Lakes Regional Park: Late Summer 2010

Lakes Regional Park is a venue with great potential for an exciting wildlife experience.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in September 2010.

I've made relatively few visits to this park due to its popularity with pedestrians and bicycle riders in great numbers that typically arrive an hour or so after sunrise.

Two visits were made to Lakes Park this week with enjoyable experiences on both occasions.

The Common Gallinule juvenile above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in September 2010.

158 acres of freshwater at depths in excess of 20 feet (the benefit of quarry mining in the 1960's) and 279 acres that constitute the park overall allows areas for exploration where you could easily spend hours that pass too quickly.

To wrap up the 2010 summer season I chose to study what might be happening at Lakes Park after making an effort to observe Scarlet Ibis that I was fortunate to see at this place during the breeding season.

The Osprey above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in September 2010.

In no way was the bird action anywhere near as prolific as during the months of April through July when countless wading birds can be seen as they congregate in the park's rookery which I regrettably found off limits while kayaking Lakes Park's waters in early summer.

The first visit to Lakes Park this week led to my observation of an Osprey that was initially perched on a light post upon my arrival to the park.

The Anhinga above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in September 2010.

The bird ultimately led to some of my favorite images I've taken of the species.

Osprey can be observed in greatest numbers at virtually any time of year at Lovers Key State Park to the south.

The Anhinga above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in September 2010.

One of my most memorable wildlife observations to date occurred this week at Lakes Park while I had the camera honed on a Tricolored Heron.

The heron had just begun to preen itself when a background out of focus view of an Anhinga offered an impaled fish brought ashore for an extremely surreal experience.

The Blue Jay above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in September 2010.

The species of bird in greatest numbers with no more than a dozen seen in a day included Anhinga, Little Blue Heron juveniles, Great Blue Heron, Cattle Egret, Snowy Egret, and Boat-tailed Grackle.

Other sightings I found enjoyable included juvenile Common Moorhen, Green Heron, Blue Jay, Northern Mockingbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Loggerhead Shrike, White Ibis, Double-crested Cormorant, Laughing Gull, and Eurasian-collared Dove.

The Loggerhead Shrike above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in September 2010.

The hopes of seeing large numbers of migrating warblers was certainly premature.

Harns Marsh Preserve: Late Summer 2010

My attention to wildlife was at Harns Marsh Preserve this past week primarily with interest in again observing the Snail Kite which should be expected at this venue with modest effort.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

I planted myself at virtually the exact same spot on each of my three visits within six days to the preserve with the intent of the wildlife approaching me as opposed to making the few hour walk around the preserve's boundary.

The water level at Harns Marsh appeared very high this year due to what might be considered normal tropical rainfall.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

One of the highlights of my first visit of the week was a relatively close sighting of Belted Kingfisher.

I've found this species abundant in the area, even along the beaches, but it is a challenging bird to be in the right place at the right time to photograph.

The Belted Kingfisher above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

There was fishing line observed in the body of a banded Snail Kite on day one that was observed on day two.

This particular kite was observed with three identification bands on its legs.

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

In addition, with calm conditions, there was an overflight of 17 most likely Mottled Duck with it interesting to see what might have been a battle for control of the lead as the group was never well formed as I saw them briefly.

The second visit to Harns Marsh had close observation of how the Snail Kite will meticulously dissect its prey before consuming it as observed during an earlier visit to the preserve.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

I also observed an overflight of Glossy Ibis which is a relatively rare sight compared to the White Ibis in the area.

It was my great fortune on this visit to meet San Diego Audobon member and skilled birder at the SDA website, Michelle Matson, visiting from San Diego with her companions from Orlando.

The Glossy Ibis above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

Michelle co-lead the 4 March 2010 San Diego Audubon Society Tijuana River Valley Mexican border trip with Guy McCaskie who has been called the “godfather” of California birding.

Michelle specifically told me of her particular interest in one of her local specialties, California Gnatcatcher, while knowing confidently where to find them.

Ivette at left from Orlando and Michelle from San Diego above were photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

She also made reference to the very vocal Red-shouldered Hawk observed at Harns Marsh Preserve with it noted her San Diego area species having a slightly darker breast.

Day three at the preserve offered views of close flybys of Snail Kite where I remained challenged by keeping them within the frame of the camera and using the best exposure bias for a shot true to what seen at the time.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

Although the Snail Kite was not observed to pluck any snails from the water, it was observed in flight carrying snails on several occasions.

I also saw rare feeding behavior of the Red-shouldered Hawk which had snatched a dragonfly from the grass below a large pine tree.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

Osprey were more prevalent on this last day where they were seen riding the thermals with Black and Turkey Vultures.

Several large flocks of White Ibis with upwards of four dozen in one group that consisted primarily of juveniles were observed in flight as the headed south.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

A much smaller group of White Ibis was seen flying to the north which I speculate had broken from the last group headed south.

Limpkin, Harns Marsh Preserve's other signature species, were heard on all three visits, but not seen from my vantage point.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

I also had the chance to meet Josh whom arrived at the preserve at the same time as I did on day three.

Josh informed me of his memorable bird sightings at his workplace close to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary although his primary interest at Harns Marsh Preserve was to spend the morning fishing.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

In the time I spent observing the trees, water and sky in front of me, I couldn't help but think of day two.

It was at that time upon parking the car that I observed a large black fish jump from the water in its attempt to catch a dragonfly hovering over the water.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

As I sat in the car in wonderment, I missed in my failure to set up as quickly as possible photography of one of the fastest class of flying birds for their size in my observations which are ducks.

Josh also commented that he at one time lived close to Babcock/ Webb WMA and confirmed my belief that the area should be avoided during scheduled hunts as the participants may shoot anything that moves on the morning after heavy partying.

The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

He told me of his successful fishing at Harns Marsh Preserve that morning before I left.

Harns Marsh Preserve appears to have boardwalk construction on hold although a mile or more of it is in order.

Josh fishing above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in September 2010.

Audubon Finish By A Nose

The 2nd Annual 2010 Audubon Magazine "Birds in Focus" photo contest came to a close this week with it to be featured in its Jan/Feb 2011 issue.

The Burrowing Owl image submitted to Audubon above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in 2010.

While the contest has allowed up to ten images to be submitted this year, I was only able to get six entered for consideration by the deadline.

Unlike last year, Audubon allowed a single image to be submitted this year without paying an entry fee.

The Burrowing Owl image submitted to Audubon above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in 2010.

This year's contest allowed me to have a better understanding of the importance of ensuring easy identification of image files by describing and dating them.

I had attempted to salvage a sluggish computer seemingly overburdened with images (hard drive at 97 percent capacity) by transferring the files to external hard drives while not considering an easy way to identify what the photo files represented.

The Burrowing Owl image submitted to Audubon above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in 2010.

I recall Bob Duckwall advising me that he was reading a book on the subject of how to easily identify stored images quite some time ago.

My primary purpose in entering the Audubon contest the last couple of years has been to offer enlightenment and amusement of the natural wildlife beauty that can readily be seen for the most part in southwest Florida.

The Burrowing Owl image submitted to Audubon above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in 2010.

With the discovery of Burrowing Owl in February 2010, which at the time was a goal merely to document the species as seen in Florida, the experience led to the lion's share of my time devoted to wildlife observation in the early part of the year.

The first encounter made 26 February 2010 led to observation of a mating event that evening mere minutes after sunset.

The Burrowing Owl image submitted to Audubon above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in 2010.

With it noted in David Sibley's Guide to Bird Life and Behavior that mating activity of Burrowing Owls is not well documented, 22 additional trips to Cape Coral, Florida, were made as late as 27 June 2010 this season to help improve the record.

Photography of a mating Burring Owl event requires the inordinate time that might be expected to be spent observing any bird species in the creation of an interesting wildlife image.

The Burrowing Owl image submitted to Audubon above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in 2010.

Such was the case with as many as several hours of observation time devoted to each of seven burrows studied with no guarantee that the owls occupying them would be observed to mate, an event that lasts from five to seven seconds, typically.

Unseasonal late winter/ early spring heavy rains this year were attributed to the delay in the observation of Burrowing Owl fledglings through the flooding of the burrows, but there were many juvenile owls observed on my last visit to Cape Coral as of this writing.

Babcock/ Webb WMA II

Heavy rains, particularly the day before my last wildlife trip of August 2010, were evident at Babcock/ Webb Wildlife Management Area this week.

The Lubber Grasshopper above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

Water levels were much higher throughout the WMA than observed during my first visit nearly two weeks earlier.

It was interesting to note that the groundwater was flowing north as seen at Tram Grade.

The interpretive sign above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

This is the opposite of conditions near Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in east Naples where the water "sheets" to the south.

I do not advise driving through any large puddles at Babcock/ Webb WMA if you encounter them as they may be much deeper than they appear.

The White-tailed Deer above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

I was able to drive through one that was quite unnerving, which led to my first sighting of Florida "cracker" cattle.

With thought of potential harm to the car's engine more so than I may have already done, I was very quickly compelled to turn back before the engine was very hot again.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

This was successfully done without my giving thought to taking pictures of the cattle and the egrets in their company.

Before returning to the Red-cockaded Woodpecker colony on Oilwell Grade, which I had earlier passed in darkness as the sun was still 30 minutes from rising, I traveled Tram Grade to its western end that terminates at Jones Loop Road.

The scene above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

It needs to be remembered that the WMA needs to be exited the same way you entered as other potential egresses are gated.

I was fortunate to observe White-tailed Deer on this visit which I had not seen on my initial trip.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

A pair of deer were seen on Tram Grade to the east of Oilwell Grade and a solitary deer was seen on the same road to the west of Oilwell Grade.

As my visit to Babcock/ Webb WMA was with the intent to photograph birds, I was rewarded at the Red-cockaded Woodpecker colony on Oilwell Grade south of Tram Grade with my first sighting of Eastern Bluebird which was my 130th species of bird documented through photography in Florida.

The White-tailed Deer above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

The Red-cockaded Woodpeckers were active and a treat to observe as they worked the bark of the pine trees in search of insects and grubs.

My experience has been that the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker can be seen readily up to several hours after sunrise.

The White-tailed Deer above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

A thorough review of images taken of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (note the red feathers on the side of its head) revealed evidence of a juvenile that had been banded.

An overflight of a large flock of Cattle Egret at this spot was a pleasant surprise as well.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

There was a more significant breeze from the east on my second visit to the WMA which allowed for the extremely soothing and unique natural sound created by long needled pine trees.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker was again observed in the company of the Red-cockaded Woodpecker although the Northern Flicker and Eastern Meadowlark were not seen as had been previously.

The Cattle Egret above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

I believe I saw the Eastern Towhee again very briefly, but was unable to document the bird as I had the lens set on manual focus when I panned to the bird, and couldn't focus quickly enough before it disappeared from view.

Pine Warblers were in abundance considering the time of year as I made my first visual observation of Northern Bobwhite on the southern road accessing Crooked Lake.

The Eastern Bluebird above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

I could hear Sandhill Cranes to the SSW, though I've yet to see them within the WMA as of this writing.

I was able to observe and photograph a Great Crested Flycatcher for the first time in nearly three years.

The Eastern Bluebird above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

Common Ground Doves were abundant as well with views of Great Egrets in the flatwoods.

I made an attempt to drive to the end of Webb Lake Road where it at one point was flooded as were most of the picnic shelters along the road.

The Great Crested Flycatcher above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

After driving halfway through the obstacle, I chickened out in continuing on with thought of my earlier experience that morning and chose to back up.

A Great Egret and beautiful Tricolored Heron were seen on Webb Lake Road before heading home with thought of a return visit to this place.

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker above was photographed at Babcock/ Webb WMA in August 2010.

Oilwell Grade north of Tram Grade remains to be explored on another visit.

The current minimum admittance fee for this venue is $6.00 paid at the Tucker Grade entry station.