Lone Cypress at Harns Marsh

Stars were observed in the early morning night sky this week when I was able to make a trip to Harns Marsh with the expectation that daylight would be favorable for wildlife photography.

The Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

I had very much wanted to return to the lone Cypress tree at Harns Marsh Preserve in particular where I last observed a Bald Eagle attacked by Black-necked Stilts the morning of the summer solstice.

So on the morning following Independence Day I was excitedly on my way to Harns Marsh and arrived prior to sunrise.

The Red-winged Blackbird above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

First observations at the Preserve offered overflights of flocks of ibis before leaving the car.

I made my way north toward the Cypress tree in anticipation I might chance to observe again the contention between stilt and eagle.

The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

From behind me, I had a glimpse of an incoming bird and planted the photo gear to get a shot of it as quickly as possible.

In real time I considered I was observing directly to my left over the marsh a pair of Crested Caracara.

The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

It may have been what I wanted to see, however.

The two images I captured of the birds well past me I consider remarkably good out of focus butt shots of the birds that make their identification difficult.

The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

The other possibility of the species seen at that moment would be Snail Kite.

It was still too dark to get a good look at the birds as they were closest to me and I was distracted by attempting to get the shot.

The Sandhill Crane above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

I recall reading years ago David Sibley noting in his Guide to Birds that fumbling with a camera could result in the inability to positively identify what was seen as the bird, at worst, may fly off before an image can be taken.

OK, perhaps it's best to identify your bird first as I'm still thinking caracara all morning turning around very frequently with hopes of seeing the birds again which were last seen flying north of the marsh.

The Roseate Spoonbill above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

The images of the bird seems to favor kite as the feet appear to be orange verses the bright yellow of a mature caracara.

Those two birds I'm quite sure I didn't see again, although I saw more Snail Kite activity at the Preserve than I have in a very long while.

The unidentified bird above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

After entering the marsh somewhat hesitantly with the water level much higher after prolific rains, I was startled by what I think was a snake in the grass that stayed well ahead of me as I was knee deep in water.

I settled down about 100 feet from the Cypress tree with the rising sun behind me and waited.

The Snail Kite juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

Boat-tailed Grackle were by far the most abundant species of bird observed on this day.

The grackle and a Tricolored Heron were added as birds observed perched in the tree over the past two years including Snail Kite, Anhinga, Cattle Egret, Bald Eagle, Great Egret, and White Ibis.

The Snail Kite juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

Other species of bird were observed in very few numbers and it was unfortunate that photography of the wildlife seen was at a greater distance than the norm for the most part.

I was pondering great disappointment in visiting the Preserve as Black-necked Stilt failed to make an appearance until nearly three hours after my arrival.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

I thought the birds had moved on due to the water level apparently inundating their nests.

I'll speculate that any egg laying activity last occurred well in advance of the rains with the birds instinctively prepared for them and the potential loss of a brood.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

The first stilt observed had strafed me from nowhere for no apparent reason and then another bird of the species appeared with the eagle nowhere in sight.

In review of my photographs taken on this day I've noted that the stilts appeared shortly before Red-shouldered Hawks made their way to the edge of the marsh.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

Perhaps the stilts heard or possibly had a visual of the hawk's approach before my awareness of the predators.

If you happen to be a birding by ear enthusiast, the marsh was especially rewarding in the half hour before and then hour after sunrise.

The Red-shouldered Hawk juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

The Bald Eagle never made my anticipated perch on the Cypress tree this day.

I had waited much longer for the eagle than I think most would have the patience for.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

A close inspection of the Cypress tree to see again the snake skin in its upper branches was a surprise as it was gone.

After looking for it on the ground led to the realization that it was the carcass of a fish.

The molting Boat-tailed Grackle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

The head and innards had been consumed, while there was evidence of a tail still intact as the carcass nearly disintegrated in my hands.

As I ultimately made my way out of the marsh, I was careful to retrace my steps as best I could.

The Halloween Pennant above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

To be on high ground again after several hours in the water was a relief.

I made my way to the first shady spot far enough from the Cypress tree to take a photograph of it for this story.

The Glossy Ibis above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

I set the lens to manual focus instead of turning off image stabilization for the shot which was a mistake.

As a result, when a Swallow-tailed Kite appeared as a surprise at very close range (in the final half hour I'll always recall Bob Blanchard for), my first few shots of the kite were out of focus.

The Cypress tree above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

I quickly set the lens back to auto focus and deleted the significantly out of focus shots in the camera while the kite was between me and the sun.

The kite would make remarkable close flybys although never in optimal light or position.

The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

The experience of the kite so close and low to the ground was added as a memory among those remarkable wildlife observations enjoyed at Harns Marsh Preserve.

As I approached the bulldozer on the way back to the car, the unmistakable guttural sound of a gator was heard.

The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

I couldn't place its exact location and failed to sight the beast.

Needless to say, I won't be entering the marsh again this season for safety concerns.

The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in July 2011.

Bunche Beach Receding Tide

The 2011 rainy season has begun with welcome relief to alleviate extremely dry conditions that had previously led to reports of Lake Okeechobee at a depth of 10 feet and wildfires in the area in recent weeks.

The Osprey juvenile above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

I had considered returning to Harns Marsh to improve my photography of Black-necked Stilts attacking a Bald Eagle.

The first opportunity this week to do so was lost to what I believed overcast conditions too ominous where a downpour seemed imminent.

The Osprey juvenile above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

My second day off from work had conditions less than favorable for wildlife photography again.

I attempted to wait out the inclement weather for at least brighter conditions.

The Marbled Godwit above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

With it past midday I chose to return to Bunche Beach in an attempt to photograph the Black-bellied Plover no matter what.

It was in fact still drizzling when I left for the venue that I hadn't visited since late March.

The Semipalmated Plover above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

A very high tide was receding upon my arrival as expected.

There were no birds in sight save an Osprey perched in a tree very close to the beach access point.

The Fish Crow above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

I studied this bird for an extended period while the raptor did little more than preen itself.

It was interesting to see it on occasion attentively stare into the water of San Carlos Bay below.

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

After giving up on the possibility of the Osprey taking flight, I began my walk further to the west.

While I always consider it a special occasion in visiting Bunche Beach, this trip was especially so for a couple of reasons.

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

Tim Rucci gave me the heads up on a great deal for a 32GB CF memory card through Newegg.com that I received this week and was using for the first time.

This card allows me to photograph in RAW format without significant concern of running out of memory with a backup 8GB SD card in the camera as well.

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

I have pushed SD cards of 4GB and 8GB to their limits on a number of occasions, so where I typically find myself in the water when this event has happened, I've since always been conscious of failing to miss a shot.

Realistically, I don't think this new card will be satisfactory in time as I have begun shooting continuous shots with the camera set at its greatest capability on this trip to Bunche as well.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

This camera feature is one that I struggled with as I took shots consecutively when I didn't mean to.

However, the technique worked flawlessly in capturing prey between the beak of a Willet I was observing which has been an accomplishment for me in the past, but I think done out of pure luck with the conservative approach I had been using.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

With anticipation that memory card prices will fall in time, I will be looking for a 128GB card that I hope will allow for a lifetime of use without a concern for the number of images I may take on a trip with no need to change the card in the camera.

While the lighting conditions remained dull on my trip to the beach, the rain had stopped falling getting a sunburn nonetheless in the few hours at the Preserve.

The Willet above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

The less than ideal light conditions required a higher ISO equivalent setting on the camera to keep the shutter speed higher while choosing to photograph the wildlife with an elevated exposure bias in most instances.

I've become very familiar with Bunche Beach Preserve having visited the venue numerous times and knew what to expect for the most part.

The Short-billed Dowitcher above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

Perhaps my greatest surprise was a flyby of American Oystercatcher that I hadn't sighted until they were disturbed by a beach comber a couple of hours after my arrival.

All the other regular shore and wading birds became more prolific as the tide receded further.

The Willit above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

It would certainly be interesting to do time lapse photography of the tide change at this venue.

My greater interest has otherwise developed into photographing bird behavior.

The White Ibis above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

It was a particular intent of mine to capture images of birds engaged in feeding behavior on this trip.

A Semipalmated Plover capturing a worm is always interesting to observe.

The Roseate Spoonbill juvenile above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

A Tricolored Heron had captured a sea creature that it was surely going to consume before dropping it and losing interest for some unknown reason.

And a Snowy Egret had a smaller morsel that must be researched for its identification as well.

The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

Willet were the most successful at capturing small crustaceans while an ibis was observed with food as an extremely rare sight.

The birds overall were too close to be using the 1.4X extender I had attached to the camera thus having difficulty in acquiring focus many times.

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

I attempted to photograph every close flyby of bird as well, while it was a common event for the bird to be looking slightly away making the image less dramatic.

I never saw the Black-bellied Plover, but the overall experience at Bunche Beach Preserve this week was rewarding under conditions I almost made the mistake of cowering from twice.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at San Carlos Bay: Bunche Beach Preserve in June 2011.

Harns Marsh Preserve: Summer Solstice 2011

I received contact from American Birding Association member Hemant Kishan making rounds of the area this past week and recommended we visit Harns Marsh Preserve.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

We arrived very early which was helpful to walk to an area that I had found productive for bird observation in the recent past while taking advantage of first sunlight of the day for photography.

On the way, Hemant made it obvious that he was staying well versed on recent sightings at the marsh referencing Purple Gallinule which I have yet to see at Harns Marsh.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

This species was one of Bob Blanchard's great interests this past month that he told me about on a couple of occasions.

While I had hoped he would post an image of the gallinule on his facebook page, he hasn't done so as of this writing.

The Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

Bob has recently commented on a subject that I often see written about.

In a nutshell, as an opinion of mine, never delete an image you've taken.

The 1st spring Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

You'll never know when you may want to reference it again or perhaps make it appealing to view as editing software capabilities improve or even change your style of presentation, say with a particular crop.

As Hemant and I made our walk approaching the turn in the road north of the parking area at the marsh he pointed out to me a Killdeer juvenile with a pair of mature birds of the species.

The 1st spring Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

Killdeer were abundant in virtually all areas of the marsh while juvenile Red-winged Blackbird were at one point inadvertently flushed from the tall grasses.

Hemant pointed out to me the oddity of Limkin in that it has no direct relative in the aves kingdom.

The 1st spring Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

Our walk into the marsh itself showed evidence of the initial rains of the wet season that will hopefully be very abundant in the months ahead while the water level at the marsh was again significantly lower.

I noted iridescence on the surface of water near the marsh's edge which is explained at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary as the result of tree seeds that release their oils.

The 1st spring Little Blue Heron above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

This may be the case at Harns Marsh although its primary design is to filter impurities from stormwaters and control their flow.

Two Black-necked Stilts were seen in the vicinity of the nest observed earlier in the month where five of the birds were typically seen at that time, while fewer of the birds were seen at the other nesting site further into the marsh as well.

The Red-shouldered Hawk above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

No evidence of juvenile stilts were seen while Hemant remained very patient as I would have stayed at this location through most of the morning waiting for the wildlife to make its appearance.

I recommended that we explore further toward the point I had last reached.

The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

Hemant's great humor was evident when he noted "crop circles," or the all terrain vehicle "donuts," which were again observed.

Elsewhere in the marsh it was obvious where the USGS airboat had traveled earlier this year which flattened the grasses making them easier to walk through.

The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

Hopes of seeing the American White Pelican, that might have stayed at the marsh if the water level had remained just a little higher with a food source not already consumed, were lost in the late morning.

Prior to that, a walk was possible due to the marsh's very dry conditions directly to the western edge where a 1st Spring Little Blue Heron and Red-shouldered Hawk were observed.

The Limpkin above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

The water level looked quite high to the west of the road while walking south.

I'll speculate that this might be a relatively undisturbed area of the marsh as was seen before the idea of controlling storm waters in the area many years ago.

The Roseate Spoonbill juvenile above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

Advancing further led to the thought that the short-cut back to the lake had to be taken as the grasses last walked through at the southern edge of the preserve were very high at that time and might be especially unsafe on this trip with mowing not having taken place in a long while.

Hemant told me of his recent observations at Magee Marsh where he had the opportunity to photograph a plethora of migrating warblers while his time spent at Canada's Point Pelee National Park was also mentioned with his observation of Black Terns.

The Bald Eagle with Black-necked Stilt above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

His flight images of the terns among hundreds of others are remarkable and should be appreciated.

The walk approaching the lake led to a sighting of flycatcher which I couldn't identify for sure.

The Bald Eagle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

A Limpkin was seen soaking wet near the parking area as a female Snail Kite flew from perhaps the tree I had last heard it a month ago.

After the return to the parking area, Hemant was game to make another walk along the marsh toward the southeast area that has been the most productive for wildlife observation that I've experienced.

The Red-winged Blackbird above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

We again entered the marsh after Hemant observed a Bald Eagle land on the Cypress tree.

An effort was made to photograph the Black-necked Stilt with little tolerance for the raptor so close to its breeding area.

The Scarlet Skimmer above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

Although the stilt attempted to have the eagle move on from its perch by strafing it numerous times, the eagle hardly ever budged.

While Hemant chose to leave after a few hours, the best was yet to come as a rarely seen Green Heron made a flyby over the marsh.

Hemant Kishan above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

Its identity was not immediately certain photographed from such a long distance, but its undulating flight pattern was unmistakable compared to birds of its size.

Though I didn't see the heron again even after identifying the approximate spot it had landed and was walked by on the way out of the marsh, another surprise was to be had.

The Black-necked Stilt with Bald Eagle above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

I couldn't resist stopping to pause at and view the area I had spent so much time with hopes of observing the hatching of Black-necked Stilt before the pillage of the eggs.

A splash of water in close proximity of that former nest and a large dark body seen in a fleeting instant I thought was a gator taking down a wading bird.

The aircraft above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

Closer inspection would reveal the action to be a pair of River Otters.

It seemed on odd place to observe these creatures which I had only observed south of the parking area in deeper water last year.

The River Otter above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

This behavior would have resulted in a remarkable video of the otters in action.

The smaller otter which I considered a juvenile was ravenous in its consumption of its meal while I remained several hundred feet away.

The River Otter above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

At one point the otter swam within 30 feet of me which was a little alarming not sure if it would turn around which it fortunately did.

I found some unexpected deep water observing the mammals and the inner sole of my shoe which I recovered as was hoped after losing it on a previous visit.

The River Otter above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

The birds were overall regrettably not seen in the great numbers they were a few weeks ago.

I didn't give forethought in telling Hemant that I might see him at the beach late in the day with the afternoon thunderstorms now much too unpredictable to risk life and limb.

The River Otter above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in June 2011.

I had the surprise of seeing an unknown species of snake, a little less than a few feet long and black in color, along the marsh's edge which was too close to photograph before it slithered into the grass out of view.