Artwork--"Seeing Red"

We returned from our trip to Florida yesterday afternoon, and while I have yet to sort through this new batch of photos, I wanted to get something posted.

I finished this piece right before we left but didn't have time to shoot it. I needed to get the file set up today so I can use it for a few shows I am entering, so I shot it and set it up this afternoon.



This new piece, titled "Seeing Red", is of a Red-tailed hawk. This particular bird is a member of a falconry club, who bring their birds to CraneFest every year. I got a bunch of shots of this bird, but I wasn't real excited about any of them until I pulled out my little mask and started looking at the images cropped. THEN I got excited!

It's 12" x 6.5", will be framed to 18" x 12.5". Prints will be available.

The End is in Sight

Florida 2010 posts continued...

As I made my way along the Cruickshank Trail I saw a plethora of birds, big and small, short and tall. In an effort to finish this series up I have eliminated a bunch of stuff, and focused on just a few images.

I managed to get a series of shots, starting with it hitting the water, of this Osprey. Too bad it was too far away to get good shots of it. It heaved itself out of the water, struggling with its catch. I was amazed to see it shake the water off as it was flying and carrying such a load. I've seen Osprey catch fish before, and every time I am impressed by their strength.


This Anhinga looked like a water snake as it glided along, its body just under the surface of the water.

A small group of White pelicans drifted by, beaks in the water, swishing back and forth, filtering food. A tern looks for handouts. Unlike the Brown pelican, which dives for its food, the white feeds from the surface.


I don't know what the hell this is, but I am glad I wasn't swimming with it--look at those teeth!! Someone made a meal of it, though.


The best moment of the hike for me happened about a mile from the end. I had gotten to the point where I was tired and ready to be done. As I trudged along, some movement ahead of me on the trail caught my eye, and I stopped dead in my tracks. What I saw got me so excited I nearly piddled in my pants--


--an Eastern meadowlark!

It had apparently not seen me coming, didn't notice me until after I had stopped, and so wasn't sure what to think of me. The bird eyed me warily.


By the time the meadowlark turned its bright yellow breast my way it had moved into the shade, making it hard to get good shots.


Several minutes went by before this beautiful bird flew off into the grasses, alighting on a small shrub. I was hoping it would sing for me, but no such luck. That's OK. I was so happy to see this bird, another first for me, that its silence only gives me something else to look forward too--hearing one sing.


And so ends the Florida 2010 posts. Hope you enjoyed them, cuz I'm on my way back down. I hope to return with better images, and some more firsts.

Cruickshank Trail

Florida 2010 posts continued...

After much starting and stopping I finally made it to the trail head. Cruickshank Trail is a loop that follows several dikes that snake their way through the refuge. This was an ambitious undertaking for me, a five mile hike after a fairly sedentary winter. At least it was pancake flat.

For wildlife watchers the opportunity to get out of the car and away from the traffic is golden. You have the chance to pick a spot and sit, and will often be rewarded with a visit from one critter or another. Unfortunately, since I was getting a fairly late start, I did not have that luxury, and had to pretty much hoof it all the way around.



Aside from this old pier and the trail itself, there was almost no sign of man--or men or women, for that matter. The trail was deserted. I read that upwards of 90% of visitors to National parks rarely leave their cars. While I think that's sad and pitiful, it suits me just fine. I like the solitude I can find in the parks.



This Yellow lesser-legs likes that statistic too.


Not too long into the hike I came across this Tri-colored heron. As soon as I saw it I stopped dead in my tracks, and brought the camera slowly up to my eye. I tried to send out good energy, but the bird wasn't buying my benign vibes.



It fidgeted uncomfortably atop its shrubby perch, eying me warily.


He pondered for a moment or two...


...then decided to leave. I sometimes find in these places that the birds are more accustomed to cars than to people on foot, and are spookier around hikers. I had to go slowly and stop the instant I saw something or I would scare it away. Of course, for the most part they saw me first and I only saw them as they were flying away. Sigh....


This White pelican didn't take to the air, but it did swim away, watching me over its shoulder.


What a treat it was when this spoonbill flew past, low and into the sun. I am struck by their shape when they fly, and their black feet make me think of a dancer in black shoes, toes pointed as he leaps through the air. What an odd, beautiful bird.

Northern Shoveler

I was still on my second loop around the Black Point Drive, trying to make my way to the Cruickshank Trail, but I was continually side tracked. I wasn't necessarily in a hurry, but I didn't know how long it was going to take me to hike five miles, and the afternoon was getting on. But the darned birds kept catching my eye, closer than they had been the first time 'round, and I was compelled to stop and shoot.

Not that I'm complaining.

I had seen a pair of Northern shovelers earlier in the day but they were back lit and the shots weren't that great. This time my luck was better, and they were in full sun.



A Glossy ibis made for a good backdrop.


There were two pair of shovelers, but I could not seem to get them all in the frame at once.


I am absolutely amazed by bird's beaks. Tailored specifically for gathering whatever their most common food source is, they are a marvel of evolution. The shoveler is a great example of that. Longer than the bird's head and wider at the tip, the bill has thin projections on the sides to filter bits of food out of the water by moving their heads side to side. This photo is a bit fuzzy but shows their bills well. Like the rack on a bull elk, it seems like the bird should tip forward from the weight of it.


Disproportionate bill aside, they are handsome birds.


I especially like the male's bright yellow eye.


No longer do I look at every duck I see and think, "Oh, it's just a mallard...."

A Trio of White

Florida 2010 posts continued....

One of the most frustrating things for me in bird watching is trying to identify white wading birds. You really have to look closely, and have a bird book in hand, in order to learn the sometimes subtle differences.

Along a stretch of Black Point Drive I came across three such birds. The first I recognized as a Great egret thanks to its size. At 40 inches tall they are nearly double the size of the cattle and snowy egrets. Don't be complacent, though--there is a white-morph Great blue heron that is very similar. The best way to tell them apart? The Great blue heron has yellow legs, the Great egret has black legs.


Next was this Snowy egret, its breeding plumage tossed about in the wind. The snowy stands about 24 inches tall, and is distinguishable from the cattle egret by its black bill and legs (although the snowy does have shockingly yellow feet).






Last was this little fellow. Had I not seen one at the Maritime Hammock Sanctuary I would not have known it on sight. This is an immature Little blue heron. When he's all grown up he'll have a purple-ish head and neck and a blue body. But at this age he is distinguished by his pale bill and gray forehead.




Next we'll take a look at some Northern shovelers.

Concentration

Florida 2010 posts continued....

After my short walk at the nature center (where I missed a painted bunting at their feeder by less than five minutes) I decided to head back out to Black Point Drive and hike the Cruickshank Trail, a five mile loop into the lagoons of the wildlife refuge. By now the light had improved along the drive as the sun moved south, allowing me to get some better photos.

I had mentioned in an earlier post my astonishment at the sheer number of waterfowl at the refuge. I think this image shows that the best.


By now it was early afternoon, and many of the birds seemed to be settling in for a siesta, making viewing much easier. The duck in the background is a Northern pintail, while the pair in front are American wigeons. The group on the hummock contains a mix of both.


While the birds seemed more settled, small squabbles still broke out, like between these skirmishing wigeons. Don't fight kids, you're both pretty!


The Roseate spoonbills were moving about, and I was thrilled to catch this group flying past.


As I neared the trail head I came across this Great blue heron fixated on some tasty morsel in the rocks along road. It stood utterly motionless.


I inched the car forward to get a better shot, and the bird never flinched.


You can see a bit of fluff stuck on the end of its beak, probably from grooming. This bird stood still for so long I got bored and left!

Back to Black Point Drive

2010 Florida posts continued....

What a week I've had! After coming home from Traverse City a day early thanks to a snow storm, I spent last week finishing up prep work for a show, set up the booth on Tuesday, wrote and gave a presentation Wednesday, and then sat at the show from Thursday through Sunday. Monday and Tuesday (yesterday) were spent catching up on all the work that did not get done thanks to the show. Whew!

As a result of all that I don't have anything "new" to post, so will go back to Florida and try to get through my last trip there before I go down again this year!

As I came towards the end of the Black Point Wildlife Drive in the Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, I saw several waterfowl, including this pair of Hooded mergansers.



Another pair of ducks appeared soon after, this time Northern shovelers. They look deceivingly like mallards, until you notice their enormous bills.


This pair of Pied-billed grebes swam for the hills as soon as I stopped the car


This large flock of American coots was making a tremendous racket.


As I made my way towards the exit I spotted this rather large gator, sunning itself on a hummock. They always look like their smiling.


After finishing the drive I went over to the visitor's center to use the facilities, have lunch, and walk the nature trail. This wooded area was loaded with birds, some of which I could not get shots of, like a Common yellowthroat, kinglets and several warblers. I did catch this Carolina wren working its way through a palm tree...


...and this Catbird kicking through the duff.


But the best shot was of this White-eyed vireo, another first for me. All I knew when I took this photo was that this was an unfamiliar bird. It wasn't until I pulled this up on the big screen did I notice its white eye!