When it Rains, it Pours

(March 29th) Today I got the chance to visit Corkscrew Swamp for the first time. When I first got there it was raining. After a couple of hours of this, it began to pour for another couple hours. Finally it let up back into a light drizzle again. Water doesn't stop animals though, and if you can be careful not to make pictures of animals that look drowned, you can still get some great shots. Great looking birds like the Roseate Spoonbill sure help too.

I came mostly for birds, but I am a fan of all wildlife. After some of the heavy rain, I ran into this pair of Black Racers. Of course they were almost completely blocked by trees so I had to stand up on the handrail at an odd angle to get a shot.

Corkscrew Swamp is an Audobon Center and to be honest I wasn't expecting it to be comparable to what I had seen the last couple of days. But it was different habitat type, so I was expecting new species. Maybe I was extraordinarily lucky, but because of water levels, Corkscrew Swamp was really hopping. In two small pools there were several alligators and tons of wading birds cramped in trying to eat the last fish of the swamp. I've never seen so many birds cramped together like this before. Here you can see a perched Roseate Spoonbills.

There were some gorgeous Snowy Egrets at the swamp. Most of the individuals were in full breeding plumage and occasionally they would show it off. They were engaged in this bizarre fishing behavior where they would pick fish up off the surface of the water as they flew over it. Apparently they thought they were terns instead of herons... After looking over the flight shots, I didn't get what I wanted, but I have some thoughts for improvement. I can't complain about the still shots though.

One thing about photographs is they are silent. The swamp was packed with birds. Although the photos don't show it, it was incredibly loud as the birds made a ruckus - often to scare others off their fishing spot.

As I left the swamp, I ran into a Marsh Rabbit near the boardwalk. I was up lying on the railing leaning over to try and get a shot. These are not your garden-variety Cottontail - check out the much shorter ears. They also are a bit smaller (and possibly cuter?).

Can't Get Enough Owls

(March 28th) I returned to the library this afternoon for another visit to the Burrowing Owls. On the way to the site, I spotted a Mourning Dove up in a tree.

The Burrowing Owls are quite small - slightly smaller than the dove. Although they make up for it with plenty of character. While at the burrow I saw one aggresively scare off a pair of doves. It was quite surprising because it had no problem with me, but immediately when the doves landed more than twice as far from the burrow as I was it went ballistic.

The owls put on quite a show for me. When a hawk flew in the vicinity (and it was way up high), it flattened to ground and stared up watching the hawk in fear. It could tell the difference though between hawks and other similar birds. It didn't flinch at either a vulture or an osprey.

The big treat was when the female came out of the burrow. At first the two just sat and looked around for a short while.

Then for the grand prize - one of them began to "kiss" the other. If only my position was at a slightly different angle. Still I'm quite happy with both the shot and the experience.

Unfortunately everything must come to an end. I took a few last shots like this one of the male yawning. The sun fell behind a house in the distance and the light was no more. I felt nearly as tired as the owl.

Had to Go Back

(March 28th) Little Estero Lagoon was so good to me, I had to go back. This time I spent a bit more time at the beach area. One of the birds I was dying to photograph was the Snowy Plover. While I didn't find any nesting as I hoped, I finally did find a lone individual who let me capture a few frames before people walking by scared him off.

Everywhere I seem to go there are Willet. These birds are stately, but not the most colorful. This individual was starting to develop some of the breeding season plumage and striking poses. What could I do except press the shutter?

Speaking of common birds, perhaps none is more ubiquitous than the Great Blue Heron. So with a bird like this, the photo has to be different in some manner. Well gorgeous breeding plumage and a humorous pose like this qualifies in my book.

I drew quite a few stares as I lied in the sand. But getting low and creeping up allowed me to get close to a large group of terns. Terns are one of those birds that are always putting on antics for you. I did get some great shot of this, but I also got some nice flight shots as individuals joined the group.

Some birds I can't resist. Oystercatchers are one of them. I don't know what it is that I love, maybe their cool beaks. Regardless, when some American Oystercatchers came close to the terns, they had my attention.

Afternoon With an Owl

(March 27th) After a great morning, I headed over to the library in Cape Coral for the afternoon. But unlike everyone else, I wasn't there to read. The Florida subspecies uses the surrounding area as a popular nesting site. At first I didn't realize that most of the burrows were inactive, but I found one in use.

The owls are amazing. One stands watch over the burrow virtually 24/7. At first the owl just stood there not moving. Another photographer came and went, but I wasn't moving. The patience paid off - as it began to preen and gave some sharp poses.

As the day grew close to sunset, the owls became more active. The female emerged from the burrow for a short while and then returned. The owls can alter their body shape quite drastically. Here he has elongated himself to near maximum height.

Just a few seconds later he had hunched down and fluffed out his feathers. The light was low, but it led to blur effect that I really like. Over 4 hours with one bird - what an ending to an exciting day.

It Keeps Getting Better!

(March 27th) This morning I headed out to Little Estero Lagoon before the sun was up. At this hour not many people, just a few taking a walk. But the birds were really out and the light was great. In the early glow there were a bunch of White Ibises foraging in the shallow water. I get such a kick out of these bizarre looking creatures. The bright red face on the mature adults like this one, just adds to their strange look.

There were lots of shorebirds too. Some were in the lagoon area like this Short-billed Dowitcher and others were at the beach areas. They all seemed to be having a good time except when a Peregrine Falcon flew overhead and scared everything for nearly half an hour.

I am not sure there is any bird in the Gulf area with more attitude than the Reddish Egret. All their poses just look so proud. Sometimes they are a little skittish, but this one didn't mind too much as it hunted for fish in the lagoon.

Since I was a little child, I have always marvelled at the soft beauty of Snowy Egrets. It is easy to see why their feathers were desired by women a century ago. Fortunately their numbers have rebounded and on my trip I saw many adults in full breeding plumage. The wind was tousling the plumage of this one. If the photography keeps up like this, I'm going to be seriously spoiled.

Now This is More Like it!

(March 26th) I left Ding Darling and headed to the nearby Sanibel Island Lighthouse. The area was smoking with shorebirds, gulls, and pelicans. Lots of people too, but these birds are so friendly that it was still great shooting. This is what I've come to expect from Florida's gulf coast. Many of the birds, like this Ruddy Turnstone, were playing with the coquinas found at the water's edge (I just noticed this one doesn't work so well small, hard to tell it's actually holding the shell).

I had a great time watching the Black-bellied Plovers. They would run for a short distance and then stop and look around for a while. Then they'd repeat this behavior. They also seemed to have little hesitation at approaching me as long as I was still.

What is a trip to the beach without the ubiquitous Willet. This bird is always around, but still with their large size and long, gray bill they are an attractive bird.

A Slow Start

(March 26th) I made it down to Florida - namely the Gulf Coast area around Fort Meyers. The weather is a pleasant relief from the Michigan cold. I decided to start out heading over to famous Ding Darling NWR. Since the morning was used up in transit, I only had the afternoon available to me. Maybe the tides were wrong, but Ding Darling was incredibly slow. This Spotted Sandpiper was one of the few subjects I found. Someone should tell it that it's not supposed to be in a tree :)

Near the sandpiper, there was a lively Palm Warbler. Like most warblers, it just refused to stay still. Not exactly the best background either, but hey, I was desperate to take some pictures!

Busted!

(March 22nd) Sometimes days are a complete bust. I guess I was due for one of these days. It had been quite cold and dreary in Ann Arbor for a while, so I didn't get much of a chance to take much in the ways of photographs in the last month. I know, this is a terrible excuse. I finally got out and walked around one of my favorite spots, but to no avail. It stayed quite cold and the shutter didn't seem to snap the way I wanted - and I only snapped 5 frames... A few of the early birds are back already, but everything seemed to be avoiding me. Even the robins didn't want to let me get close. I can't let it bother me too much with a trip to Florida's gulf coast coming in a few days.

Valentine's Day Dance

(February 14th) The University of Michigan Ballroom Dance Team held their annual ballroom competition. This year it had the fortune of falling on Valentine's Day. In between helping out with gathering the judges' score sheets, I was able to snap a few frames of the action. Even before starting to dance, many of the dancers had assumed the attitude and mindset.

The dances at the competition are divided into the Standard and Latin dances. The Standard dances include Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Quickstep. Here one of the Standard couples shows off a nice picture line.

The judges are looking for many things in the dancing. Posture, movement, and performance are some of the most important factors. It's hard to find anything wrong with this couple here!

The Latin dances include the Cha-cha, Rumba, Samba, and Jive. Each dance has a few dozen basic elements that dancers of all levels learn. Here the couple performs a New Yorker - one of these basic figures.

Sometimes behind the camera you can capture a bit of the fun that you see out of the floor. This couple chasing each other is a good example.

I actually did take some horizontal shots and some tight frames, just didn't like them as much as these others... In the end, the competition was a lot of fun and a great success for the U of M Ballroom Dance Team. Thanks to all the judges and team members who helped make the competition enjoyable for all!

Dem Viet Nam

(January 31st) I haven't been shooting a lot of wildlife lately, but I've still had a camera in my hands. A couple of my friends invited me to extravaganze put on by the University of Michigan's Vietnamese Student Association. It was a wonderful time, and quite a challenge to shoot with stage lighting all over the map. I severely regretted not bringing a flash. The performance was amazing! One of my favorite numbers was an umbrella dance with stunning colors.

It was set-up much like a variety show with commentary between the acts. There was a mix of traditional Vietnamese entertainment with more modern, Western-style acts. Another traditional performance was this fan dance.

My friends put on a fantastic ballroom and Latin dancing medley. At different times the performance was filled with dominant strength, fiery passion, and irresistable coolness.

There were also several all-male dance numbers, like this contemporary rendition.

The show ended with an impressive fashion show as participants marched out in both traditional and modern dress. I couldn't believe how they could change so quickly...