Natural History At Harns Marsh Preserve

Since my discovery of the nest of Black-necked Stilt last week at Harns Marsh Preserve I've been especially compelled to return and investigate.

The American White Pelican juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Much enjoyment has been had in observing the behavior of five Black-necked Stilt that are active in the area of the nest.

Time allowed for two trips to the preserve this week with the first under overcast conditions which made for more difficult photography of the birds than usual.

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

One of the memorable things about my first visit at Harns Marsh this week was the aroma of the weeds which have not yet been mowed down this year.

I was able to determine that there are four eggs in the stilt nest in the marsh which is typical for the species.

The Common Gallinule above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

David Sibley's Guide to Bird Life and Behavior offers a brief by Wayne R. Petersen which notes the incubation period of stilts at 19-26 days.

Since I don't know the day(s) the eggs were laid, the precise window of opportunity of a few days to document the hatching of the eggs remains uncertain.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

It's my intent however to document this natural history event if I am able.

An additional behavioral action of the stilt seen, though not noted by Petersen, is how the birds will shake their legs free of mud in their approach to the nest.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

While numerous species of wading birds and American White Pelicans (believed to all be juveniles) flew overhead, the birds were not in as great numbers as seen last week.

Black-crowned Night-Herons were completely absent while I was chided by Tom Obrock in my failure to see Sandhill Crane at the marsh which were not observed visually until the most recent visit to the marsh.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

On my way back to the car, I met Stan Damon who told me he was at Harns Marsh to conduct bird counts for the Lee County Bird Patrol.

These numbers will be used by the county in part to determine losses once real estate activity kicks into gear again.

The Black-necked Stilt (false brooding technique) above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Stan also told be of his observation of a Roseate Spoonbill and Limpkin having a scuffle on a previous visit to the marsh and mentioned his recent pelagic trip across the Gulf Stream off the Florida east coast to observe migratory species.

Tom had made a trip to the marsh the same day as my first visit of the week and reported 39 species of bird seen though he noted he "dumped" on the sighting of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck.

Stan Damon above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

This species was seen on my first visit of the week after Bob Blanchard's reported sighting and photography of the ducks earlier.

I believe the species was added to the checklist for Harns Marsh Preserve the day before.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

I observed four of the ducks and managed to produce some really horrible images of them.

The Black-bellied Whistling-Duck is a very rare visitor to Florida's west coast while commonly seen on the Atlantic side of the Florida peninsula.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

My latter visit this week to Harns Marsh was more enjoyable with much better light due to the lack of clouds in the early morning.

There was somewhat of a concern upon my arrival as a couple dozen Black Vultures stood guard at the entrance to the parking area.

The Mottled Duck juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

My immediate thought was the damage these beasts are reported to do to vehicles at Everglades National Park.

Fortunately this bunch hasn't reached the stage of destructive behavior in the least.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

As is the norm, there were a lot of birds in flight overhead and I experimented with photography of white and darker birds against a very bright background mainly unsuccessfully.

Red-winged Blackbird were again commonly seen while the Black-necked Stilt offered some very interesting behavioral action.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Petersen's descriptions of stilt behavior has been seen first hand with the broken wing technique used frequently by Black-necked Stilt at the marsh.

One of the stilt observed also engaged in false brooding behavior at times.

The Red-winged Blackbird above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

A behavior I found most rewarding was the changing of the guard, so to speak, as the adult stilts took turns incubating the eggs in the nest.

Black-necked Stilts as well as American Avocets are among relatively few shorebirds whose sex is easily determined by sight.

The Little Blue Heron (1st Spring) above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

In the case of Black-necked Stilt, the female has a brownish back while the male has a glossy black back.

I failed to note which of the stilt was on the nest upon my arrival, but observed at one point the female relieve the male from incubation duties.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

A short while later the female left the nest briefly for no apparent reason.

It was interesting to learn that Black-necked Stilt upon hatching may leave the nest within hours to begin feeding on their own to garner from their parents merely the knowledge of threats around them.

The Snowy Egret with Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Of the five stilt I've been observing, I question whether three of them are from the previous year's brood with this unlikely as the stilt is considered seasonally monogamous.

A trio of juvenile Mottled Duck perhaps only a couple of days old walked by the stilt nest ahead of a mature Mottled Duck which apparently were not considered a threat to the stilt.

The Wood Stork with White Ibis above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Tom had advised me this week of his observation of the Black-necked Stilt aggressively defending its nest against the significantly larger Sandhill Crane which was observed by him to approach too closely to the stilt nest.

A Snowy Egret was permitted a very close walk by the nest as observed on my latter visit to the marsh this week as it fed successfully in the shallow water.

The White Ibis juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

The stilt are tolerant of Common Gallinule near the stilt nest as well.

A very long distance sighting of Least Bittern was made and photographed on my latter visit to the marsh confirmed by Vince Lucas.

The Black-necked Stilt (broken wing technique) above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

A future visit to Harns Marsh will hopefully allow for the recovery of the inner sole of my velcro strap sneaker worn for water photography lost this week.

I knew the sneakers, which need to be replaced about every few months, were on their last leg and pushed their usefulness one trip too many.

The Least Bittern above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

As I emerged from the marsh, Sandhill Crane with juveniles were finally observed this season evidently well fed considering the photos Tom had taken a couple of weeks earlier.

I merely waited for the birds to walk by me for close observation of them.

The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

The official start of the Florida rainy season next week is likely to be very disruptive to the marsh and its inhabitants to renew the next cycle of life again.

The bulldozer has continued to have pieces of it removed on seemingly each successive visit to the marsh.

The dismembered bulldozer above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Harns Marsh With 2X Extender

Bob Blanchard and I were in agreement this past week that an earlier arrival at Harns Marsh Preserve might be opportunistic in getting a better read on where and what wildlife would be offered in the best light of the day, also known as the golden hour.

The Greater Yellowlegs above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

I've not seen it noted before the potential impact cloud cover has on this event.

In the morning, I believe clouds to have an impact for good or bad with certain conditions extending the time for photography in the best light by hours or of course missing the opportunity completely.

The Black Vulture with Turkey Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

The light was brighter much earlier than expected under the circumstances of the morning with an unusual absence of clouds to the east that sometimes mutes the sunlight beneficially as was the case just this past May 9th.

The majority of my visits to the marsh have had heavy cloud cover on the horizon to the east.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

There was a significant thunderstorm that rolled through the area since last week's visit to the marsh which offered only a negligible rise in the water level seen at the marsh.

This was made clear as the spit of "land" utilized to place my elbows in the mud last week was just a bit smaller.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

I was intrigued by Bob shooting with his 2X extender allowing a much closer view of his wildlife photography subjects last week.

I had acquired a 2X extender for planned trips to STA5 at the beginning of the year to photograph the subjects that had been reported at greater distances than is the norm in Florida bird observation.

The Semipalmated Sandpiper above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

The extender is certainly useful for photography at STA5 where most wildlife observers I've seen there utilize spotting scopes and you're typically observing the birds over prolific numbers of alligators.

With the sky so remarkably clear on my return visit to Harns Marsh Preserve this week it seemed like I arrived later than I should have.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Approaching the tractor I caught sight of a pair of Black-crowned Night-Herons at the north side of the lakes.

I backtracked with hopes of photographing them in their slumber as I walked along the vegetation only finding myself almost knee deep in muck.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

On higher ground I continued toward the area I had seen the unidentified species of bird I hoped to get a glimpse of again.

With its second sighting, I'm quite confident it was Least Bittern.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

After I settled down to observe the scene, I again I had the sense that I was at one of southwest Florida's most remarkable places for wildlife observation.

There weren't any BCNH seen further which was surprising and leads me to believe that they are possibly nesting.

The 1st Spring Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Black-necked Stilt were again observed while I thought there was a sixth of the species briefly, but determined there were again only five.

Almost immediately after my observations at this point I was sure that I was not going to get the images of the wildlife I had hoped.

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

The wildlife was too close and mobile for me to effectively capture what I was seeing with the camera with the 2X extender attached resulting in far fewer "keepers."

I should have the extender with me at the marsh, but certainly won't keep it attached to the camera for the entire visit as was the case this week.

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

American White Pelican were again observed, but never close enough to photograph effectively.

A Mottled Duck was observed with an orange band on its left leg.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

There were also four Sandhill Crane seen flying north at a great distance.

I'm envious of Tom Obrock photographing the crane with juveniles in the area of the marsh a couple of weeks ago, as I haven't been so fortunate.

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

It was a treat to see what I believe were about a dozen migrating Semipalmated Sandpiper in breeding plumage while I find it very difficult to distinguish this species from Western Sandpiper.

The sandpipers seemed out of place so far from the beach where the peeps are much more frequently seen.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

By far the vast majority of my time this week was observing the behavior of the Black-necked Stilt.

I believe that the stilt is very territorial and calls in alarm if you are within their territory.

The Semipalmated Sandpiper above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

The Black-necked Stilt will also flap it wings in a very animated manner for an extended period.

The species was noted to be quite aggressive to birds even much larger than itself while harassing a spoonbill this week.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

If you're ever in the situation of having to photograph your wildlife subject into the light, you must use extreme care not to underexpose the image.

I perhaps go a little heavy with the setting, but believe the results to be satisfactory under the circumstances.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

This effort was made intentionally to test all the lighting conditions at hand without neglecting wildlife observation for the sake of the better photograph.

Investigate my image's EXIF data to understand what's involved.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

The image of the Roseate Spoonbill presented last week was overexposed by at least a couple of stops, but was glad to get an image I thought worth presenting.

The Black-necked Stilt worked extremely hard for a meal and I was fortunate to capture a feeding shot which I did not realize in real time.

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

I had never seen this species with a catch before not withstanding that my observation time of this species has been very limited.

I hope to photograph the feeding behavior again with a fish in beak while stilt are extremely fast and offer a great challenge.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

A near complete review of images taken of the Black-necked Stilt this week revealed why the species is so aggressive toward birds so much larger that itself.

In the immediate area where a flock of spoonbills, storks, and egrets flew in for a pause in their routine was the nest of the stilt with a pair of unprotected eggs that could so easily be crushed.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

The nest seemed precarious with so many factors against the hatching of the eggs and survival of the next generation of Black-necked Stilt.

2011 Harns Marsh Spectacle

After a three day trip to Fort De Soto Park I was really excited to get back into the field for wildlife observation and photography.

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

My first opportunity this week led me to Harns Marsh Preserve as I haven't visited this remarkable venue in four months.

I'm still attempting to make at least monthly visits while not neglecting the numerous other wildlife venues in the area I like to visit in such limited time.

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

I had given thought of a trip to the Sanibel Lighthouse this week as well to attempt to locate the Eastern Screech Owl that Tom Obrock had reported a couple of weeks ago.

A trip to the lighthouse just for the owl with little chance of seeing migratory birds this season was certainly not as appealing to me as revisiting the marsh which so often has resulted in great rewards including the sighting of two bird species added to the preserve's checklist.

The Black Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

The owl has thus far remained unseen, so I will be making a trip to the lighthouse with hopefully the best chance to observe it sometime in the future.

Tom had told me earlier in the week that he had seen Bobolinks near Harns Marsh, and I certainly didn't expect to observe the would be lifer on my visit a few days later.

The Killdeer above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

My arrival at Harns Marsh was at dawn while another photographer and a fisherman were already there.

I didn't recognize the photographer until considering the baby stroller and its previous sighting referenced here.

The Boat-tailed Grackle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

It was a treat to see Bob Blanchard again whom I've seen at Harns Marsh Preserve a few times before.

Bob noted that it was a long week for delivery of the stroller which he's now utilizing effectively to carry his photo gear while pointing out how well it works with its large wheels at the beach.

The Killdeer juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Bob told me as well that he had visited Harns Marsh Preserve upwards of 30 times in the first four months of 2011.

So it was not a surprise to see him settled down at what appeared to be his favorite spot where I had seen him last.

The Killdeer above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Though somewhat overcast the light was sufficient to allow for photography of Killdeer and their offspring that I would pass walking north along the marsh's edge.

It was very interesting to observe the behavior of the Killdeer that seemed to be attempting to attract its fledglings to it or perhaps discourage a predator.

The Black-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

The mature Killdeer gave very good cover for its young as it allowed one under its left wing and then another under its right.

One of the juveniles appeared to have an injury to one of its legs with deformity a possibility.

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

As I made my way past Limpkin that were heard more than seen I finally caught up to Bob.

I approached beyond and behind him in an effort not to disturb him more than I thought I would.

The Glossy Ibis above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

There were many more Limkins and shorebirds in the distance with numerous flybys of Black-crowned Night-Herons and juveniles of the species.

With the great abundance of the birds seen I moved my position to Bob's left in an attempt to get a better shot of them.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

At that point though, the birds had regrettably for the most part made their way through.

It was interesting to hear what Bob had been up to including his recent wildlife observations.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

It was great fun to hear Bob talk about his trials with his camera gear as well.

He seemed very reluctant to use the high ISO capability of his camera noting that he prefers to shoot at ISO 160 though pushed it at my recommendation.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Only in very bright light have I used the wider setting while ISO 400 is typically used.

In digital photography, ISO refers to the light sensitivity equivalent of film with it noted in the June 2011 issue of Shutterbug magazine that the last roll of Kodachrome film was recently processed and is no longer produced.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Very few digital cameras will currently perform for wildlife photography extraordinarily well under adverse lighting conditions without flash.

Black-necked Stilt were observed for the first time at the preserve (though recently seen further north courtesy of Tom Obrock) while Bob told me of his recent success photographing the species.

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

The highlight of the morning for me was to make a count of Limpkin juveniles which I had never observed before.

There seemed to be a dominant one lacking fear as it entered open water following one of its parents.

The Limpkin with juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

This juvenile could have been the oldest of the brood by a day or hours.

David Sibley in his Guide to Bird Life and Behavior notes that Limpkin lays from four to eight eggs.

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

There were five juveniles of Limpkin seen in all with one seemingly very shy.

While Bob was shooting on his belly with a 2X converter attached to his primary camera with his backup camera at the ready as well, it explained why he wasn't seeing all the birds on the horizon about a mile away.

Bob Blanchard above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

A solitary Snail Kite was observed among a couple dozen Roseate Spoonbill at the great distance.

While much may be missed in observing the greater surroundings, Bob has given me inspiration to put the 2X converter back on the lens that I've only utilized thus far at STA5.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at The Field in May 2011.

While Bob and I captured the Mottled Duck "blastoff" in virtually the same fraction of a second, his version is certainly preferred for its out of focus background benefited by the use of the 2X.

Bob had also told about a wildlife area that he led me directly to after we left the marsh.

The Eastern Meadowlark above was photographed at The Field in May 2011.

This area will be referred to as "the field" in the future.

The field offered minimal wildlife activity on my midday initial visit including a Pileated Woodpecker that attempted to land on a metal street light pole on the drive into the area.

The White-tailed Deer above was photographed at The Field in May 2011.

I also observed Eastern Meadowlark, Red-shouldered Hawk and a lot of Lovebugs during this visit at the field.

This venue is a future residential development in limbo near Southwest Florida International airport.

The cow above was photographed at The Field in May 2011.

The field has many "no trespassing" notices which were better understood on my second visit the next evening when cattle were seen though unsure why not before.

I had revisited the field late in the day at Bob's recommendation with observation again of Eastern Meadowlark while adding Gray Catbird and a solitary Downy Woodpecker.

The Black-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

A White-tailed Deer was surprisingly seen while the beast allowed me to photograph it for an extended period.

Sandhill Crane could be heard in the distance to the northeast.

The Killdeer above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

My second visit to Harns Marsh Preserve this week was with the expectation that the conditions would be at least as good as the day earlier.

It was significantly cooler and therefore a fog hung over the marsh through the first hour of my visit.

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

I certainly didn't expect the experience to be the most rewarding I've had in dozens of trips to this wildlife venue which it was.

The bird activity in fact rivaled some of the best I've seen at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge.

The Greater Yellowlegs above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

A fellow photographer on the second morning seemed to have a sense of what might unfold, but he regrettably should have merely stayed another hour.

The magic unfolds at the marsh's whim as Bob experienced on my visit to the preserve earlier this week when he as well almost left too soon.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

I failed to see the juvenile Killdeer and juvenile Limkin as observed earlier and thus chose to change my observation point.

This allowed all five Black-necked Stilt to again be observed though excitedly at the same time while the birds preferred to keep their distance from each other for the most part.

The Wood Stork with Black Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

Earlier in the morning Black-crowned Night-Heron and juveniles again passed in front of me as they made their way to vegetation close to the abandoned tractor that was used to create the marsh as it exists today.

With the water level at the marsh the lowest I had ever seen it before, the Limpkin appeared very successful in finding Apple Snails and other food to sustain itself and its young.

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

Snail Kite were not seen on my second visit to the preserve this week which I find disappointing although Tom Obrock reported seeing eight of them (mostly juveniles) in the area days earlier.

For an unknown reason the mature male Snail Kite remains most infrequently seen at the preserve.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

As I made my way further into the marsh than I've been before, I settled down for several hours.

The white birds, predominantly egret and heron, were extremely abundant including the greatest number of American White Pelican I believe observed this past week.

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

The largest flock of the pelican seen together included nine individuals with their presence in the area so late in the season extraordinary.

The Roseate Spoonbill was observed much closer this day with a flock approached a dozen in number as well.

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

Wood Stork were extremely abundant at the preserve at this time while I ponder Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary perhaps having little or no nesting activity again this year.

I'm still trying to understand Corkscrew's problem with it reportedly having too little or too much water for ideal birding conditions.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

A Wood Stork was observed carrying nesting material twice at Harns Marsh which hopefully bodes well for conditions at Corkscrew this breeding season.

Of course the photography of the white birds created an extreme challenge in properly exposing their images with the birds often on the move from bright sky to dark background.

The Wood Stork above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

I enjoyed the trial immensely occasionally quick enough for them while getting more confident in my efforts.

This in combination with keeping the subjects in focus is a great reward in wildlife photography for me.

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

Bob later notified me that there were reports of Purple Gallinule seen at Harns Marsh Preserve this past week.

I perhaps saw one that flew mere feet above the water directly in front of me.

The White Pelican above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

I initially thought the bird seen was Least Bittern which is most likely.

It is possible that I saw a juvenile PUGA as I didn't get a look at the color of the beak distinguishing the two species with such a quick sighting of the secretive bird.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

The bird regrettably remained out of sight thereafter with hopes of it observed again in the future.

Bob Blanchard has been presenting his stunning imagery at his Facebook page.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2011.

It's been extremely rewarding for me to observe and photograph wildlife in Florida these past four years while meeting such interesting people from around the world.