"The Stalk"

Great Egret, Ardea Alba

Outback Key, Fort De Soto State Park

St. Petersburg, FL

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4

1/1600 @ f/16

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Forster's Tern, Stema Forsteri:  Fort Desoto State Park, Florida

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/5000 second @ f/9

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Brown Pelican, Pelecanus occidentals:  Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

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Snowy Egret, Egretta thula:

Fort DeSoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

    While photographing terns diving for fish off the shore of North Beach at Fort Desoto State Park a Snowy Egret flew in to join in the feast.  After fishing in a particular spot for a while the egret would take wing and fly about twenty feet further up the beach to fish in a new spot.  I caught this image on one of those short flights.  

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/2000 second @ f/11

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Sandwich Tern, Thalasseus sandvicensis:

Fort Desoto State Park, Florida

       I shot this image on the shoreline of North Beach at Fort DeSoto State Park, Florida.  Royal, Forester, and Sandwich Terns were busy driving for fish and what a challenge they were to shoot with a long lens.

     Terns are fast flying and panning with the birds close to the shore was very difficult.  Locking on the head of bird is not easy, but when it happens, the track focusing kicks in and works like a charm.  I took a ton of photos and many were out of focus, or just not quite there.  This is one that worked, as I caught the tern diving toward the water.

     Though I see Sandwich Terns on most of my trips to Florida, they are currently considered as uncommon.  It is believed that this species went through a serious decline in the late 1800's when eggs were harvested from many colonies.

For more info on Sandwich Terns go to:  http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/sandwich-tern

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/3200 second @ f/9

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Willet, Tringa semipalmata: Fort Desoto State Park; Pinellas County, Florida

     Winter plumage Willets are quite drab, but this one put on a great show when I visited Fort Desoto State Park earlier this month.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/1600 second @ f/8

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American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus:  Fort Desoto State Park, Florida

     Without doubt, the American Oystercatcher is my favorite shorebird.  I love its bright orange bill, yellow eye, and pied plumage pattern.  I was fortunate last spring while shooting turnstones along the beach at Fort Desoto State Park to spot this American Oystercatcher further up the beach.

     As soon as I saw the bird, I moved in its direction with the greatest stealth I could muster.  Once I was about fifty feet away, I sat on the beach and let it come to me.  It was so busy probing the sand that it paid no attention to me.  I had a great time watching its feeding behavior, but this perfect portrait pose made my day.  I am really looking forward to getting back to Fort Desoto this coming spring. 

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/2500 second @ f/9 

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American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus:  Fort Desoto State Park, Florida

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/3200 @ f/7.1

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Black-bellied Plover, Pluvialis squatarola (winter plumage): Fort Desoto State Park, Florida

     I captured this image back in March at Fort Desoto State Park.  Fort Desoto is a great location to photography wintering shorebirds.  This plover along with turnstones and willers were feeding on sand crabs, which seemed to be a favorite among the birds that day.

Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f/4, 1/1600 second @ f/8

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 American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus:  

Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

     Four more images of the American Oystercatchers I photographed at Fort Desoto State Park during the first week of March.  I enjoyed this shoot so much.  I really love photographing shorebirds and the oystercatcher is one of my favorites.  This oystercatcher was totally unexpected when I saw it fly onto the beach.  I was cautious in my approach fearing that I would frighten it to flight.  But much to my surprise it seem to have no fear of my presence and came so close to me at times that I could not focus the lens.  I love being in such close quarters with wildlife, especially when they go about their natural behavior.

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Black-bellied Plover, Pluvialis squatarola

Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

     While shooting the American Oystercatcher in the previous post, these shorebirds kept running along the beach digging sand crabs from the sand.  These two ran right in front of me allowing me to get these up close portraits.  March 2nd  was a pretty good morning at Fort Desoto State Park. 

Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres

Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

Both images:  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/2500 sec. @ f8

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American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus

Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

     I shot so many Oystercatcher photos on my recent trip to Florida that I am just now getting through all of them.  I 
posted three a week ago (see March 7th Post), but I have so many. 
This bird was so cooperative it allowed me to get some great close ups.  I particularly like this one because of the surf in the background.  Because I have so many nice shots of this bird, I will post a few every now and then.  I just love this bird!  You will probably get tired of seeing oystercatchers, but please bear with an old mans obsession.

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

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 Ruddy Turnstone, Arenaria interpres runs along the beach swash zone

Fort DeSoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

     While I was photographing the American Oystercatcher in the previous post, Ruddy Turnstones flew onto the beach and began probing the sand along the Swash Beach Zone.   Within seconds the turnstones were pulling Sand Crabs, Emerita (genus) from the sand.  Sand Crabs, also known as mole crabs, or sand fleas have barrel-shaped bodies with tough exoskeletons and short appendages that are held close to the body that allows it roll in tidal currents and waves.

     While the Willets and Black-bellied Plovers were swallowing the Sand Crabs whole, the Ruddy Turnstones pulled the sand crabs from the sand and pecked into them from their softer underside to get to the fleshy internal parts.  

     The following sequence shows a bit of the turnstones feeding process.  The sequence shows two different birds

 Ruddy Turnstone pulls a Sand Crab from the swash zone.

Ruddy Turnstone devouring Sand Crab

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American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus

Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

     I had some really great shooting opportunities in Florida this week.   This American Oystercatcher was photographed at Fort Desoto State Park in Saint Petersburg.  When I arrived I saw few birds.  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.

American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus

Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

     After the egret flew I moved to the tideline where I found a Willet probing the sand for mollusk.  Things were pretty slow and I though about leaving, but then the Willet pulled a mollusk from the sand.  After a few shots things got pretty exciting.  A few Ruddy Turnstones flew in and joined the Willet.  Things were really hopping then.  The turnstones began feeding and all were coming so close that I could not focus the lens.  They ran to and from the waters edge to wash off the prey they were pulling from the sand. 

American Oystercatcher, Haematopus palliatus

Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

     Looking down the beach I saw an American Oystercatcher fly in and begin to probe the sand with its orange beak.  It had been years, I mean film days, since I had photographed an oystercatcher .  Like lighting I was down the beach in a flash.  The oystercatcher was so busy feeding that it paid me no attention.  I began to shoot about fifty feet away, but wanted to be closer.  

     I scooted along the sand toward the oystercatcher and shot a few more frames.  Setting in the sand the bird 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.  While shooting the oystercatcher, Ruddy Turnstones, Black-bellied Plovers and Willets joined in giving me more shooting opportunities. 

     After shooting more than a thousand frames I left the birds to their activities.  It was one of the best mornings I’ve had in a long time.  I was totally immersed in the birds, and they seemed to have accepted my presence without fear.  These are just three images from the shoot, but I will post more in the coming days.

    Please come back in a day or so to see the turnstones, willets and plovers.  I hope you enjoy these images as much as I enjoyed taking them.   

     _{Top:  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/4000 sec @ f 7.1, ISO640}

 _Middle:  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/2500 sec @ f 8,    ISO640

_Bottom:  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/3200 sec @ f 8,    ISO640

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Willet, Tringa simipalmata (winter plumage):

Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida 

Willet, Tringa simipalmata (breeding plumage):

Benton Lake Nation Wildlife Refuge; Great Falls, Montana

     Note that the Willet in breeding plumage is heavily streaked on its head, neck and breast.  The winter plumage bird lacks that streaking.  A beautiful bird in both plumages.

Top Image:  Nikon D800, Nikkor 500mm f4, 1/2500 second @ f9

Bottom Image:  Nikon D300, Nikkor 300mm f2.8, 1/1250 second @ f7.1

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Nanday Parakeet, Nandayus nenday:

Fort Desoto State Park; Saint Petersburg, Florida

     The Nanday Parakeet, formerly known as the Black-hooded Parakeet (my favorite name for the bird) is a native bird of southwestern Brazil and northern Argentina.  It is a popular bird in the pet trade, and some escaped birds have established a population exceeding 1,000 birds in six county on the west coast of central Florida.  There are also escaped populations in the Los Angles area of California, and in San Antonio, Texas.   In November 2012, the ABA (American Birding Association added the Nanday Parakeet as a countable species on its Checklist. 

     I photographed this pair just outside the entrance of Fort Desoto State Park on one of the causeway islands.  The birds were quite affectionate with one another, grooming and often touching beaks together.  I have seen the birds in this location before, but this was the first opportunity I had to take photos.  The only native parrot to United States is the now extinct Carolina Parakeet.  The Nanday Parakeet and the Carolina Parakeet are about the same size at about 13 inches in length.  I can only imagine what it must have been like to see hundreds or thousands of parakeets perched in a single tree.