Voy, Vas, Va...
Voy, Vas, Va…I go, you go, we go…to Fort De Soto, located in Pinellas County a little south of St Petersburg, and then on to Little Estero Lagoon in Fort Meyers Florida. The 2014 Southwest Florida Bird Workshop trip headed by my friend Jack Rogers was great fun and I met a number of new folks and re-acquainted myself with some I had met at another of Jack’s workshops. This trip was my birthday present from the Editor and I had a wonderful time.
Per the Pinellas County website, Fort De Soto is “The largest park within the Pinellas County Park System, Fort De Soto park consists of 1,136 acres made up of five interconnected islands (keys)”. Another amazing example of the importance of the park's natural ecosystems is the more than 328 species of birds that have been documented over 60 years by ornithologist with more added each year”. Although it was overcast for the most part we managed to capture photos of a good number of interesting and colorful birds including a Yellow Crowned Night Heron, some Willets, a Great Blue Heron, Ruddy Turnstones, a pair of Oystercatchers, Pelicans, Frigate Birds, Plovers and several other shorebirds.
The next leg of the journey took us to Little Estero Lagoon in Fort Meyers. This small lagoon is within walking distance of the hotel room we stayed at and is home to nesting Least Terns and several species of Plovers this time of year. We also saw some Reddish Egrets, Roseatte Spoonbills, Osprey, Frigate birds, Great Blue Herons, Little Blue Herons, Brown Pelicans, ducks, and scores of Snowy and Great Egrets. I could spend a week there and not get tired of the photo opportunities.
These are but a mere sample of the nearly 900 + photos I took. Ok, these are “the cream of the crop” ( I also took hundreds of bad ones ). I learned some more tips from Jack and the others there too. Grab your coffee cup and let’s go! Voy, Vas, Va and so soon we may….and Be Blessed. Harry
Sunrise Fort De Soto 31 May 2014
Yellow Crowned Night Heron…with an itch!
A Willet strolls the beach...
Tricolored Heron in Breeding coloration..truckin! (hot date?)_
Oystercatcher about to take flight..
Great Blue Heron profile in close flight
Least Tern hovers over the surf zone looking for fish!
Least Tern eggs lie in a shallow scoop on the beach, note the natural camouflage coloration..
Nesting Least Tern returns to the eggs after giving us the evil eye!
High Key sunset in Black and White, Little Estero Lagoon..
Sunrise finds the Pelicans greeting me again..this time for my BIRTHDAY
Cormorant dries its wings…actually it thinks it should be the replacement for the American Bald Eagle symbol.
The Great Blue Heron captures breakfast in the surf..
Roseate Spoonbill reflects in the lagoon..
Wilsons Plover keeps patient watch over a crab hole for breakfast..
Hatchling plover scurries across the sand...
Snowy Egret watches the surf for supper!
White Ibis in breeding red flames
Voy! Vas! Va!