Pic of the Day

American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliates

Fort Desoto State Park, Saint Petersburg, Florida                                                                                                   

     The American Oystercatcher is one of the most beautiful shorebirds in the Americas.  I photographed this one at Fort Desoto State Park in Saint Petersburg, Florida.  When I arrived there were few birds on the beach.  Another photographer was working a small group of feeding birds that included a Reddish Egret and a few shorebirds.  I found a Great Egret, but soon after shooting a few shots it flew to spot where the reddish was feeding.

     After the egret flew I moved to the tideline where I found a Willet probing the sand for mollusks.  Things were pretty slow and I though about leaving whenI Looked down the beach and saw an American Oystercatcher fly in and begin probing the sand with its orange beak.

American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliates

Fort Desoto State Park, Saint Petersburg, Florida

     It had been years, I mean film days, since I had photographed an oystercatcher.  Like lighting I was down the beach in a flash.  With the oystercatcher so busy feeding, it paid me no attention. 

     I began shooting about fifty feet away, but wanted to be closer.  As I scooted along the sand toward the oystercatcher I shot a few more frames, fearing that the oystercatcher would take flight.  As I got closer and closer, instead of flying away it became completely comfortable with my presence and began moving toward me.  I could not believe my good fortune.  As it fed along the tideline I shot frame after frame.  At times it came so close that could not focus the camera lens. 

     After shooting more than a thousand frames I left the oystercatcher to its activities.  It was one of the best mornings I’ve had in a long time.  I had been totally immersed with a bird that accepted my presence without fear.  Very few people get such an experience, and I hope I get a lot more.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/1250 sec. @ f9, ISO 640

Pic of the DAy

Reddish Egret, Egretta rufescens:  Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida 

     It looks as if this Reddish Egret is exploring a new method of fishing.  I call it the "pounce" method.  It didn’t work too well.  I never saw it catch a fish this way!

Nikon D300, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/640 second @ f9

Pic of the Day

   American Oystercatcher – Fort Desoto Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida:  There were very few birds at Fort Desoto Park when I arrived, but those that were feeding in the estuary made good subjects for my camera.  While I was photographing a winter plumed Black-bellied Plover a pair of American Oystercatchers flew-in and landed on the mudflats very close to me.  The female ran to quickly to the grassy edge of the estuary while the male stood his ground on the mud flats.  As I shot a few frames the male took off in a quick sprint toward the female, allowing me to shoot this image as the Oystercatcher ran at full gallop.  My favorite part of the image is the movement, and the water kicked up as the bird runs across the flats.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 500mm f4, Digital Capture ISO 200,  Exposure 1/1,250@ f6.3

Pic of the Day

     Hello everyone.  It has been some time since I have made a post.  I am in Florida shooting, or should I say trying to shoot.  I have come south to photograph wadding birds in breeding plumage, but waders have been few and far between.  I have not seen any significant number of birds.  Even the colonies that I frequent this time of year have only a third of the birds I normally see.  I talked with a biologist, and was told that after doing aerial surveys if southwest Florida, no large colonies of heron or wood stork have been found this year.  No one seems to know what’s going on this breeding season. 

   Though the birds have been far and few between I have been able to get some shots.  This Reddish Egret was photographed at Fort Desoto Park in St. Petersburg, Florida.  There were only a handful of (visible) birds in the area when I made this shot.  Fortunately the egret was actively feeding which allowed me to get this in-flight shot.

Nikon D300, Nikkor 500mm f4, Digital Capture ISO 200,  1/640 sec. @ f9