Eight Days and Counting

I'm not sure if the Scarlet Ibis I observed last week was a hybrid (Scarlet X White Ibis) although I believe the bird to be pure as it was quite brilliant in its red.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

My effort to observe it again at Lakes Regional Park this week was met with failure.

There was action however in the bathing area, as I now consider it, as the White Ibis in particular flew in from their roosts from the northern area of the park.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

The grackles were of course active in the reeds from the start and noisy for my entire stay.

The first ibis flew in after I had settled down on the sidewalk of the park with a concern for the legs of the tripod firmly planted for the low light conditions and the slower shutter speed that would be required.

The White Ibis with juvenile and Mottled Duck above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

It wasn't soon after that I moved the gear into the grass and then the sand to be more comfortable and attempt to have a better view of the wildlife with the rising sun somewhat more directly behind me.

The White Ibis flew in from their roosts and landed in great numbers including numerous juveniles.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I noticed in almost every case that the first thing the ibis did was to take a drink of water after arriving on the scene.

There was a lot of opportunity for me to practice capturing images of birds in flight.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

In addition to the ibis, I also observed a pair of Tricolored Heron, one seemingly much smaller than the other.

An Osprey was seen overhead being chased by a grackle.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I believe I made my first sighting of four Least Bitterns, two pairs in flight, but was unable to photograph them.

A Swallow-tailed Kite was also in the area and offered me the opportunity for a few shots as it flew from the west and then north.

The Common Moorhen above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

Behind me at one point, a pair of Red-bellied Woodpecker were quite vocal and hide and seek in a palm tree.

Four Mottled Duck took claim to some space in the shallow water and seemed to be more dominant of the territory than the ibis.

The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

There was also a Least Sandpiper very seemingly out of place in all the activity which I'm surprised by as this species is considered a winter visitor to my area.

At one point the bird settled down in a clump of grass in a seemingly nesting behavior.

The Least Sandpiper above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

A Common Moorhen was also making its rounds and occasionally made its distinctive call.

The Great Blue Heron arrived on the scene to ply its trade in the reeds and was not well received by the grackles that harassed it.

The Red-bellied Woodpecker above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

Additionally observed in flight at Lakes Park were Great Egret, Double-crested Cormorant, Anhinga, and Snowy Egret.

A Little Blue Heron with great color in its lores was the last to arrive at the time I was speaking with Bob Chamberlain.

The Tricolored Heron above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I found out that Bob is a member of the Fort Myers camera club.

Bob had asked me if I knew what PSA was and I have to admit I didn't have an immediate answer.

Bob Chamberlain above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

He was referring to the Photography Society of America of course while I had visualized the PRE and PSE icons fresh to my computer with the installation of Photoshop Elements 8.0.

I later found out after visiting the camera club's website that Bob is a PSA representative.

The Common Grackle juvenile with Great Blue Heron above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I also had the pleasure of meeting Bob's wife Bonnie who told me of the delicacies she prepares for the camera club's meetings.

I had the great fortune of hearing from Hemant Kishan, a member of PSA, this past week advising me of his sighting of the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher near STA-5.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

Hemant also told me that he was able to see the Burrowing Owl at Cape Coral and has images of this species and the flycatcher he has recently photographed which can be accessed here.

I've had the opportunity to use Energizer's latest rechargeable batteries these past weeks and find them inferior to the 2450 mHa available as the flash doesn't seem to cycle as quickly as the 2450 version.

The Mottled Duck above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

The newer version is advertised to be able to be recharged more than others of its type.

I've had the opportunity to see the video recording of the mating Burrowing Owls I made last week and as feared the quality is not what I had hoped.

The White Ibis juvenile above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I will nonetheless attempt to have it available to view at YouTube which is another project I am excited to learn about.

Among the most interesting and must see wildlife videos I've seen, titled "Battle at Kruger," is one available to view at Ken Conger's wildlife blog and can be accessed here, and be sure to see it full screen for best viewing.

The White Ibis above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

The title of this post is the executive branch's response time to the ecological disaster in the making in the Gulf of Mexico.

The potential impact on Florida's west coast and panhandle is quite chilling to fathom.

The Great Egret above was photographed at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana will certainly be adversely impacted as well.

READ MORE - Eight Days and Counting

Audio Visual

In my hope to observe the Scarlet Ibis, I finally found it at Lakes Regional Park this past week.

The scene above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

I had brought my kayak with the expectation that I would find it roosting in one of the park's many very small islands within it.

Mere minutes after getting the watercraft on the ground upon my arrival, I caught a glimpse of a red spot out of the corner of my eye.

The scene above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

The Scarlet Ibis was in a group of White Ibis feeding in the shallow water at the park's south beach.

As I stealthily approached to get my first photograph of the creature, from about 50 feet, all the birds nonetheless took flight and I missed the shot.

The scene above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

Within minutes all the birds returned after circling the park, except for the Scarlet Ibis.

I launched the kayak to have an enjoyable morning attempting to find the Scarlet Ibis roosting, though was disappointed to find that the prime area for that possibility is off limits to public paddle boats.

The Green Heron above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

There are tremendous opportunities to capture images of a diversity of birds in flight at Lakes Park and I will return to take advantage of that.

Yesterday evening offered another first for me when I made another trip to Cape Coral to observe the Burrowing Owl.

The juvenile Bald Eagle above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

While I initially captured a few still images of the birds I was observing, the primary intent was to create a movie of the owl's mating behavior which the Canon 5DM2 is capable of doing.

After finding a burrow and birds that might accommodate my mission, I settled down and prepared the camera's settings.

The White Ibis above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

With patience, I was rewarded with documenting the event at the burrow which I had only observed the male at the last few occasions I drove through the area.

Regrettably on this first attempt, the male's wings were clipped out of the frame and the composition of the birds could have been much improved.

The White Ibis above was photographed from a kayak at Lakes Regional Park in April 2010.

The quality of the audio recording could also be much improved with an external mic as the wind was buffeting the camera gear pretty hard.

When I acquired the latest version of Photoshop Elements this past week, I chose the basic version, so back it will go to be exchanged for the version that can edit movies.

READ MORE - Audio Visual

Seductive Scarlet

Not too long ago (three years), I caught the birding bug which has evolved into an interest in observation and capturing imagery of avian wildlife in Florida where I live.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

I had first heard of a bird known as the Scarlet Ibis over a year ago which I believe I first saw at the website of fellow pbaser Bob Duckwall who has photographed it.

This bird species is not indigenous to the southwest Florida area, but considered an escapee from a zoo or private collection of birds after one of the hurricanes that has ravaged the southeastern United States over the years.

The Willet above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

According to Wikipedia, the species may also have been intentionally introduced to the area beyond its hybridization with the White Ibis in 1962.

"Scarlet," as I believe it to be affectionately known in my immediate area has been elusive to me although there is the very remote chance that it may have been seen last year at Lovers Key State Park as a bird I thought very unusual and possibly photographed by Alena King.

The Yellow-crowned Night-Heron above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

With today my best opportunity to search for the Scarlet Ibis this past week, I made a journey to Estero Lagoon with hopes of catching sight of it at least.

The bird species was photographed at the lagoon on 10 February 2010 by BPN contributor Mike Landwehr of Waukee, Iowa.

The Northern Cardinal above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

On my way to Estero Lagoon which I believed to be an area the bird might be seen again, I drove behind the Church of the Ascension which offered a great opportunity for wildlife viewing.

This was the place that my acquaintance, Linda Grasp, at Harns Marsh Preserve offered through her contact John Dougherty of Morrisville, NY.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

I was not completely sure of this location as Linda had noted John's observations of the Scarlet Ibis well beyond the mainland of Fort Myers on Sanibel Island if not closer to Captiva Island.

My observations this week as I made my way to Estero Lagoon after viewing 11 White Ibis including two juveniles were muted by just a relaxing long overdue trip to the beach.

The White Ibis above was photographed near Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

I thought I had read weeks ago that the Estero Lagoon area had set up its bird nesting boundaries to protect its nesting birds including terns and plovers, but I saw no evidence of that as yet.

I don't know exactly where those prohibitions might be as I have not observed them in the past.

The Brown Pelican above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

As I normally do, I park at the accommodating shopping plaza just south of the Holiday Inn at the beach and walk to the lagoon area from there.

Most recently I walked north beyond the perimeter of the lagoon with the sound of music and DJ at the tiki hut.

The wildlife photographer above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

As I headed south I caught sight of the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron that I had not seen in a long while so I paused to experiment with my flash in photographing it.

This particular bird allowed be to get within the limits of my focusing range of it as it was very subdued.

The Snowy Egret above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

In this immediate area I was able to capture the Northern Cardinal and listen to its call from the mangroves it was well hidden in.

Slowly making my way further beyond the lagoon, I was captivated by a trey of Snowy Egret that were feeding in the surf of the Gulf of Mexico with one of the birds apparently injured in some way as it had a limp in its movement.

The wildlife photographer above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

Before I left this particular part of the beach, there were observations made of Willet, though not sure what type as Tom Obrock has recently noted.

Rounding the bend I encountered a family group that I would learn was also Iowan where I was asked to capture an image of the family with their camera (birding was not their thing, but is NASCAR and photography of it).

The family above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

Just before meeting these people, I observed an American Oystercatcher which was unmistakable in its flight south along the beach.

I wasn't able to catch up to it, but saw the other regulars that I had hoped to see that are missed when not having visited the beach in a long while.

The American Oystercatcher above was photographed at Lovers Key State Park in March 2009.

While primarily interested in photography of birds, there were a few photographers that were interestingly shooting directly into the light although it was subdued with heavy cloud cover.

I was compelled to photograph them as well with expectations to meet them all, but there wasn't the time and focused on the wildlife subjects at hand, one photographer simply inexplicably disappeared.

The Ruddy Turnstone above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

I was able to speak briefly with Alain visiting from France whom I recommended find the Burrowing Owls in Cape Coral which are especially photogenic this time of year.

Although the Scarlet Ibis was not observed this week, I will continue to search for this elusive and seductive creature.

The sunset above was photographed at Little Estero Lagoon in April 2010.

John Dougherty recommends the sighting of the Scarlet Ibis this time of year at Lakes Park.

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Three Weeks and Counting Down

Although Sibley's Guide to Bird Life and Behavior fails to note the incubation period for Burrowing Owl eggs specifically, the guide and my most recent observations seem to indicate that there may be fledglings at the burrows within a few weeks.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed at Cape Coral Library in April 2010.

Sibley notes smaller owls to have the shorter incubation period while the largest owls have incubation periods of up to five weeks.

I was able to make four trips to Cape Coral to observe the Burrowing Owl since my last post and also made a trip to Harns Marsh Preserve in Lehigh Acres.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed at Cape Coral Library in April 2010.

My speculation of the timing for the hatching of the owls is based on what appears to be strong evidence.

Every single burrow observed along a residential street parallel to Skyline Boulevard south of the Cape Coral Library had a sole owl at the entrance to the burrow on the evening of 8 April 2010.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed at Cape Coral Library in April 2010.

Just days before, in most cases, both owls were observed at the burrows so there's the possibility that the females have most recently been in the burrows laying and incubating eggs.

My research of the Burrowing Owl has led to the understanding that owls will typically lay one egg every day or two in favorable conditions of food availability (thus far I have only observed food consumption on two occasions) and lay up to five eggs.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in April 2010.

I've found the Burrowing Owl sex to be extremely difficult to distinguish as the bird's appearance is so similar.

There was a pair of owls I observed on Wednesday at the Cape Coral Library where one of the bird's breast was significantly whiter than the other.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in April 2010.

The birds mated and, with a close look at the photographs taken, I will be able to determine which of the two was making enhancements to the burrow by digging at its entrance which I observed for the first time.

I am quite confidant to note in my study of the Burrowing Owl that the male stays at the entrance of the burrow while the female will sometimes leave it briefly prior to sunset.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in April 2010.

Under such occasions where the female leaves the burrow entrance, she most often returns at the bequest of the male with his call where mating has often been observed immediately thereafter.

There is a burrow south of the Cape Coral Library that still does not have the PVC pipe installed to indicate its presence.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in April 2010.

While I considered immediately reporting the burrow and its owl activity when found, I am glad now in hindsight that I had not.

A story has been told to me by my work acquaintance Stephanie Sikora that Burrowing Owls that were active at a Publix Super Market on Cape Coral Boulevard abandoned the burrow when protective measures were put in place.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed at Cape Coral Library in April 2010.

Although I've spent quite a few hours observing the owls at this particular burrow south of the library, I have not observed them to mate which I cannot explain more than unusual.

There were several mating events again observed in lighting conditions too dark to photograph.

The Burrowing Owl above was photographed near Cape Coral Library in April 2010.

This past week also offered me the opportunity to photograph the Swallow-tailed Kite for the first time at Harns Marsh Preserve.

While I had observed the kite in the area of the Southwest Florida International Airport on several occasions late last fall and most recently this past week as well, I didn't have my camera with me.

The Burrowing Owl activity above was photographed at Cape Coral Library in April 2010.

There were numerous waterfowl at close range at Harns Marsh Preserve including several species.

A highlight in their sighting was the Common Moorhen which involved a chase as I've observed once before at Green Cay Wetlands and Nature Center near Delray Beach.

The Common Moorhen above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in April 2010.

Although I didn't see the Snail Kite at Harns Marsh on this week's visit, it was reported to have been observed that morning by a fellow visitor and world travel I met named Hemant Kishan.

I also met other interesting people including the mother (recovering from a broken ankle yet insisting on walking a great distance at Harns Marsh Preserve) of the Chairman of the Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation department, John P. Hayes, at the University of Florida.

The wildlife enthusiasts above were photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in April 2010.

I encountered Cheryl, Gloria and Wes as well visiting from Venice, Florida, where I was told of some extraordinary bird activity and recovery around the Venice Rookery.

Linda from Michigan was also a pleasure to speak with as she told me of a seasonal wildlife photographer that has studied the Scarlet Ibis with great success and most recently reported to have been observed at Little Estero Island Lagoon.

The wildlife enthusiasts above were photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in April 2010.

Certainly off the subject of wildlife though in fitting with the title of this blog entry, I want to note that I witnessed the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery on the morning of 5 April 2010 from Fort Myers.

It was quite extraordinary as the light from the shuttle's engines was comparable to the brightest anti-collision lights of large commercial aircraft flying overhead at night toward the above mentioned airport.

The Swallow-tailed Kite above was photographed at Harns Marsh Preserve in April 2010.

Although I didn't photograph this event, it will always be a fond memory, and may be seen as witnessed in close proximity to Cape Canaveral by pbaser and blogger Tim Rucci.

READ MORE - Three Weeks and Counting Down