My rain lilies have started to bloom like crazy, thanks to all the good rain we’ve been getting in the afternoons. We have baby cardinals and mockingbirds in the yard daily now, as well as a pair of Brown Thrashers. Best of all is the hummingbird that visits sometimes!
Rain Lilies.
I was on a quest this spring to photograph a Black-Bellied Plover in full breeding plumage. As I visited Fort De Soto periodically throughout their molting time, I was able to catch them at various stages of color. I got close to catching a fully molted bird, but not quite…maybe next year! 
Full Winter Plumage – No Black. Fort De Soto.
Black Beginnings. Fort De Soto.
More Black – and a Crab!. Fort De Soto.
Tummy Getting Darker. Fort De Soto.
Almost Fully Black – But Not Quite!. Fort De Soto.
I dragged Rich to Winter Park last Friday for dinner and an Osprey nest. The baby Osprey is getting bigger. Last time he was barely visible over the side of the nest. He was pretty active when I first arrived, while his mom fed him. Then he hunkered down underneath her for a nap, and he didn’t come out again, despite all my begging and pleading.
Osprey Mother and Baby. Winter Park Osprey Nest. Click on picture to purchase it.
American Coot. Viera Wetlands.
After visiting with the Least Terns a week ago, Michael and I stopped by the St. Augustine Alligator Farm to check out the rookery. I can’t believe this is my first visit to a rookery this spring! Last spring I practically lived in them.
Tricolored Heron Babies. Alligator Farm.
It’s prime nesting season at the rookery now. The Great Egret chicks are pretty big. Tiny Tricolored Herons and Snowy Egrets are beginning to hatch. There are more Roseate Spoonbill nests than ever before. Everywhere you look, there are birds! 
Snowy Egret Chick. Alligator Farm.
It’s fun to see how your photography changes over the years. The first time I went to the rookery, I took hundreds of images, trying to capture every species I could find. Several years later, I now spend a lot more time with each nest. I look for opportunities to isolate my subjects and catch them in unique or interesting poses. I also take way fewer pictures, hehe.
Galapagos Tortoise. Alligator Farm.
I was of course required to take some pictures of the huge Galapagos tortoises for Rich. He keeps giving me a hard time that there aren’t more turtles on this blog!
Ever since my terrific morning photographing the Least Terns at Fort Matanzas last spring, I’ve been counting the days until their return. I couldn’t wait to have more opportunities to photograph these little birds. They return to Florida in the last few weeks of April and begin their courtship behaviors immediately. Their nests are tiny indentures in the sand, and their babies will hatch in late May to early June.
Least Tern Courtship. Matanzas Tern Colony. Click on picture to purchase it.
The Least Terns are the smallest in their family of birds. There are several hundred birds in this colony near Fort Matanzas in St. Augustine. The Audubon society ropes off their nesting area so that people cannot accidentally walk on their nests. Not that you could miss the adult birds…they fly, they fuss, and if you get too close, they dive-bomb you! They were not particularly defensive last weekend since their babies haven’t hatched yet. Some birds were already on eggs, and others were still courting.
Least Tern Courtship. Matanzas Tern Colony. Click on picture to purchase it.
The exchange of fish is an important part of the courtship ritual. The male will fly in with a fish, try to find his mate in the group of birds below, then land and hand her the fish. Sometimes she accepts it willingly. Sometimes its not that easy. The pair of birds below tried several times…the guy walked in, handed her the fish, and then took it away. He walked away, fish dangling in his mouth, and re-considered his options. Then he walked back, started to hand her the fish, and then again, walked away. There wasnt a third time – she flew away! It cracked me up.
Least Tern Courtship. Matanzas Tern Colony. Click on picture to purchase it.
The terns are not the only photogenic subjects at this beach. The Wilson’s Plovers also nest there. When Michael and I first arrived, the first bird to greet us was a tiny Wilson’s Plover. After I settled down in the sand, I noticed one running across the beach. I loved how he posed against the distant green background.
. Matanzas Tern Colony. Click on picture to purchase it.
This little plover ran right up to me and posed in front of The Beast. I held my breath, mentally begging him not to move until I got a few frames. He didn’t! Now if only he had shown me his nest… 
. Matanzas Tern Colony. Click on picture to purchase it.
The other fun part of the morning was photographing the sunrise. The sun was already coming up as I arrived, and I didn’t have much time to find a good vantage point with the rocks in the foreground. I had to edit out some severe lens flare. Next time I want to arrive earlier and make sure I have my ND filters on hand. I’d like to try some slow-motion shots of the waves, and try to catch the waves breaking over the rocks. There’s always a reason to go back…
Matanzas Sunrise. Matanzas Tern Colony. Click on picture to purchase it.
I spent yesterday afternoon with my parents in their backyard. We had a fun time planting and transplanting, trying to make sure there’s enough nectar to satisfy Mum-mum’s visiting hummers. When I saw the Red-Bellied Woodpeckers eating oranges in Dick’s backyard, though, I couldn’t resist going to get my camera…
Red-Bellied Woodpecker with Orange.
These silly birds will land carefully on the branch above the orange, sorta hop-skip-flap their way down to actually stand on the orange, then peck it open with their beaks in order to get at the juice within. Sorry, Dick, I hope you don’t mind sharing…
Mum-mum and Dyeyo call their resident friendly woodpecker “Shorty.” He comes to their feeders regularly, especially now that he’s raising a brood of babies. Sometimes he brings Mrs. Shorty in, too. Yesterday both Mr. and Mrs. Shorty spent a good part of the afternoon taking care of their new family. They’d fly down to the feeder, grab a seed, then disappear up into the oak tree. Tiny baby calls would ensue. Then the process repeated, over and over. We tried to find the nest, but I couldn’t find the cavity hole. We did find a recent fledgling, though.
Fledgling Red-Bellied Woodpecker.
We spotted a fledgling Mockingbird, too, and this fledgling Loggerhead Shrike. It’s a very loud time of year. The babies’ calls are loud, repetitive, and sometimes downright annoying. 
Fledgling Loggerhead Shrike.
“Hey! Jay!” I can’t blog about my parents’ backyard without mentioning their most vocal residents. The Blue Jays are big fans of the peanuts that Mum-mum puts out for them each afternoon. They are such pretty birds.
Blue Jay.
I had a great time yesterday. Happy Mother’s Day, Mum-mum D!
(Rich picked the title. I hope you agree with him.)
This is a Fractalized image of two Tricolored Heron babies taken last weekend at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. The nest was at waist-level and so close to the boardwalk that I had to add an extension tube to the Beast to be able to focus. I love how these little babies look like they are having such bad hair days, and I knew the Fractalius filter would make their hairdos even wackier.
Tricolored Heron Babies. Photoshop Fun.
I wanted to go to Fort De Soto this morning, to try for a Black-Bellied Plover in full breeding plumage. But it was a long week, and I opted to relax instead. So here’s an image from several weeks ago…
Long-Billed Curlew. Fort De Soto. Click on picture to purchase it.
Our kitten Whiskey turns one year old today! It’s hard to believe how much he has grown…
The day we brought home our new little bundle of purrs. His giant whiskers give him his name.
Whiskey quickly earned his nickname Loopey for all his crazy kitty antics. We had to pull out all Squirt's old toys!.
Squirt finally got the little playmate that we always said he should have….
Typical Whiskey, always ready to pounce!.
What's a growing boy supposed to do? Clean his plate, of course, and Squirt's, too!.
We need some more kitten toys.
Whiskey's favorite place is the porch, where he gets to stalk lizards and watch for birds. He and Squirt now share Squirt's favorite perch on the grill.
We love you, Whiskey!
