completely unfamiliar with the surroundings and especially didn't know if there were any alligators in the area. I didn't observe any in my hike around the marsh.

The aircraft above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in August 2009.

I observed a handful of bird species of the the 100 plus wildlife creatures identified by Cathy Olson, affiliated with Lee County Parks and Recreation, with cooperation of local wildlife organizations and chapters, thus far at the preserve.

I'm very much looking forward to further observations at this venue.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2009.

The Snail Kite and Limpkin species are without question the highlight of Harns Marsh Preserve.

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Anticipation

With summer about to come to a close, the migratory action of numerous bird species will soon make their return. There are hundreds of additional bird species which I hope to observe in the future I seem to miss each season.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

Extremes temperatures can be observed here in this part of the globe as I reminisce shivering due to the cool water and cold temperatures magnified by a breeze around the new year.

Have You Cleaned Your DSLR Sensor Lately?

Although I've kept the changing of lenses on my two year old Nikon D80 to a minimum, it was becoming increasingly apparent that my camera's sensor was in desperate need of cleaning as I was occasionally spending an inordinate amount of time editing an image to remove a dust spot on the edge of a bird's wing.

A few months ago, I contacted my local Ritz Camera store to inquire about their DSLR sensor cleaning service. When I was told that they would need to have the camera for a month, I realized I needed to consider another option and postponed the work.

When I was discussing the subject with pbase member and great friend, Tim Rucci, a few days ago, we agreed that he would do the cleaning of the camera's sensor for me. I shipped the camera to him via UPS on Wednesday around noon, and he received the camera Thursday. In less time than I thought of the camera's delivery to him, he advised me that he cleaned the exterior of the camera, cleaned the sensor (having made seven swabs to completely remove the stubborn dust to achieve his satisfaction), and shipped the camera back to me the same day.

I can't neglect to mention that I forgot to enclose the camera's owner's manual which I told Tim would be included to allow easy reference on how the camera's mirror would be locked in the up position to allow for the surgery. So, as a result, he also had to spend the time and effort to research and download the PDF owner's manual from Nikon for me.

I'm not sure if Tim would be interested in hearing from you for such a service, but I can't imagine less than your complete satisfaction in his resolving such an important maintenance of your camera to make your photos as appealing as they can be. I do know that if Tim would agree to clean your sensor for you, that the monies you would spend on such a service would be reinvested by him into his gear and the like to allow him to continue to bring us his beautiful images and education.

Tim's work in bringing my Nikon D80 back to life can be seen by clicking here.

Feature: Brown Noddy

This is an account of the first documented sighting of the Brown Noddy at Lovers Key State Park, Fort Myers Beach, Florida USA. I made this observation of the species on 19 September 2008.

The Brown Noddy above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park in September 2008.

My visit to the park on this day was not unusual as I walked to New Pass at the southern end of the venue where numerous bird species can be seen with regularity. I happened to time my visit during an unusually low tide where the "flats" were well exposed. Visiting the sand bar required a walk across a channel that had a very strong current. This can be a little unnerving as the water's flow on one visit to the same location nearly swept me off my feet. Certainly not something you want to have happen while carrying photo gear.

When on the sandbar, you can experience its size shrink to the size of a bus or have it completely disappear as the tide rises. This is not something I recommend you do. The sandbar is a refuge for shore and wading birds at times. Regrettably, I have observed a disturbance of them by passing boats and the disembarking of families from watercraft on the sometimes small island that is created by the tides. Shellers, whom frequent the park, will sometimes have a disregard of the birds as well.

The Brown Noddy above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park in September 2008.

My Sibley field guide indicates the Brown Noddy to be extremely rare in the vast range of the state of Florida. The solitary individual of its species, which I had the incredible luck in seeing, was in the company of about 1000 birds including an American Kestrel (a flyover that caused massive panic as virtually every bird on the ground reacted as I'd liken to a wave in the crowd at a sporting event), Black Skimmers, Brown Pelicans, Double-crested Cormorants, Laughing Gulls, Lesser Yellowlegs, an Osprey (overhead), a Reddish Egret, Royal Terns, Sandwich Terns, and Willets.

I was able to observe the noddy for 21 minutes before it took flight with all the birds due to a passing boat. Many of the birds settled back down after a few minutes, but not the noddy. It moved to another location where I have yet to see it again.

The Brown Noddy above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park in September 2008.

Lovers Key State Park is north of the normal range for the Brown Noddy while the bird species is known to breed in the Dry Tortugas National Park to the south southwest.

The Brown Noddy was once observed at Cape May, New Jersey after accompanying Hurricane David up the Atlantic seaboard in 1979.

The Brown Noddy above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park in September 2008.

According to Lovers Key State Park Services Specialist, Brie Ochoa, after researching the vertebrate database for the entire southwest district, the Brown Noddy was last seen at Del-Nor Wiggins Pass State Park in Naples, Florida 15 years prior to this sighting. Lovers Key State Park, on the Gulf of Mexico, is a stop on the Great Florida Birding Trail and the Great Calusa Blueway.

Serve Me As I'd Serve You

Part of this post is incorporated into the forum at PBase.com which hosts my wildlife photography. There are a lot of resources to accommodate such an endeavor, but I've found Pbase to be the best in what it does.

The Marbled Godwit above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2008.

PBase apparently uses many computers to maintain its 116 million images at the time of this writing. The servers are new and old and depending on which you may be using at the time of your visit, it may be obvious.

There's nothing like an out of the box computer to solve so many internet ills. It certainly doesn't take very long for that enjoyment of speed to fade which can certainly be attributable to a number of factors.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2008.

I've only been a PBase member for a couple of years (with the use of two computers), and have experienced a lot of what is often complained about in the forum. I can't say that PBase can be blamed for everything it's been accused of, and give it kudos for the interest in improving the photo experience to be the best that it can be.

It's been interesting to watch PBase change. I'm very confident with its conservative approach.

The Green Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in November 2008.

With regard to the upload speed issue, I've experienced that opportunity as an inconvenience as well, and have discovered a solution to whatever the cause.

To improve updating images uploaded with the desired title and so on quickly, I've found that if you have PBase open in two windows, you can use the one to upload your images and the second to make your modifications to the uploaded image when you use this approach. It may seem an odd way in completing the task at hand quickly, but it works.

The complaint that uploads take a long time is funny because uploads to PBase are almost instantaneous.

Perhaps this extra effort may not be necessary at some point.

Where does PBase not deliver on a promise?

Random Thoughts

There have been enough breaks in inclement weather to allow for an occasional observation of bird behavior here in southwest Florida this summer without too much fear of getting the photography equipment wet. There has been a mid season downward revision to the hurricane forecast which is no guarantee that there won't be a chaotic scene at some point by November.

The White Ibis above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

If a hurricane does ultimately make its way across the southern peninsula of the state, I will be curious to see what kind of fallout of unusual species for the area may occur. The ensuing beach erosion would be among the tragic results of a significant storm. We get our fair share of this devastation in the winter months in this area.

I was extremely challenged by photographing birds in flight at the beach Thursday in the late afternoon and early evening. Somewhat so due to the sun behind some clouds and the specific bird subject, the Black Skimmer, that only landed on one occasion at close range very briefly to swallow its catch. The study of the species had me crawling around with my tripod.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

This species is a relatively fast flyer that makes abrupt changes in direction. It also had no problem at all flying directly toward me on a number of occasions. I had the impression that the birds were attempting to drive me from their feeding grounds or I may have simply been in their way.

In any event, it's a beautiful species which it appears I got a couple shots of in focus. The majority of the 300 plus images were not.

The Black Skimmer above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

It is such an unnerving experience to have the marine creatures that the birds favor for their sustenance crawl on you when your immersed in the water with them. When I undressed in the shower that evening, I was not surprised that I brought home a hitch hiker, a small crab, that I don't think survived after a trip down the drain.

With the exception of a major malfunction with the Canon 1D M3, the Canon 5D M2 and all the related accessories acquired this past year have exceeded my expectations. They give the user at least the opportunity to take an interesting shot.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

I've made an initial investigation of the playlist music player which looks like an interesting gadget that will allow a visitor here or at another site to listen to music chosen by the host. I will be adding that feature in the near future.

I was very surprised to read in Arthur Morris's blog recently that he will not be visiting Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge for the first time in 10 years due to what he believes to be a significant decline in wildlife photography opportunities.

The Least Tern above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

I mentioned this to Park Services Specialist, Brie Ochoa, at Lovers Key State Park, and her thought was that the poor water quality at Lake Okeechobee is potentially working its way through the Caloosahatchee River into the Gulf of Mexico and the estuaries at DDNWR.

My personal thought on this is that just like at any venue, it may be hit and miss on what you'll see for a variety of reasons.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in July 2009.

Virtually any venue in Florida might be considered a tourist attraction, especially in the winter months. As the snowbirds arrive, the wildlife simply responds to the disruption that is sometimes abusive. Such has been the case in my wildlife observations when I see an occasional beach enthusiast unfortunately have complete disregard for the birds at rest or feeding. The disregard for wildlife happens in all seasons by locals and visitors alike.

The water temperature has gotten noticeably cooler.

Bunche Beach Revisited

Does lightning have a smell? I can't say I know the answer. The accompanying rain certainly can. It is one of my favorite aromas.

That unique fragrance caused by water interacting with mold, which I read as the cause somewhere, is sometimes experienced in advance of your getting wet if you're lucky.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2009.

A return visit to Bunche Beach Preserve was enjoyable as usual while the smell of of rain was absent. The skies have been predominantly overcast this summer in southwest Florida. Not advantageous for wildlife photography outdoors for sure, but I recall wildlife photographer Arthur Morris stating that he likes such conditions at times.

I had arrived at the preserve a little earlier in the afternoon than has been my opportunity in the past. It was a temptation I couldn't resist as the bird action has been rewarding this summer.

The White Ibis above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

I will only visit the preserve at or near low tide when the birds are in greater numbers feeding in the shallows. I passed a photographer on my walk along the beach to the west channel whom I told should return at the more opportune time for observing the wildlife with low tide only merely hours away. Particularly to hopefully see the Black-crowned Night-Heron that I had observed on my last visit to the preserve.

There was evidently a storm brewing to the north which gave no evidence of movement which I thought would spare an interruption of my observations at the beach. I was wrong.

The White Ibis above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

Less than an hour after arriving and making the walk past the west channel, the lightning was impressive. Within minutes of my first sighting of it, the lightning was too close for comfort. Within 500 feet would be my guess.

Not a good time to be in the water. The third strike was the decisive one to make the half mile retreat to the car when the nearly instantaneous thunder had every bird in the area take flight with the exception of a Reddish Egret that chose to stand its ground.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

Once in the confines of the car, I held my ground and waited things out for about 45 minutes when it appeared the worst was over and I trekked back to my favored place at the preserve.

Virtually all of the small shore birds that were in greater numbers than I had seen before at the preserve, were gone. The Reddish Egret was still exactly where I had left him, but then in the company of a greater number of White Ibis than I had seen before anywhere. There were a few Snowy Egrets in the group as well.

The moon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

The most memorable events of the day included the flight of the 74 Ibis I had counted in my immediate vicinity, with others beyond, that took flight instantaneously when a Great Blue Heron apparently walked a little too close to them. And most curiously, the appearance of three Black Skimmers were seen at what seemed the exact moment the sun had set. They strafed me on several occasions obviously under lighting conditions uncooperative for capturing more wildlife images.

The photographer I had seen earlier returned at my suggestion, but he was not prepared to get in the water as I only observed him from a great distance while he was able to photograph at very close range what appeared to be a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron on the beach. I'm sure he considered the return to the preserve worthwhile. The BKNH remained absent on this day.

The Willet above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in August 2009.

On the final walk back to the parking area, I briefly observed a few humans in near darkness as annoying insects including sand gnats and mosquitos were abundant. The pests were extremely voracious as the air was very still and had me flee the area quicker than I would have liked.

At most other times of year, there is at least a strong breeze that would keep such a nuisance at bay at this venue.