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photography inspired by our favorite creatures

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Home > Beyond the Backyard > Lake Apopka > Page 2

Lake Apopka

Lake Apopka
Description

Lake Apopka hosts a myriad of bird and other wildlife. The wildlife drive is awesome!  You ride around the trails in the air-conditioned comfort of your car and photograph whatever happens to be outside your window.

Photography Advice

Take your longest lens for the birds and wildlife. Don’t forget a wide angle for scenic shots of the lake shore!

Consider checking eBird for rare bird sightings before you go.

Finish your day with sunset at Magnolia Park (the adjacent boat ramp is always open).

When to GoYear Round
Species Photographed (84)American Bittern, American Coot, American Goldfinch, American Redstart, American Robin, American Wigeon, Anhinga, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Bald Eagle, Bank Swallow, Barn Swallow, Belted Kingfisher, Black-Crowned Night-Heron, Black-Necked Stilt, Black-and-white Warbler, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-Winged Teal, Boat-Tailed Grackle, Bobolink, Bronzed Cowbird, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Carolina Wren, Caspian Tern, Cedar Waxwing, Common Gallinule, Common Goldeneye, Common Yellowthroat, Double-Crested Cormorant, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Phoebe, Fulvous Whistling-Duck, Glossy Ibis, Gray Catbird, Gray Kingbird, Gray-headed Swamphen, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Hooded Merganser, Indigo Bunting, Killdeer, Least Bittern, Least Flycatcher, Lesser Scaup, Merlin, Mottled Duck, Northern Cardinal, Northern Harrier, Northern Parula, Northern Shoveler, Northern Waterthrush, Orchard Oriole, Osprey, Painted Bunting, Palm Warbler, Peregrine Falcon, Pied-Billed Grebe, Prairie Warbler, Purple Gallinule, Red-Eyed Vireo, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Red-Winged Blackbird, Redhead, Ring-Necked Duck, Rock Pigeon, Roseate Spoonbill, Ruddy Duck, Sandhill Crane, Savannah Sparrow, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Snail Kite, Snowy Egret, Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Tricolored Heron, Turkey Vulture, Vermilion Flycatcher, Western Kingbird, Yellow Warbler, Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Websitehttps://www.sjrwmd.com/lands/recreation/lake-apopka/wildlife-drive/
eBirdhttps://ebird.org/hotspot/L298649
Google MapClick here to view Google Map
Trail MapTrail Map

Gray-headed Swamphen

Wading Birds at Lust Road

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February 16, 2021 - A walk down Lust Road yielded lots of wading birds: Coots, Common Gallinules, a hungry cormorant, and a beautiful Gray-headed Swamphen

Song Sparrow

Quick Glimpses of Birds and More at Lust Road

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February 13, 2021 - Birding at Lust Road: Quick glimpses of Song Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, and an otter swimming down the canal!

Least Flycatcher

Lifer Least Flycatcher at Lust Road!

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January 31, 2021 - I photographed my lifer Least Flycatcher at Lust Road, and I saw the Ash-throated Flycatcher too, along with waxwings and sparrows

Common Yellowthroat

Lust Road Birding: Lots of Little Birds!

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January 28, 2021 - Birding at Lust Road yielded lots of little birds, including Cedar Waxwings, Swamp Sparrow, Common Yellowthroat, and Painted Bunting

Western Kingbird

Western Kingbirds Offer Me Flight Shots

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January 24, 2021 - Three Western Kingbirds entertained me and gave me flight shot opportunities as they darted out from the power lines to hawk insects below

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

He Does Exist! Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

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January 21, 2021 - I finally found the Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and he gave me some great flight shot opportunities. Such a tail!

Fulvous Whistling-ducks in Flight

First 2021 Visit to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

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January 18, 2021 - I started off 2021 bird photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive with Fulvous Whistling-ducks, a Painted Bunting, and a Merlin in flight

Leucistic Rock Pigeon

Silly Birds on the Shore of Lake Apopka

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December 6, 2020 - Beautiful birds on a cloudy November day on the south shore of Lake Apopka - Bald Eagles, Ospreys being chased, and a Bronzed Cowbird

Gray-headed Swamphen with Baby

Late August Trip to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

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November 22, 2020 - A late August visit to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive yielded my first baby Gray-headed Swamphen and my first-of-fall migrating warblers

Black-bellied Whistling-ducks

Flight Shots around Lake Apopka

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September 6, 2020 - A late August morning yielded flight shot bird photography opportunities on the south shores of Lake Apopka

Purple Gallinule

Purple Pole Vaulters!

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September 2, 2020 - I spent a happy morning on the south shore of Lake Apopka watching the Purple Gallinules pretend to pole vault off the alligator flags

Sunset over Lake Apopka

Lake Apopka Sunset from March

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August 9, 2020 - A beautiful sunset over Lake Apopka. Photos taken in early March and processed with HDR

Saharan Dust Storm Sunset

Saharan Dust Cloud over Lake Apopka

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August 4, 2020 - Sunset photography during the Saharan Dust Cloud in late June. The air was hazy as the sun's rays shone a dull orange over Lake Apopka

Blue-winged Teal

A Walk Down Lust Road

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February 6, 2020 - Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive bird photography - a walk down Lust Road yielded more birds than I usually see from the car

Ash-throated Flycatcher

A LAWD Celebrity: The Ash-throated Flycatcher

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February 3, 2020 - Photographing the LAWD Ash-throated Flycatcher requires patience and quick focusing as the bird darts in mid-air, hawking insects for lunch

Common Goldeneye

Chasing Rarities: Common Goldeneye and Surprise Buffleheads

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January 31, 2020 - Chasing a rare Common Goldeneye in Apopka yielded a great sunset, the target Common Goldeneye, Hooded Mergansers, and surprise Buffleheads

New Year's Sunrise 2020

2020 Beginnings at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

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January 25, 2020 - The first sunrise of 2020 and bird photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. Peregrine Falcon flight shots and wintering ducks

Eastern Bluebird

Bluebird Housing Shortage

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January 15, 2020 - Four Eastern Bluebirds and one bluebird house - that's a housing shortage at the start of nesting season!

Last Sunset of 2019

Last Sunset of 2019

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January 4, 2020 - HDR images of the last sunset of 2019, captured over Lake Apopka in Central Florida

Vermilion Flycatcher

Peregrines and Flycatchers at LAWD

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December 20, 2019 - Bird photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive yielded a Peregrine Falcon, Indigo Bunting, and Vermilion Flycatcher

Sunset over Lake Apopka

Sunset at Newton Park

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December 13, 2019 - Our first sunset at Newton Park was beautiful. My camera caught the last rays of the sun as it disappeared behind the trees

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Friday

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December 7, 2019 - The day after Thanksgiving was Yellow Friday at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive. The landscape is covered in burr marigolds and yellow birds

Bronzed Cowbird

Black Birds on a Gray Morning

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December 3, 2019 - A gray cloudy morning yielded many Boat-tailed Grackles and my lifer Bronzed Cowbird

Purple Gallinule

Colorful Birds on the South Shore of Lake Apopka

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November 30, 2019 - Birds photographed on my first trip to Newton Park included Purple Gallinules, Snail Kites, Redheads, and 11 Canvasbacks!

Yellow Warbler

I Smell Fall – At Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

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September 29, 2019 - A sunny fall morning yielded several species of warblers, Belted Kingfishers, and migrant Bobolinks at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

Fulvous Whistling-duck Family

Summer Birds at Lake Apopka

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August 19, 2019 - Summer birds and photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive - I found baby Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, a Bank Swallow, and other summer regulars

Baby Purple Gallinule

Least Bitterns and Growing Babies at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

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July 30, 2019 - Bird photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, where Least Bitterns are easy to find and baby Purple Gallinules showed off their big feet

Bank Swallow

Some Summer Surprises at Lake Apopka

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July 15, 2019 - Summer surprises at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive: Bank Swallow, Eastern Kingbird, and a Boat-tailed Grackle who thinks he's a Limpkin!

Baby Black-necked Stilt

Bird Family Vignettes from Lake Apopka

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June 21, 2019 - A morning with several special bird families at Lake Apopka. Black-necked Stilt babies & a Least Bittern who found he could feed himself!

Pied-billed Grebe Family

Summer Morning at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

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June 9, 2019 - Cool summer morning of nature phography at LAWD. Baby Pied-billed Grebes, a cooperative Green Heron, and lots of Least Bitterns

Black-and-White Warbler

Migrant Warblers at the Crazy U

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May 13, 2019 - Fun morning of photographing tiny colorful migrant warblers flitting high in the treetops

Sunset at Magnolia Park

Another Lake Apopka Sunset

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April 7, 2019 - Sunset photos taken over Lake Apopka from the Magnolia Park Boat Ramp

Barn Swallow

Aerial Acrobats at LAWD

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March 30, 2019 - A morning of bird flight photography with the Barn Swallow aerial acrobats as they dive-bombed insects in mid-air

Anhinga Head Shot

Signs of Spring at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

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March 24, 2019 - Beautiful morning of springtime photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, with nesting Anhgina & herons, Caspian Terns in flight

An Unexpected Encounter

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February 4, 2019 - A pair of Blue-winged Teals surprised me when they mated on a cold morning in January. I guess spring is on the way!

Sunset over Lake Apopka

Another Beautiful Sunset over Lake Apopka

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February 1, 2019 - Another evening of sunset photography at Lake Apopka. The sky was on fire and the sunset was beautiful!

Canvasback

Cold and Breezy Morning at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

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January 29, 2019 - A cold breezy morning was still good for photography at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive - Drake Canvasback, Yellow Warbler, and American Bittern

Sunset over Lake Apopka

Another Beautiful Sunset over Lake Apopka

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January 27, 2019 - Photos of a beautiful winter sunset over Lake Apopka

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Ash-throated Flycatcher Up Close at Lust Road

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January 20, 2019 - An Ash-throated Flycatcher, several kinds of sparrows, and a Painted Bunting posed for my camera at Lust Road

Sunset at Magnolia Park

Winter Sunset over Lake Apopka

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January 15, 2019 - A quick photography expedition to Magnolia Park to photograph a winter sunset over Lake Apopka

Gray January Morning at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

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January 12, 2019 - A cloudy winter morning of bird photography at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Morning yielded my lifer Gray-headed Swamphen along with several good Northern Harrier fly-bys

Ducks and a Fish out of Water at LAWD

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December 27, 2018 - A November photography trip to Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive yielded wintering ducks, a cooperative Belted Kingfisher, and fish for breakfast!

Yellow Warbler with Balsam Apple Seed

Carpe Camera! Chasing Warblers at LAWD

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September 30, 2018 - A morning of bird photography at Lake Apopka Wildife Drive where the Crazy U was busy with warblers. Yellow Warblers, Northern Waterthrush

Black-necked Stilt

Black-necked Stilt Family at LAWD

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July 26, 2018 - A family of Black-necked Stilts posed nice and close at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive

Snowy Egret Fisherbirds

Summer Day at LAWD

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June 24, 2018 - A summer day at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive (LAWD) yielded a wading bird feeding frenzy, lots of Green Herons, begging Barn Swallows, and a singing Indigo Bunting

Gray Kingbird

A Rainy Morning and an Unexpected Lifer at LAWD

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May 20, 2018 - Gray skies, moisture-filled air...but the Gray Kingbird put on a good show for me, as did the begging juvenile Barn Swallows and the tiny Black-necked Stilt babies.

Bobolinks

Springtime Nature Therapy at LAWD

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May 13, 2018 - Nature therapy at Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive included migrating Bobolinks and nesting residents like Common Gallinules, Red-winged Blackbirds, and Black-necked Stilts

Red-winged Blackbird (Male)

Spring is in the Air

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February 25, 2018 - Both springtime and Red-Winged Blackbirds are in the air at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive! Nesting is underway as birds molt into their breeding plumage

Ash-throated Flycatcher

Good Birds and Good Friends at Lust Road

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January 21, 2018 - You can spend a whole morning photographing birds at Lust Road. Yesterday's highlights included Ash-throated Flycatcher and Western Kingbird

Pied-billed Grebes

Another Beautiful Morning of LAWD Photography

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January 17, 2018 - Beautiful January morning of photography at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive, where Painted Buntings and Northern Harriers charmed my lens and the Pied-billed Grebes are already courting

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Jess My blog started as a daily record of wildlife and plants in my backyard garden, plus snapshots of our cats and Rich's favorite turtles. Then I discovered bird photography, and now the birds outnumber the cats and turtles! Browse the links below to see birds and other critters photographed around Central Florida.

My Reference Pages

  • Backyard Bird Identification
  • Central Florida Bird Photography Locations
  • Gardening for the Birds
  • Rose Identification

Backyard Photography

  • Birds
  • Roses
  • Butterflies
  • Garden
  • My Parents' Backyard

Central Florida Photography Locations

  • Alligator Farm
  • Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge
  • Black Skimmer Colonies
  • Blue Cypress Lake
  • Blue Springs State Park
  • Bok Tower
  • Brevard Zoo
  • Brian Piccolo Park
  • Callaway Gardens
  • Cape Coral Burrowing Owls
  • Chinsegut
  • Circle B Bar Reserve
  • Cockroach Bay Preserve
  • Coral Cove Park
  • Cox Road Kingbird Roost (Polk)
  • Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area
  • Fort De Soto
  • Gatorland Rookery
  • Greenwood Cemetery Eagle Nest
  • Holloway Park
  • Huguenot Memorial Park
  • Joe Overstreet Road
  • Lake Apopka
  • Lake County Backroads
  • Lake Hancock Outfall Wetlands
  • Lake Jesup
  • Lake Louisa State Park
  • Lake Mirror
  • Lake Morton
  • Lake Parker Park
  • Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
  • Leu Gardens
  • Little Estero Critical Wildlife Area
  • Loggerhead Park
  • Lowry Park Zoo
  • Lukas Butterfly Encounter
  • Maine Trip – July 2013
  • Marineland Beach
  • Marshall Hampton Reserve
  • Matanzas Tern Colony
  • Mead Gardens
  • Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
  • Moccasin Island Tract
  • Oakland Nature Preserve
  • Orlando Wetlands Park
  • PEAR Park
  • Polk Rookery
  • Sandhill Crane Nest
  • Sandhill Crane Nest #2
  • Sanibel Island
  • Seminole Towne Center Pond
  • Silver Springs
  • Stick Marsh
  • Tibet-Butler Nature Preserve
  • Venice Rookery
  • Viera Wetlands
  • Weekiwachee Preserve
  • Wekiva Springs State Park
  • Winter Park Osprey Nest
  • Other Places

Other Photography

  • Astrophotography
  • Cats
  • Digital Art
  • Flower Photography
  • Macro Photography
  • Turtles

Blog Archives

  • Archives

I’m mostly self-taught in nature and photography topics. Below are links to some of the websites that might be of interest to someone new to Central Florida wildlife and/or photography.

Nature and Photography References

  • badbirdz Migration Radar
  • Biosphere Nursery
  • Bird Migration Forecast
  • Birdbrain listserv
  • Canon Rumors
  • Central Florida Photo Ops
  • Cornell Lab of Ornithology
  • Dina's Wildlife Adventures
  • Don Komarechka Photography
  • Ebird
  • Firefall Photography
  • Garden Web
  • Great Florida Birding Trail
  • Lukas Nursery
  • Marina Scarr Photography
  • Melissa Groo Photography
  • Michael Libbe Photography
  • On the Wing Photography
  • Our Natural Places
  • Sunset Forecast
  • TNWA Photography
  • What Bird?
  • What's that Bug?
  • Wild Birds Unlimited

My parents also enjoy welcoming wild birds to their backyard. See some of their photography in the links below.

My Parents' Birds

  • Dyeyo's Pictures

Our Cats

  • Goldilocks
  • Squirt
  • Whiskey

My Other Hobbies

  • My Robots
  • Study Abroad in Spain

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About Me

Hi, I'm Jess, software geek by day, nature photographer by weekend. Visit my About page to discover how my affection for cats and turtles turned into a bird photography obsession. Then check out my blog for my latest work.

Contact Me

Visist my Contact Page to send me a message.

Copyright and Privacy Notice

Images and content © 2002-2023, Jessica D. Yarnell. All rights reserved.