This past week, I visited a nearby rookery. This is a place where wild birds fly in and congregate to breed. It's apparently towards the end of the season, which typically runs it's peak April-May. There were still many birds in active mating mode, as well as young baby birds in the nests.
Being new to Florida, there are many birds and other animals new to me for in-person viewing. This is a Snowy Egret in a partial mating display. I really enjoyed watching them puff up even more. The Great Egrets (coming in a future post) would raise their neck up and down in a pumping motion and squawk in a noisy fashion to attract a mate while also fluffing up.
This is my entry for this weeks "new bird" free theme smap contest #166.
This one even caught another photographer in the foreground.
Here it is a little more fluffed up.
Here's one on the ground.
All photos original work by the author of this post.
Sony A7 RIV 200-600 lens.
Shutter Priority 1/2000
Monopod for stability.
Fantastic looking bird and you got some great shots of him, shame about that first one with that guy standing in front of you, it's not to distracting with that awesome focus blur. hey I hope you don't mind if I can ask you for a witness vote, I would appreciate it.
Thanks, I actually started to move to the side and zoom past him for just the bird, but actually liked the way it helped frame the picture and give more context, so zoomed out and included in the frame intentionally.
With you moving to Florida recently you are probably seeing a lot of different birds. Cool pics, very vivid.
I hope you're getting settled in and your new place is starting to really feel like home.
Yes the birds and other wildlife down here is plentiful and providing many photo ops! Just starting to feel a bit settled with getting most things put away. We're both a bit obsessive about having our things in place, so the garage pile has dwindled significantly!
Since I've been a kid I've always hated looking for stuff. Even hunting for Easter eggs was not one of my favorite things to do. Knowing where things are sure makes life a lot easier and a lot less FRUSTRATING.
Good to hear that you are getting settled in, pretty soon you'll feel like a true Floridan.
Right? GPS certainly makes moving into new area like this sooo much easier. My new vehicle even has google maps built right into the nav system. We're just getting to where we know the grocery store, walgreens, hardware store home depot and a few restaurants are without having to use the nav maps back and forth. We've now explored all three entrances and exits to the subdivision, and started finding the side street routes to these places without having to jump on the dangerous and busy major highway I-95 interstate. Now I still need to find my way to the more secret hideaway hiking places.
We travel I-95 for much of our ride when we head to Florida for the winter, no fun at all. especially with all of the big rigs on the road.
Becoming familiar with an area is one of the reasons I enjoy staying at a place more than once.
That's one thing about Florida, the parks and hiking trails are throughout the state. The ones we visited this past winter had great trails and were almost void of people, just like I like it.
It sure sounds like the move is working out pretty swell.
Great feathers on that one!
And a nice lens you have there :)
Thank you and yes I LOVE this lens! It definitely likes a lot of light, but the magic of auto ISO in todays modern cameras helps make up for that a lot!
I am not surprised you do!
I am eyeing sigma 150-600 as I see it gives good results too and I am very happy with my Sigma 105. Maybe one day...
Yes, I've also had Sigma in the past and enjoyed them a lot. They often give a wider zoom range than some of the OEM lenses.
What a performance the egret shows. 🙂
The entry photo is brilliant. It is awesome you caught the other photographer in frame.
Thank you so much for joining us again!
Thanks for the welcome and comment, I've been watching, but not posting much the last few months due to other life events. Good to be getting back out and posting more again. This is one of my favorite groups!
Visiting a rookery sounds amazing! The Snowy Egret in partial mating display is stunning. Can't wait to see your post about the Great Egrets. Thanks for sharing!
Nice pictures! In German we call them (translated back) Silk Egret. Which is kinda more fitting, because they dont do snow.
So how do you like it in your new home? It must be hell'a different, I imagine. Weatherwise anyway. But also the Floridians are somewhat... special, I heard. :)
Thank you, I also found the name deceiving since I don't think they go near the cold snow areas. Perhaps the white plumage more to help reflect the heat and sun, or maybe look like a cloud from below the water to camo them from their fishy prey.
Liking the new home very much. Getting mostly settled in now. It is so very nice to be back in the sunshine, regardless of the temp. We didn't realize it until down here a while, but that constant gloom and rain/clouds/snow in Vermont was definitely depressing for us. I suppose maybe if you're into winter sports it may be different, but we are much more outdoors and watersport people.
There are certainly a LOT of other transplants down here, at least where we are, and will happy to join the ranks of the special folks. Certainly a lot more friendly folks here than they were up north, even though there seems to be a lot of previously northern New York, Jersey, etc. transplants where we are.
Yeah, here in Germany the Egrets are migratory, for the winter time they move to Africa. As every reasonable being should. :)
May be the climate is the reason that Floridians are less moody. The long darkness of the winters in the north is kind of depressing.
But some Floridians seem the have got a bit too much sunshine, it seems.... :
I bet there are some crazy birds out in the swamps. Nice shots of the birds here! They are pretty cool looking when they are fluffed up!
Definitely a diverse group of different birds down here. Should keep me busy for a long time catching them all! I got some other shots of great egrets, spoonbills and others on this outing that I'll be uploading later.
wow, it looks like they are posing you! :)
Sending love and Ecency Vote!
Beautiful 😍 I like her hairstyle 📸
Lol, Thank you!
Gorgeous captures of the Snowy egret in breeding plumage well done!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed them.
Very pretty with their white plumage.
Hey! I didn't know about your new hobby, what a great lens, some good Egrettas there, are these from the area where you live now?
Just an old hobby with renewed interest and a little time to enjoy. Yes, many of these and other interesting birds and wildlife in this area.
It's great to hear that you are beginning to feel settled in Florida! So many new things for you to explore! I'll be looking forward to following along on your adventures!
We really like it here so far. So nice to be done with the snow, although I am missing our meadow for sure. Looking forward to getting out and about more.
I'll be anxious to hear how you like it in July! 😁
I've heard pretty miserable heat for July and August on the way, still that's only 2 months of the year vs. 8 months of miserable cold weather in Vermont surrounding by other months of gloom with only the occasional sunny day. I'm sure we'll be hiding inside the house and by the pool most of the time for those 2 months here with only the occasional needed trips out, or maybe just hang at the beach :)
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Thank you!
Oh nice, the second image where the bird is more fluffed up is wonderful to behold, I like their pure white feathers :)
Thanks, It was quite fun to watch them fluff up and strut their stuff!
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