White Pelicans from Cedar Key, FL, Nov 2018
There are a number of low islands near Cedar Key where its common to see huge numbers of birds. I estimate there were over 100 on this one. The bird in the air nicely shows the black parts of the wing which aren't really visible when at rest.
Details: Taken from a boat, Nikon D850, 500mm lens, 1/2000s, f11, ISO 200, shutter priority and spot-metered with -2/3 stop exposure compensation to help prevent the highlights from blowing out in the bright sun.
This Osprey looks pretty excited to have caught breakfast. This was when I was
out with Phil Locke in the Anclote Gulf Park area in Florida.
Details: Nikon D850, 500mm lens at f5, 1/5000s, ISO 500, Wimberley gimbal
mounted on a monopod. Really nice lighting at around 8:30 a.m. Can't tell from
this one but pretty sure that's a mullet in his talons.
Foraging Woodstork from Cedar Key. They probe with their beaks and also stir things up with their feet when hunting.
A Ruddy Turnstone fluffing his feathers along the Dunedin Causeway.
This Tricolored Heron didn't seem to be catching anything as I watched him dip into the water over and over. However, the camera reveals he was grabbing a nice shrimp breakfast! Each shrimp would arrive with some vegetation but he expertly got rid of that and kept the shrimp. (Hold the salad!) Dunedin Causeway.
Royal Tern looking for breakfast on the Dunedin Causeway with Phil Locke early
Tuesday morning 11/6/2018. It's a kind of Crested Tern. Sibley says: ...often
seen flying steadily 20 to 50 feet above the water patrolling for fish."
Yup.
Dunedin Causeway.
Here's a Limpkin (my first) from John Chestnut park on Lake Tarpon with Phil Locke.
This is a Great Egret with what I make to be a Pinfish at Cedar Key. This guy cleverly took the fish onto land to help make sure it didn't get away.
Brown Pelican about to grab some breakfast along the Dunedin Causeway. The disturbance in the water on the left is due to the fish he's seeking. The warm early morning light is nice and it makes me feel less guilty for dragging Phil Locke out of bed before sunrise this day. This is 1/5000s, ISO 500, f4.5, with the D850, 500mm lens and a monopod. — with Phil Locke at Dunedin Causeway.
This Willet is about to enjoy some crab for dinner. You can see water drops flying around as he works it. This is under the next-door neighbor's dock on Cedar Key. The back-lighting is tough on this one!
Amazing sky colors! Sunset in Cedar Key, with a huge group of birds in flight. This was from our last day at Cedar Key in 2018. This page has more sunset pictures including the elusive Green Flash.
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