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.

Estero Lagoon: Final Days Of Spring 2011

It had been nine weeks since my last visit to Estero Lagoon south of Fort Myers Beach, so I made two trips to observe wildlife at the great venue this week.

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

Although the visits to the Refuge were made on consecutive days, the experiences were remarkably different.

By far the most evident species seen was the Least Tern which is nesting successfully at the Lagoon.

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

I would guestimate their numbers at about thirty-five individuals including those already hatched.

The Least Tern was seen in its greatest numbers at one time when a Fish Crow made an overflight of the nesting area.

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

The terns were very aggressive in defending their territory chasing the crow from the area successfully.

Another interesting phenomenon observed were large numbers of Florida fighting conch washed up on the beach both days, though not as abundantly on the second visit.

The Florida fighting conch above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

These shells all contained live mollusks and would of course be against the law to collect.

Although the Least Terns have already been successful in producing their young, waves of late arrivals in their migration from South America will offer the opportunity to observe different stages of young through August as has been my experience.

The shelling enthusiast above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

Several pairs of Least Tern were observed engaging in the start of their mating rituals this week.

The latest an adult has been observed in the area was either very late October or early November last year as I recall.

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

Little Estero Critical Wildlife Area as the Lagoon is officially known utilizes Least Tern decoys that are placed in pairs and are in greater numbers than those at Lovers Key State Park immediately to the south.

This might explain why there have been more terns observed at the Lagoon than at Lovers Key this season.

The Least Tern decoys above were photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

Brown Pelicans were seen in numbers less than a dozen on both visits though apparently feeding well.

Royal Terns, Laughing Gulls (harassing the pelicans), White Ibis, Osprey, Snowy Plover, Great Egret, Little Blue Heron, and Sanderling were otherwise seen both days on or flying over the beach.

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

As sunset arrived on day one, I was of course struggling to capture an interesting wildlife image in very poor light.

It was at that time that an American Oystercatcher arrived on the scene.

The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

I managed to capture a lot of blurry shots of it, fearing to push the ISO equivalent of the camera beyond 800 which I've noted should not be done to avoid excessive graininess (or noise) in the image.

It would have been an extraordinary and first observation to see the oystercatcher with a juvenile which I'll continue to seek in future observations.

The Green Flash above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

As I began my walk back to the Holiday Inn, I passed a photographer that told me he was there to "photograph with light."

I found that comment intriguing enough to stop me in my tracks and see what he meant.

The glow sticks above were photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

A short while later in near complete darkness, if not for a bright moon, I observed that he was quite literal.

Chad had told me that his uncle and brother, as I recall, were there to assist him in his craft with glow sticks.

The glow sticks above were photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

I found the whole concept extremely interesting to observe and a challenge to photograph.

At times I was about thirty feet in the Gulf in shallow water which was quite exhilarating while I had concern for the waves placing the camera's level off kilter with the tripod impossibly stable.

The Snowy Plover juvenile above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

I made best guesses with that concern and the focus on the subject as it was too dark for the auto focus to work which was proven with many of the +/- ten second exposures required to capture the scene.

By the time Chad's work was done, my walk to the car was intimidating as uncharted areas of the beach had to be crossed with the tide coming in rapidly.

The Snowy Plover above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

The bright moonlight was greatly appreciated at that point.

My arrival at the Lagoon on the second visit was again an afternoon visit with a favorably low tide.

The Snowy Plover juvenile above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

On both days, there was a noticeable absence of birds in the north lagoon.

I made the walk again to the south to observe the shorebird breeding grounds.

The Snowy Plover juvenile above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

It was interesting to observe Snowy Plover juveniles on this day which I had missed somehow on the first.

There were three very newly hatched plover observed that were extremely energetic and covered a huge area in their explorations.

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

The parents stayed with the chicks closely that may have hatched the night before and seemed to offer them guidance in staying out of trouble.

Species of bird this day missed earlier added Reddish Egret, Yellow-crowned Night-Heron, and Whimbrel.

The Whimbrel above was photographed at Estero Lagoon in June 2011.

American Oystercatcher was unfortunately not seen on the second visit to the Lagoon this week.

I couldn't resist one of the greatest challenges in wildlife photography I've encountered with the capture of Least Terns in flight in good light (it helped to have windy conditions).

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

I was excited to finally observe the rare green flash seen at sunset, but the camera's settings did not capture the event effectively.

All I remember seeing in real time through the lens was a remarkable green color as the sun dipped below the horizon which hadn't been seen before after many observations.

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

The Chicken Or The Egg

As the 2011 Great Backyard Bird Count (February 18-21) is underway, I ponder the question why one would want to be a "birder."

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

A harder question answered is "what is a birder?"

If you've ever taken interest in the flight of a bird that may have crossed your path or winged creature that may have merely been within your view, you might consider yourself a birder.

The Mourning Dove above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

There are certainly birders with qualifications raging far and wide from filling a box with seed to traveling the world.

It's been my great pleasure to encounter birders in my travels whom have the ability to identify birds with a skill that seems to be acquired with many years of observation and faithful dedication.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

It has taken me several years to reach the point in which I consider myself a novice birder devoting as much time to Southwest Florida wildlife observation as I can which typically averages seven hours a week.

I occasionally ponder the question asked of me by someone I've worked with if I would ever lose interest in photographing birds.

The Downy Woodpecker above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

As I immediately answered then, and as I feel today, definitely not.

There's simply too much unexpected opportunity with appreciation for the fact that these creatures are believed to be descendants of dinosaurs with a fossil indicating a winged creature lived 150 million years ago.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I have thus far documented 137 different species of bird in Florida, with a lifetime endeavor to merely observe as many of these beautiful creatures as I am able.

A greater personal endeavor is to study the behavior of birds.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

This week's effort was to continue my observation of a Bald Eagle's nest that has a solitary fledgling.

A contentious behavior between the adult eagles and Ospreys was again noted.

The Bald Eagle juvenile above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

The aerial dogfights between the species, if you will, are quite extraordinary and very difficult to document effectively through photography.

It was also particularly interesting to observe the eagle I call "862," as indicated by the metal band on its right leg.

The Bald Eagle with Osprey above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I reported the identification of the bird to the United States Geological Survey for information on the bird's history, but have not received a reply after two weeks.

What was of particular interest to me about the eagle's behavior which lasted 12 minutes was the manner in which it apparently was attempting to cool itself down on the morning when the temperature was about 70 degrees in the shade.

The Yellow-throated Warbler above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I have only seen similar behavior made by a Great Blue Heron on a couple of occasions and never before by the eagles.

This behavior should not be mistaken as similar by an Anhinga which stretches its wings in a similar manner to dry its feathers which lack waterproof characteristics of other birds.

The Roseate Spoonbill (note the middle bird's interest) above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

While observing the eagle's nest I again saw the Blue-headed Vireo which was favoring the seeds of a nearby Gumbo-limbo tree, with the bird both eating and regurgitating them.

Although this tree is known to be used for a great number of reasons including carousel horses, medicinal purposes, and Haitian musical drums, I pondered at the time while observing the vireo if the brightly colored seeds of the tree may have been cultivated by native American Indians as a resource for pigment in their paints.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

If you have the opportunity to offer a landscape addition in your yard where climate should be of concern, consider my favorite shrub known as Pineapple Guava (Acca sellowiana) which is incredibly fragrant while in bloom.

In the past, I have observed the Red-belied Woodpecker as another bird species that regurgitates seeds.

The Blue-headed Vireo above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

Other bird species easily captivated my attention as a Yellow-throated Warbler was observed for the first time in over four years, coincidentally within a few miles from where I observed it last.

I also had the opportunity to photograph the Downy Woodpecker in the company of the much more common Red-bellied.

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

The Downy Woodpecker is quite distinctive in the sound it makes which would allow its identification without seeing it.

Another rare observation was made with the sighting of an American Kestrel.

The Northern Mockingbird above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

When I first caught a glimpse of the bird as it flew overhead, while not immediately able to identify it, I knew that it was unusual with regard to its flight characteristics.

I learned some valuable lessons in camera settings that need to be used in the future to offer consistently improved images.

The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

It was interesting to observe as well the carcass of a turtle that possibly had its shell penetrated by the Black Vulture in the tree directly above it.

Though I've only picked up and kept one shell from the beach in my travels, it was interesting this week to meet someone that told me I had to give up my Alphabet Cone if I found one.

The American Kestrel above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

I'll leave the reason why a mystery.

I was particularly intrigued with the workings of photo editing this week (which I attempt to keep to a minimum of crop and sharpening) as I attempted to remove a color cast in the Downy Woodpecker image included in this post where utilizing CS5, the opposite of what I thought should happen occurred.

The turtle carcass above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.

Though I'm not sure what caused the color cast to begin with as it's not often produced in my images taken, the hue/contrast feature in CS5 minimized the effect by moving the slider darker after selecting the color I thought closest to that I wished to remove.

The fledgling eagle is progressing well.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park at Big Carlos Pass in February 2011.