The American Bittern above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.One of the visits to Harns Marsh occurred on the morning when heavy fog enveloped much of Florida though offered my first personal sighting of American Bittern confirmed by Tom Obrock.
It was on this morning that two fellow Birdphotographer.net contributors were at the preserve with hopes for some good wildlife observation and photography.
The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.I had met Conrad Tan, visiting from California, at Estero Lagoon the day before who mentioned that one of the species he particularly had an interest in photographing was Snail Kite and was excited with the prospect of seeing it at Harns Marsh.
Troy Lim was at the preserve as well having made the trip from Sarasota.
The Blue-winged Teal above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.The Collier County Audubon Society (CCAS) had a presence as a troop made a drive through Harns Marsh Preserve under the foggy and cold conditions with a half dozen vehicles making the normally prohibited trip along the perimeter of the preserve.
Pedestrian traffic is permitted to explore Harns Marsh Preserve throughout the year.
The Snail Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.A report from the CCAS has been made at their website which can be seen by clicking here.
The image including some of the CCAS participants immediately below was enhanced primarily with CS5's HDR toning function.
The CCAS members above were photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.On the following day, the conditions at dawn were much improved with a striking cloud formation to the west which was discussed with Bob J. Blanchard whom had arrived at Harns Marsh right behind me.
Bob had mentioned his regret in not bringing a wide angle lens to capture the scene.
The Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.The cloud that may have been ten miles wide seemingly vanished before our eyes.
Bob speculated that it may have been a fog bank, but it appeared to have too much altitude.
Conrad Tan above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.Although I had met Bob at Harns Marsh four months earlier, it was at this time that I had the opportunity to learn more about him and hear of some of his wildlife experiences.
Bob told me of his use of manual exposure in his photography which he noted he had learned from Artie Morris.
The Black-crowned Night-Heron with Apple Snail casing visible above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.He described it as extremely easy and effective once you get the hang of it.
A short while later, wildlife enthusiasts would approach us and chat briefly.
The Double-crested Cormorant above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.It was noted by Reinhard Geisler that the Snow Bunting was reported in Flagler County which he had observed a couple days earlier.
Tom Obrock advised me that he made the sighting of the Snow Bunting this week although he was initially reluctant to make the drive.
The Wood Stork juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.Reinhard was transporting his camera gear which included the Nikon D200 and D300 cameras in a baby stroller that he was very enthusiastic in talking about.
He was utilizing the souped up stroller due to a fall from an observation tower which resulted in a back injury.
Reinhard Geisler above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.Bob and I observed a lot of primarily distant avian activity while perhaps the second most disappointing thing for me was to be focused on a Turkey Vulture at very close range to miss the shot of it yawning by a fraction of a second as I was distracted by a low flyover of an Osprey.
A pair of fishermen in a kayak at Harns told of the abundant birds they observed in the marsh.
Bob Blanchard above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.Bob was intrigued getting a kayak for closer observation of the birds and I advised him to consider a "surf" kayak for its stability characteristic.
The greatest disappointment was my failure to again observe the Crested Caracara last seen at Harns Marsh Preserve on 8 December 2010.
The fishermen above were photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.My initial wildlife trip of the week was a 4pm (96 minutes from sunset) visit to Estero Lagoon.
The lighting was stunning as an observation of a Reddish Egret with uncharacteristic white morph feathers was made.
The Snowy Egret juvenile above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in December 2010.This particular bird flew into the area after initially observing an immature Reddish Egret.
When the two birds got close together, I was anticipating a confrontation.
The Reddish Egret juvenile above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in December 2010.What I was ultimately led to believe was that the immature bird was the offspring of the adult bird as the younger bird appeared to be begging for food from the adult several times.
As the younger bird often approached me too close to focus on it, it would raise its head feathers in a dramatic fashion with the presence of a Bald Eagle on one of the condo towers.
The Reddish Egret (semi-white morph) with juvenile above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in December 2010.At this time, I again learned the critical importance of using a higher f-stop to get more of the subject in focus when possible.
The lack of confrontation between the Reddish Egrets would be observed similarly over at Harns Marsh as two Great Egrets approached each other, appearing very tolerant of each other with perhaps a mating instinct involved.
The Great Egret above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in December 2010.The feeding behavior of the Reddish Egrets at Estero Lagoon was of course extremely entertaining to observe.
Conrad Tan's hopes of getting photos of Roseate Spoonbill at the lagoon, a species of rare occurrence in California, was difficult with the few birds in the area roosting in the mangroves just across the lagoon in shadow.
The Semipalmated Plover above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in December 2010.Conrad made the comment about how tame Florida birds are compared to those he haunts in California.
I'll continue efforts to again observe the Crested Caracara at Harns Marsh Preserve in the future.
The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in December 2010.
