Keeping My Eye On You

Double-crested Cormorant

Viera Wetlands Melbourne, Florida

Nature's Photo Adventures - March 2011

This was from one of my last personal-shooting days in Florida. Thanks to Mike & Bill. The shooting was great...the company was even better!

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Keeping A Watchful Eye

Keeping A Watchful Eye, originally uploaded by Megan Lorenz.

Wild Bald Eagle
Longboat Key, Florida
Nature's Photo Adventures - March 2011

I spent so many hours in Longboat Key watching the adults fly in with food for their two babies who recently fledged from the nest. Just fifty feet down the road was a Great Horned Owl's nest and lots of noisy Red-Bellied Woodpeckers.

Wary Willet

Wary Willet, originally uploaded by Megan Lorenz.

Willet
Fort De Soto, Tierra Verde, Florida
Nature's Photo Adventures, March 2011

The lagoon at North Beach was one of the nicest beaches I've been to in a long time. I waded out to get close enough to photograph the willets & various shorebirds and the water was still and surprisingly warm, Wish I'd been able to spend days there...

Night Heron

Night Heron, originally uploaded by Megan Lorenz.

Black-Crowned Night Heron
Venice Rookery, Florida
Nature's Photo Adventures - March 2011

The Venice Rookery has changed a lot since I visited last year. Most of the Brazilian Pepper Trees at the back of the Rookery were removed and that has dramatically changed the chances of getting decent in-flight images. The Rookery is still a great place for photo opportunities though and I look forward to seeing the native species of plant and tree's thrive now that the invasive shrubs have been removed....hopefully leading to lots of new growth in the next couple of years which will start to cover the area's affected by this recent work.

The Brazilian Pepper Tree is one of the most aggressive and wide-spread of the invasive non-indigenous exotic pest plants in the State of Florida. There are over 700,000 acres in Florida infested with this tree. It produces a dense canopy that shades out all other plants and provides a very poor habitat for native species. This species invades aquatic as well as terrestrial habitats, greatly reducing the quality of native biotic communities in the state.

Feeling Crabby ;)

Feeling Crabby ;), originally uploaded by Megan Lorenz.

Long-Billed Curlew
Fort De Soto, Tierra Verde, Florida
Nature's Photo Adventures - March 2011

Another lifer! The Long-Billed Curlew is North America's largest shorebird.

Searching

Searching, originally uploaded by Megan Lorenz.

Sanderling
Fort De Soto, Tierra Verde, Florida
Nature's Photo Adventures - March 2011

Most of the tiny shorebird images were taken while lying on the beach using the skimmer ground pod.

It's another piece of equipment that I've added to my "must have list". Looking to order one? Go to NatureScapes.net