The Elephant Ears above were photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.I recall stopping by Harns in mid October 2012 to check on the water level, and then on Thanksgiving Day when I simply made visual and audible observations. It has been a great loss to be neglecting one of the best wildlife observation venues in southwest Florida for so long.
The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Boat-tailed Grackle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Boat-tailed Grackle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Sandhill Crane with juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The immature Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The immature Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.I have had the great fortune of seeing the photography of Bob Blanchard, however, whom makes routine trips to Harns Marsh and publishes some of his images captured there on his Facebook page which also includes images captured at other venues as well on a daily basis. Although I felt I was running late upon my arrival to the Preserve on 8 May 2013 as the sun had already risen while I parked the car, I was still the first there.
The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Great Egret above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Snail Kite chased by Red-winged Blackbird above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Purple Martin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Turkey Vulture with Black Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.Minutes later another visitor pulled in. It is OK to be a little late to Harns Marsh Preserve at sunrise as the treeline obstructs the suns rays over much of the marsh depending on your photographic observation point throughout the year. Although I much prefer sunrise visits at Harns, late afternoon visits to the venue are rewarding as well.
The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Turkey Vulture with Black Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The immature Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.I recommend arriving a half hour before sunrise for the audible calls while you will likely see significant overflight in the low light conditions. This may also allow you time to get in a preferred position for photography as your walk can be extensive if you like.
The Purple Martin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.A few of the images presented here were photographed in poor light resulting in distorted views. That is my excuse and I'm sticking with it. Actually I made some poor adjustment decisions of exposure bias on the camera, but liked a few of the subjects anyway.
The Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Wood Stork with Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Black-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.My second Gitzo 5541 tripod malfunction occurred before I began the trip to Harns with the near complete loss of a leg. Under similar circumstances in using this tripod model, I lost a leg at Bunche Beach Preserve. Not deterred I continued on to deal with the problem.
The Turkey Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Anhinga above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Common Ground Dove above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Black Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Turkey Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Turkey Vulture above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.A quick look rummaging through the car couldn't produce the Duck tape I was looking for, so I was not as mobile at Harns as I would have liked to have been. Corrosion should be expected with exposure to salt water. A failure to breakdown and clean the gear after each use was of no help either.
The mating Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Little Blue Heron juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The alligator above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Osprey above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The dragonfly above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The juvenile Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Sandhill Crane with juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.Although I don't recall the lifespan of the first tripod, the second lasted a mere fifteen months. Gitzo tripods are simply not worth the money no matter their initial quality. Upon settling near the former tractor site at Harns, with no evidence of it at all, I was very content to observe and wait.
The juvenile Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The juvenile Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Sandhill Crane with juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Spotted Sandpiper above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Bobolink above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Bobolink above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.All images that may be seen in this article, except those of the Bobolink, were captured from two stationary positions close to the parking area. I am grateful to Tom Obrock for giving me tips on his Bobolink sightings among many others which he has forwarded for years from different venues. His recent tips allowed me my first sighting of Bobolink.
The Bobolink above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Bobolink above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Bobolink above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Bobolink above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Bobolink above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
The Bobolink above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.A United States Geological Survey was being conducted at the time of my visit. A Wood Duck was observed flying WNW, but was not satisfactorily photographed for presentation here. Harns Marsh Preserve should unquestionably be a stop among your wildlife travels.
The dragonfly above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in May 2013.
Another good job
ReplyDeleteWow, what great images! Going trough this post was a virtual walk through the habitat!
ReplyDeleteYou've got enough photos here for a month worth of posts. Lawdy. So many great ones, especially the bobolink with the dragonfly.
ReplyDeleteLove the Bobolink images -- a species I would love to see at Harns sometime!
ReplyDeleteAwesome pictures! Keep up the good work.
ReplyDelete