Woodpeckers

Found an old dead palm tree that made a nice home for these Red Bellied Woodpeckers.

Osprey - Birds of Prey

Shots like these were so thrilling to get.  They don't seem to put those fish down once they get one.  They fly around with it and take it in and out of the nest.  If they leave it, another bird will take it. 

The talons on these Osprey are amazing, and it is a lot of fun to watch them - and try to photography them.

Ospreys - Blue Cypress Lake

I couldn't resist, I had to go back to Blue Cypress Lake and shoot those Ospreys again.  And this time, I was trying out my new camera. I bought the Canon 7D and am loving it.

It was just as fantastic the second time. 

  

A few chicks are still in their nest.  Those not strong enough to migrate will stay for the summer.

Some Ospreys are here all year, but others migrate from South America.

  

My New Favorite Chick - Black Stilt

I have a new favorite chick!  The Black Stilt has always been at the top of the favorites, but I had never seen their chicks.  Well, that changed tonight!  These are Black Stilt babies and they are the cutest chicks I have ever seen.

They did something else I had never seen before.  The Black Stilts have these long pink legs that bend at the "knee" a little differently than a lot of birds.  This little guy is about to run for cover under mom.

And this little guy is going to join them.  See the extra set of legs under the adult Stilt?  Look closely, there is one chick already under there.

And now the whole family is under there!  See all the little legs?

And now it's time to come out and play again.

Other Chicks at Gatorland

Comorants usually nest so high in the tree, they are hard to photograph.  But I was able to get a shot at this nest by climbing the observation tower at Gatorland.  Up until now I hadn't really gotten a good look at the Comorant baby.

These Snowy Egret chicks have always been my favorite.  I like them as adults and I think the chicks are adorable.  They are delicate looking and so cute when they huddle together for warmth.



These baby Tri-Color Herons really know how to squawk.

Cattle Egrets - not very cute.  They are my least favorite, I think they are a little mean. 

The rookery is filled with the sounds of the White Egret chicks. 

Baby Woodstorks

I finally saw a baby Woodstork!  Adults are usually in abundance but I had never seen a baby until this year (May 2010).  Their nests are usually up pretty high and this year they were on the other side of the rookery - the far side, which I can just barely reach with my 400mm lens.

I knew they were ugly because I'd seen a picture (but adorable at the same time).  I joked with my dad that they are ugly as babies (a face only a mother could love) and ugly as adults - not an easy life for this bird.

Gators at Gatorland

Well, it is called "Gatorland".  Enough said.

When I was there this time, the alligators did this strange thing that I had not heard before but someone said they do it every morning.  Not sure if it's a mating thing or not, but they made loud noises and lifted themselves out of the water half way. 

This photo looks like they are waiting for a tourist to fall in.

Rookery at Gatorland

This is the rookery at Gatorland in Orlando.  It's a paradise for nature photographers. 

This rookery is so active that you can find all stages - nesting, flight shots, eggs, babies, and juveniles, all within close proximity.  (Oh, yes, and alligators)!  You could reach out and touch the nests.  It is definitely worth the drive. 

It was this rookery that I saw my first egg hatch right in front of me, saw my first babies of several kinds - Tri-Colors, Snowy Egrets, Cattle Egrets, Comorants, and this past weekend I saw my first Woodstork babies.  I've even seen a baby Barred Owl here before. 

They have photographer passes so you can enter the park at sunrise and stay until sunset.  It's a great way to spend the day.

I've met some nice people at this rookery, photographers are always willing to share information and talk to each other about our equipment or our surroundings.

Purple Martins

I got these shots at Wakodahatchee one night after work.  Cute Purple Martin singing from the roof of his house.

And one time I was fortunate enough to see little babies waiting for food with open beaks.

Young Ospreys on Blue Cypress Lake

I took so many Osprey shots on Blue Cypress Lake, I thought I'd post a few babies here.  A lot of the chicks were fairly "old" and I was told they would only be nesting along the lake shore for another week, maybe two.  

The chicks still have white markings on their feathers.