50 At Captiva Island

A drop in temperature and humidity this week was refreshingly comfortable.

Jim above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

This couldn't have happened at a better time as I welcomed family visiting for my sister Karen's 50th birthday.

In all, they would arrive on Captiva Island from South Carolina, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.

The musician at Keylime Bistro above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

A home rented at Andy Rosse and Binder where we spent the week offered a stunning view of Pine Island Sound with the beach on the Gulf of Mexico a short walk away.

Exploring the house upon our arrival led me to one of the decks on the upper floor that allowed a view of two hawks that flew directly at me.

The sunset above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

I didn't have the camera at the time that would have allowed the opportunity to help identify them.

They were stunning and evidently in transitional plumage.

Jim above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

Bald Eagles and Osprey also put on a show highlighting their intolerance of each other.

The docks and boat lifts were a commonly used perch for Brown Pelican, Laughing Gull, Royal Tern, Osprey and Sandwich Tern.

The Bald Eagle with Osprey above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

At one point the occasionally seen Belted Kingfisher made a low flyover of a couple dozen Royal Tern causing them all to take flight unexpectedly.

One particular morning was devoted to a trip to Bowman's Beach for some shell collecting.

The lawn ornament above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

I learned a lot about this endeavor reading one of the island brochures that indicated that shelling is best done under strict conditions including a low tide, a full or new moon, and a northerly wind direction.

It was also noted that shells will be buried under the sand making this a serious business (which it is) for those in the know.

Karen above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

At this particular beach were hordes of gulls, terns and Sanderling among a few Black-bellied Plover.

On another day with anticipation of the sunset on Captiva Beach, Mom joined us to partake in a puff or two from one of the celebratory cigars brother Jim brought with him from New England.

The shorebirds at Bowman's Beach above were photographed at Sanibel Island in October 2011.

Beautiful sunrises and sunsets were common fare with one of the latter accommodating a beach wedding.

Sister Nancy and her husband Jack had celebrated their second wedding anniversary a few days earlier.

Marie above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

We made an afternoon trip to Ding Darling where masses of birds with a greater diversity had yet to arrive.

One of the closest birds to Wildlife Drive seen was a double banded Roseate Spoonbill.

The Roseate Spoonbill at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge above was photographed at Sanibel Island in October 2011.

Great work has been made at the Shell Mound Trail with a particular interest of mine the recreation of the archeological "dig" of the site going back many hundreds of years.

It's understandable why wildlife find the Sanibel and Captiva Islands so attractive along their journey with the area surrounded by water and subtropical vegetation.

Jack and Nan above were photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

Tob Obrock had texted me earlier in the week to advise me of his observation of a rarely seen Canada Warbler.

On one of the trips to the Publix on the mainland I caught sight of my first of season American Kestrel on a wire in front of the Mobil station with the species also seen flying over the front yard of the house on the last day of our stay on Captiva.

Glenn and Karen above were photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

Karen's husband Glenn told me that he had again seen the hawk over the sound (with fish in talons) offering further insight into behavior.

A very brief visit to the Sanibel Lighthouse was made where the funneling of hawks on their migratory trek south should be rewarding in the weeks ahead.

The sunset with Bottlenose Dolphin above was photographed at Captiva Island in October 2011.

Good Fishin' At Estero Lagoon

As I walked along the north lagoon at Little Estero Island Critical Wildlife Area this week, about a third as many Great Egrets were observed roosting in the mangroves than were seen a couple of weeks earlier.

The Least Tern above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

A wildlife enthusiast was photographing an accommodating Snowy Egret posing for her where the Lagoon empties into the Gulf of Mexico at low tide.

A lone Magnificent Frigatebird was seen flying over the condo towers almost immediately after my arrival, but disappeared from view and was not seen again.

The Sanderling above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

I returned to the south lagoon where a few dozen shorebirds were resting on a stretch of sand exposed as the tide receded.

Several of the species seen were bathing or preening themselves at one point or another.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

A trio of Double-crested Cormorant were seen much closer on this visit and had their wings outstretched in typical fashion in an attempt to dry them.

While I was closely observing the shorebirds directly in front of me it was very evident that something had startled the cormorants.

The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

In the next second an Osprey was seen flying directly in front of me with a very large fish in its talons.

My first photograph of it was in focus with the next have dozen no where close.

The Osprey above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

After again acquiring focus on the bird, it was passing in front of the buildings offering a less than favorable background in the images taken.

With the bird evidently struggling a second or two later, I finally got my best view of why the cormorants were concerned as I had my best view of the Osprey's prey.

The Osprey above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

The cormorants were not impressed and were in flight themselves in the next moment to find another place to end their day.

A tern observed with an unusual coloration in its bill and legs led to inquiries of the bird's identification.

The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

The predominant opinion was that the bird seen was Sandwich Tern.

About half way through my stay a very young fisherman walked onto the scene and chose to walk right through the group of birds I was observing.

The Sandwich Tern above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

Some of the birds would return, but most did not.

As the light of the day began to fade, the sun was periodically seen through the cloud cover to the west.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

Since I rarely have the opportunity to photograph sunsets, I made an effort to capture a good image of this one.

Least Terns were much more active with the sun nearly on the horizon and I tried as well to photograph them successfully.

The Marbled Godwit above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

This required a much higher exposure bias to keep the birds out of silhouette with slower shutter speeds an undesirable result.

I currently try to avoid exceeding 800 ISO (digital equivalent) which I've noted maintains a reasonable degree of image quality in low light conditions.

The Ruddy Turnstone above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

It was exciting to see in review of images taken a Royal Tern that had a metal band which appears to be the type required by United States Geological Survey regulations.

The band was on the tern's right leg just above the foot.

The Least Tern above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

A close inspection of the band seems to indicate the number 56 from the angle of view I had.

This type of band is believed to have a unique series of numbers which would make identification of the bird from its previous handling assured.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

A problem here is that the engraving on this type band is extremely difficult to decipher in the field.

It has been noted that this type band is not intended to be interpreted from a distance.

The Wilson's Plover above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of this type band is offering a better understanding of the longevity of the birds when they are found at the end of their life cycle.

Tom Obrock has encouraged me to routinely read Birdbrains while Vince Lucas has led me particularly here.

The Royal Tern above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

On my walk back to the car past the sand sculptures built that day, I was intrigued with the litter of bleached white trees and driftwood on the beach.

My thoughts immediately were to make an effort to rebuild the attraction that birds have frequently been perched on at the south end of the north Lagoon in past visits.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

Over time since my initial visit to the critical wildlife area, this hotspot to see a typical wading bird perched for a great photo-op has been lost due to weathering and tidal action.

Without much effort I carried a 15 foot tree to rebuild a perch for the benefit of a multitude of birds and possibly fish that will find shelter.

The scene above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

Upon each future visit to the Lagoon I will try to find another significant addition that should be a benefit to all.

I encourage you to do the same while having regard for the abundant wildlife in the Lagoon.

The sunset above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in August 2011.

In the image directly above, Sanibel Lighthouse can be seen at far left.

The Uncommon At Bunche Beach Preserve

It is a rare occurrence when I am overly focused on a single species of wildlife in a week's time.

The Laughing Gull above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

Such is the case this week when I had the opportunity to get into the field at Bunche Beach Preserve for some Florida wildlife observation.

My hope had been to observe Bald Eagles beyond their range I've otherwise studied south of Fort Myers Beach of late.

The Reddish Egret above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

Upon arrival at the preserve, I made my typical walk west in anticipation of the eagles that are more often reported there than I've seen them.

The Bald Eagle would ultimately not be seen during the overcast conditions.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

After walking about a quarter mile passing many typical shore and wading birds expected to be seen, I caught site of bird in the bay that I didn't recognize.

The tide had turned shortly after sunrise when the wading birds appear to be most successful in capturing prey.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

The most entertaining bird species seen was Reddish Egret which is not always seen at the preserve.

It was the observation of the mystery bird I would later identify as Common Loon that preoccupied my attention.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

Once I made sighting of the bird, I would attempt to stay ahead of it as it drifted with the tide to the east.

The loon never made a significant attempt to avoid me other than drifting too far into the bay at one point.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

Since I was already waterlogged, I walked further into the bay to encourage the bird to head back to shore which it did.

This allowed me about an additional 15 minutes of observation time.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

The opportunity for stunning photography when the bird had prey in its beak on a couple of occasions was lost as I struggled to keep the camera level with it as low to the water's surface as I dared.

The wave action coming onto the beach was fortunately minimal.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

The Common Loon is considered an uncommon to rarely seen transient along the Gulf coast, so this sighting was especially exhilarating.

Pbase member and Texan Joe Fischer has noted that the loon is most spectacular in its breeding plumage which has been his great fortune to observe.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

The loon tested my ability to document a rare sighting well as I would need to manually focus on the bird on occasion.

A drizzle and fierce wind from the west cut short the rare opportunity I had in photographing the species.

The Common Loon above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in February 2011.

Winter Wonderland 2011: Estero Lagoon

Well into winter now, it was a treat to have some warmer Florida weather conditions for a change.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

It had warmed up nicely to about 70 degrees at the time of my late afternoon visit to Estero Lagoon.

I have attempted to convince occasional visitor Frank Constantin of the preferred lighting conditions at the lagoon approaching sunset while Frank prefers its morning light.

The Reddish Egret juvenile above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

My experience has been that the birding action is more active later in the day as very early risers adjacent to the lagoon possibly scare the wildlife away in the low light conditions before I arrive.

I passed a photographer this week along the lagoon's western edge walking away from the possible action with what appeared to be a 70-300 zoom telling him that he was headed in the wrong direction.

The Willet above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

He replied that it was "martini time" as he was making a bee line for the Tiki Hut.

It is always tempting on afternoon visits to Estero Lagoon to walk south along the beach to the cut the tidal forces from the Gulf of Mexico has made in the beach for the vital regeneration of the south lagoon where the wading birds will congregate for easy pickings.

The Ring-billed Gull above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

I chose to stay at the north lagoon where something interesting always seems to happen as well.

An accommodating Yellow-crowned Night-Heron was a surprise at the spot I settled down at as on previous visits to the lagoon I typically see the species closer to the Holiday Inn and never before on the far side of the lagoon unlike this week.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

If you've never had the experience, Florida wading birds in particular may allow you surprisingly close to them while I recommend you simply allow them to come to you.

There were regrettably no successful flight shot opportunities this week although it was with great interest of mine to devote the time to observe the behavior of the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron again.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

The species will stalk its prey, always for small crabs in my observations, with almost motionless behavior until the time of the strike.

Once the bird has its attention focused, it will seemingly not be deterred until it gets its meal.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

The species often appears oblivious to its surroundings although was distracted with a cracked branch under my feet on one occasion when I wasn't so careful.

This week's visit to the lagoon was with the intent to experiment with a high ISO equivalent setting of the camera while also using flash on occasion.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

I found in review of the shots taken a personal preference for several significantly overexposed images, and will attempt to use the technique more in the future.

I'm intrigued by a computer program you might have an interest in, recommended by Kim Komando this week, that is free.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

The program allows the viewing of EXIF data (camera settings, time, date, etc.) of a JPEG image which I thought a neat idea.

It is not necessary when viewing my images at pbase as I let you see all that information if it interests you.

The Black-bellied Plover above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

I think a side benefit of the program which can be downloaded by clicking here allows you to keep EXIF data hidden which should be the right of the photographer.

The only information I think might best be discrete is that of the location of a shot to protect the subject.

The Snowy Egret juvenile above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

If a fellow photographer at pbase doesn't divulge their EXIF information, I typically won't review their work as I see half the enjoyment of an image in having a basic understanding of the creation of the shot before any post processing work.

The location of the shot should at least be generally noted for added interest of a wildlife image.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

GPS information in metadata is certainly not something to be overlooked if incorporated while a reviewer of the "snoop" program describes it as "great tool to inspect JPEG image[s]."

Back at the lagoon, it was fun to hear the call of a Great Blue Heron (not the most appealing of bird song) that is fairly uncommon to hear as are the calls of other larger birds in the area.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

The use of flash had no obvious impact on the behavior of the heron whatever nor has it on any bird I've photographed I'm quite sure.

I note this because of commentary I've heard that flash is frowned upon in bird photography.

The Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

The story told to me which I mentioned not too many posts ago seems anomalous.

It was fun as well to observe a juvenile Reddish Egret show nesting behavior with vegetation picked out of the water and toyed with for about 30 seconds.

The Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

As the sun disappeared below the horizon, I was greeted with the moon rising toward the east with Roseate Spoonbill observed as a pair in flight in near darkness.

I had little trouble with reflection from the buildings which I recall Frank noting as a concern of his during afternoon photography at Estero Lagoon.

The moonrise above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in January 2011.

A visit to Estero Lagoon has always been rewarding at any time in my experience.