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.