There were groas all around when I told the gang we were departing at o’dark thirty this morning but they soon perked up when we pulled into the Venice Rookery and saw the opportunities. The Venice Rookery is a small love island where the birds come in to find a mate, build their nests, have a little nookie and continue the life cycle. I always love a trip to the Rookery to photograph and observe the behavior.
I love the way the Great Egret preens, pulling one fether at a time through it’s bill.
A female Anhinga is calling to her mate. During breeding season the eye circle of the Anhinga turns a vivid blue/green to excite their mate.
A male Anhinga pauses with wings outstretched to dry
Images captured with Nikon D3, AF-S 600mm VR, TC-17E on Lexar Digital Media
After a short break, we headed back out onto Tampa Bay with “The Spoonbill Guy”, James Shadle in search of more great bird activity to photograph. We were not disappointed when we found a flock of pelicans resting on a sandbar. I hand held my new Nikon AF-S 600mm f4 VR from the boat for this image…what a rockin’ lens!
Another image from the morning shoot…a Great Blue Heron bringing nesting material to his mate.
Images captured with Nikon D3, AF-S 600mm VR, TC-17E on Lexar Digital Media
It’s hard to beat a day when sunrise finds you out in Tampa Bay surrounded by Roseate Spoonbills. What a great morning. More to come this afternoon.
Image captured with Nikon D3, AF-S 600mm VR on Lexar Digital Media
Tampa Bay, that is and the dock was the North Fishing Pier off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge where fishermen both two legged and feathered alike head for their next meal. We had Pelicans and Terns diving all around us while the Great and Snowy Egrets tried stealing fish when the fishermen weren’t looking.
Royal Terns dive at breakneck speeds into the water to catch an unsuspecting fish.
An adult Brown Pelican takes a break from fishing to patiently pose for a photograph
Images captured with Nikon D3, AF-S 70-200mm VR, TC-17E on Lexar Digital Media
What a great morning out at Fort DeSoto. As the tide came in, so did the birds feeding on the small fish and crabs. Everyone had a great time capturing the feeding frenzy in the beautiful light. While the birds were in a feeding frenzy we were in a shootin frenzy ourselves, turning our lenses on a variety of wading and shorebirds as they performed for us. Each bird had it’s own way of catching fish from the dancing Reddish egret to the foraging White ibis and the Common Merganser who jet propels through the water to capture fish.
Images captured with Nikon D3, AF-S 600mm VR, TC-17E on Lexar Digital Media
