Blog - catandturtle

Spoonbills on a Cloudy Morning

Posted Sunday, February 1, 2026Sunday, February 1, 2026 Jess Yarnell2 CommentsPosted in Orlando Wetlands

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!

Hanging out with the Hummingbirds

Posted Sunday, January 18, 2026Sunday, January 18, 2026 Jess YarnellPosted in My Parents' Backyard

Yesterday my dad’s cat Precious had a problem. It was a beautiful day, nice and warm, and she was inside! So my dad and I decided to let her out on the porch, and while we supervised her, see if we could photograph the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in his yard. Precious thought this was a fantastic idea.

Our first bird was a male Ruby-throated. He showed off his red gorget but hid behind the flowers. My mom’s Red Rocket plant (Russelia sarmentosa, related to the firecracker plants you can find at Lowes and Home Depot) is a hummingbird magnet. I’ve been trying to get some established in my garden too.

Next up we had a juvenile male. You can tell from the speckles on his gorget that he’s a little boy (a female would be entirely white). Actually this bird confused me for a few minutes, because he had a ton of pollen on his chin that glistened green in the sun. You always hope you have a rare species of bird but nope, he just needed to wipe his chin!

Patience is the key with photographing hummers. My shots got better and better, and I was able to isolate the birds nectaring from individual flowers. I dialed up my ISO too, even though it was sunny, to make sure my shutter speed was fast enough to freeze the wings (ok, almost freeze the wings). This last shot was my favorite. The only thing that would make it better would be if you could see the one wee spot of red on the bird’s gorget. In a few months, he’ll be sporting a chinful of red!

Sleepy Morning at the Lake

Posted Sunday, January 11, 2026Sunday, January 11, 2026 Jess YarnellPosted in Lake Morton

I stopped by Lake Morton last weekend, not sure what I’d find but happy to be out with the camera again. A local photographer pointed out an otter and said the day was kind of slow. The wind was picking up as a cold front moved through, so the birds were hunkered down at the sides of the lake. It was a good morning for a walk and head shots!

The Mute Swans were sleeping in that morning. They floated lazily near the lake shore, pausing to squint at me and ask what I was doing awake so early. Sometimes birds ask very intelligent questions!

A trio of Limpkins was hanging out near the water’s edge. They are very tame at this location, so they didn’t object when I squatted down to eye level for some head shots. The pale backdrop of bright morning light was beautiful.

Nearby a Great Blue Heron was contemplating the dawn. He’s getting his blue lore that is part of his breeding plumage. So is the snazzy plume behind his head. Pretty soon he’ll be thinking about building a nest but today he was focused on staring off into space.

This grackle cracked me up. He hopped to a rock on the edge of the lake to investigate a small apple snail egg, probably left there by one of the Limpkins. The grackle was curious and poked it several times before lifting it triumphantly with his beak. He seemed to be showing me his prize. Simple little images like this were always the best to share with my mom.

I continued my walk around the lake. In the early morning, it’s a fun mix of light and shadow, reflection and muted color. This Ring-billed Gull was standing on a small wall and was only slightly dubious of the large human with giant cylinder pointed right at him. If he only knew that the large human was thinking, “what a pretty muted blue background!”

The lake is a great place for wintering ducks and this morning was no exception. I found Ring-necked, Ruddy, and the normal mixture of Mallards and Mottleds. I didn’t see the wintering Redhead though. Then I had to laugh when I saw the feeding party near the swan feeder. The swan’s neck was long enough to reach the food, and a little spilled out each time she ate. The ducks gathered nearby and quickly dove to grab the food. That’s when I realized we had a few Lesser Scaups in the party, too.

I did several laps around the lake, enjoying the breeze and the fresh air. As I started to leave, this Mute Swan stopped to pose for me, reminding me that nesting season is just right around the corner. “Come back soon!”