April 1, 2012 - More Workshop Photos

During the photo workshop I attended in Florida, we visited an island where Great Egrets were nesting. The island was on Lake Toho, near Kissimmee. This photo shows the bright lime-green color of the facial skin during the breeding season. During the rest of the year this skin is yellow.

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One of the egrets was doing a courting display but was, unfortunately, partially hidden by the brush. At one time, those beautiful white breeding plumes were highly prized as hat decorations. By the late 1800s, Great Egrets were practically wiped out because of hunting pressure. Fortunately, laws were passed to protect the birds and they are now pretty common.

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Here is another Great Egret flying over Lake Toho, but it doesn’t have the green facial skin. Most Great Egrets don’t breed until their second year so this might be a first-year bird. Note how the neck is curled and the head tucked in when the egret is flying.

EgretGreatflightLakeTohoKissimmee20120129

I actually took this photo of a Sandhill Crane in front of the motel where I was staying in Kissimmee. Three of them were foraging on the lawn and they were totally unconcerned about the people and cars all around them.

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The light was just right for showing off the metallic hues in the plumage of this Glossy Ibis. It’s a medium-sized bird, about 19-26 inches long, with a 3-foot wingspan. This species is found along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts in the U.S. and throughout Florida. The long, decurved bill is used to probe the mud for food. Ibis eat a lot of crayfish and, in Florida, it’s reported that they also eat lots of water snakes. This photo was also taken at Lake Toho.

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The setting sun was creating a pink glow in the sky as we were leaving Lake Toho. I managed to push the shutter button just as this Osprey was about to land on a nest platform.

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We found only one Roseate Spoonbill on Lake Toho during the workshop. I’m always amused at the shape of the bill, which fits the name of the bird just perfectly.

SpoonbillRoseateLakeTohoKissimmee20120128

OK, I know this is pretty gross but it’s also kind of funny. I was photographing a Wood Stork at Lake Marion in Kissimmee. At exactly the moment I took the picture, the stork decided to relieve itself. I guess if you take bird photos long enough you’ll eventually get a shot like this!

StorkWoodpoopingLakeMarionKissimmee20120127