Great Blue Heron at Sunrise
Another one of the reasons I enjoy this photo is that the eye of the Great Blue Heron has a colored catchlight that is from the sun glowing yellow on the eastern horizon.
Low light Great Blue Heron with Earth Shadow
The Great Blue Heron images from the series I created that blustery November morning on Fort De Soto's north beach are still favorites of mine and likely always will be.
Black Skimmer adult in flight
I could always tell when a flock of Black Skimmers were flying in to Fort De Soto's north beach when I was photographing there because I could usually hear their soft, nasal barking yips or yeps before I saw them.
Sanderlings – Tiny Dynamos
Sanderlings can be a challenge to photograph because they move erratically at a very fast pace but creating images of them at their level is well worth the trouble of getting dirty and being exhausted by trying to follow the movements of these tiny dynamos.
Reddish Egret – aka Big Red
Worth the sand in my clothes, scrapes on my knees and looking like something the cat had wanted to drag in but decided it was way too dirty? You betcha!
American Oystercatchers – Juvenile and Adult
I watched this American Oystercatcher juvenile and its sibling from the time they were just tiny chicks beginning the day after they had hatched.
Juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron
This young Yellow-crowned Night Heron moved very slowly and it seemed to do that deliberately.
Friday Photos: Greater Yellowlegs
When looking at a Greater Yellowlegs there is NO mistaking how they got the name "Yellowlegs".
American Oystercatchers
American Oystercatchers are fascinating birds to photograph, They can strike unusual poses and their plumage is spectacular in flight. I enjoyed watching them pry open bivalves with their long bill
Shorebirds: Spotted Sandpipers
Spotted Sandpipers are fun to watch as they walk along the shoreline as they teeter, bob and bounce their rear ends up and down.
Nanday Parakeets
Any bird that eats those nasty sand spurs is a hero in my book and Nanday Parakeets are one of them.
Fish Crows
Fish Crows are fairly commonplace along the coast of Pinellas County and they are often ignored by photographers because they are a "plain" common bird.
Reddish Egret, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls
There were quite a few Laughing Gulls on and near the shoreline, a few Ring-billed Gulls and two Reddish Egrets hunting on the beach that day.
Laughing Gulls
Laughing Gulls are quite common on the east and Gulf coastlines of the US, during breeding season they are usually found near saltwater but in nonbreeding season they are known to wander widely.
Great Egret – Light on White
Great Egret (Ardea alba) in flight, a balance of whites and light
Ghost Crab
This Ghost Crab image was taken on the Gulf coast of Florida while I still lived there.
Shorebirds of Fort De Soto – Marbled Godwits
Marbled Godwits are graceful birds while on the ground, feeding and in flight.
Shorebirds of Fort DeSoto – Ruddy Turnstones
One of the easier medium-sized shorebirds to identify on Fort De Soto's beaches and tidal mudflats are the Ruddy Turnstones. The only other turnstone that frequents North America is the Black Turnstone and it occurs on the Pacific coast.
Rotation Adjustments – Sanderling At Dawn
Proper rotation can make an image work. Improper rotation can cause the the person viewing to wonder what isn't right about an image.
Shorebirds of Fort DeSoto – The Plovers
Throughout the year you can see and photograph many different species of Plovers on Fort De Soto’s beaches, tidal lagoons and spartina marshes.
Hungry Yellow-crowned Night Heron
It didn't take long for the Yellow-crowned Night Heron to grab the crab and send the sand flying.