Normally the best time to head to the Orlando Wetlands to see the nesting Roseate Spoonbills is during the afternoon, with the light shining directly on the colony. But on a cloudy morning, you can also photograph the spoonies, and the changing light offers fun creative opportunities. The birds definitely had nesting season on the brain when I visited in early January. I bet it won’t be long before we hear reports of the season’s first “teaspoons!”

The above picture was one of my favorite shots of the morning. The bird was flying in towards a branch. Normally I would have been shooting straight into the sun in the morning, but with the clouds, my angle didn’t matter. I captured all sorts of wing positions — back, front, playing “peek a boo” through the wings — but this one best captures the awe of being surrounded by beautiful pink flying angels.

The birds were playing Musical Tree Stumps and it was so much fun to photograph! A bird would perch on the tree, then another bird would fly in, forcing the first bird to leave. I think it was a territorial show of superiority. The above photo is a composite of two images captured just a few milliseconds apart. (For full disclosure, the photographer did the composite, not AI!) The resulting image captures the essential of the game.

It’s also a little hard not to laugh when the victorious bird has to do a balance check before defending his stump from the next incoming bird.

The cloudy mornings offer lighting opportunities that just don’t happen in “good light.” The sun kept coming out and then disappearing, creating gorgeous backlight through the birds’ feathers. Here’s a somewhat unique view of the full spoon headed straight toward me…

I also really liked this one, with the fiery backlight of the rising sun against the muted tones of the surrounding trees. I think this is the closest this bird will ever be to a phoenix!

Then as the sun breaks through the clouds, you can turn around and get more traditional images of the Roseate Spoonbill in flight. This one is almost in full breeding plumage and I just love the intensity of color on his face.

I saw plenty of nesting materials being hauled through the air so we know the nurseries are being well prepared for this year’s crop of baby spoonies! I hope the birds’ patience with their nagging offspring is as zealous as their selection of nursery furniture…I can’t wait to go back and find out!