While the blog started as a record of my backyard garden and birds, it quickly grew as I discovered bird photography. This page contains images taken “beyond the backyard” during my travels around Central Florida (and beyond!)
September 14, 2011 - Long after the sunrise at the Circle B Bar Reserve on Sunday, I noticed a single cloud high in the sky that still had sunrise coloration to it. I thought it was pretty, and I took some bracketed shots for HDR. I didn’t realize how vibrant the colors would turn out! HDR can be quite […]
September 12, 2011 - You know that the hot summer is coming to a close at the Circle B Bar Reserve when you start seeing the first Pied-Billed Grebes on the Wading Bird Way trail. Although grebes are year-round residents in Polk, I don’t seem to see them until the very end of summer. The same goes for the […]
September 11, 2011 - This morning the sunrise made up for the icky cloudy day yesterday. I arrived at the Circle B Bar Reserve well before sunrise. Unfortunately I arrived at the Wading Bird Way trail about 15 minutes too late to photograph the setting moon, which was beautiful as I watched it driving across I-4. But I did […]
September 4, 2011 - The temperatures were a bit cooler at the Circle B Bar Reserve this morning, and the photographers and the migrant birds alike have begun to return to the reserve. Dyeyo and I hiked the Marsh Rabbit Run trail, Wading Bird Way trail, and Alligator Alley trail this morning in search of migrant warblers. Unfortunately, the […]
September 2, 2011 - All week long, I’ve been seeing these amazing sunrises in the east. The colors have been extraordinary. Each morning, I’ve wanted to drive to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and photograph the sunrise over the water. But instead I had to go to work. :-p Funny how work gets in the way of birding and […]
August 31, 2011 - This is my last post about our Callaway Gardens vacation in Georgia this month. We had a great time photographing hummingbirds, songbirds, warblers, butterflies, and turtles at the beautiful gardens in Pine Mountain (about a hour southwest of Atlanta). But we stumbled upon my favorite photo from the whole trip rather unexpectedly. It was mid-day, […]
August 30, 2011 - The Beast was napping in his case when Rich and I were hiking in the Azalea Bowl at Callaway Gardens last week. I had the wide-angle lens on the camera, somewhat disappointed at the meager number of birds that we’d managed to find on our vacation. So I put on a warming filter and concentrated […]
August 29, 2011 - The Day Butterfly Center at Callaway Gardens is one of the biggest open-air butterfly centers in the country. Thousands of butterflies swirl around you as you walk through the conservatory, which features plenty of nectar plants and a waterfall. In the lobby, you can watch chrysalides turn into butterflies. Most of the butterflies are not […]
August 28, 2011 - My favorite place at Callaway Gardens is Mr. Cason’s Vegetable Garden. On our first visit, Rich wanted to check out the veges, and I thought I’d be totally bored. But it was quite the opposite. There are tons of birds in the garden. In fact, it is a certified Backyard Habitat. It’s not just vegetables, […]
August 27, 2011 - Rich’s favorite part of our Callaway Gardens vacations is seeing the many turtles in the lakes. The two best places to see turtles are in the lake right outside the Discovery Center, and at the little pavilion by Mockingbird Lake. We also saw them sunning themselves on a log in the middle of Hummingbird Lake […]
August 26, 2011 - Rich and I recently went up to Callaway Gardens for a few days. Callaway is about an hour southwest of Atlanta, so about a seven-hour drive from Orlando. The gardens are a great place to relax. We enjoy hiking during the day (for Rich) and photographing at sunrise and sunset (for me). Rich realized there’s […]
August 25, 2011 - I got some good news a few days ago…one of my pictures was selected as a winner in the St. Augustine Alligator Farm annual photo contest! I received a letter about a week ago, but they didn’t tell me at that time which was my winning photo (I submitted several). So I had to wait […]
August 24, 2011 - The weather has been so hot that I’ve been spending less time outside and more time playing with post-processing. I’ve rediscovered HDR recently when I began experimenting with Photomatix Pro instead of Photoshop for HDR. I’d always read that Photoshop wasn’t quite as good, and now I’m starting to see why. Here’s my HDR image […]
August 22, 2011 - Friends often ask why our website is called “catandturtle” when most of my photographs are of birds. Well, I’ve always been a cat lover, and Rich has grown up with an obsession for turtles. Actually, it was our cat Goldilocks who started watching birds, and got us interested in them… So when I come back […]
August 19, 2011 - How are kitten care and warbler photography alike? Neither subject will stay still! This morning I enjoyed an off-Friday sunrise at the Circle B Bar Reserve. I saw my first warblers of the season! Two Yellow Warblers and one Prairie Warbler spent a pleasant 15 minutes posing for me in the top of a tree […]
August 8, 2011 - …except he went looking for a bird called a cuckoo, not a cuckoo photographer! He posted this picture of me with The Beast that is getting some chuckles on Flickr. Check it out! Show-Off – Hand-holding the Beast
August 7, 2011 - Herman made me go back to the Circle B Bar Reserve this morning after he posted a picture of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird on Flickr. I took the Beast and set up in front of the Morning Glory vines where he saw the bird. I waited about a half hour, but no hummers came. So I […]
August 5, 2011 - The Marsh Rabbit Run trail was finally re-opened! I went to the Circle B Bar Reserve this morning and found my very first Yellow-Billed Cuckoo! I couldn’t believe it when he flew into a tree right over my head. He was on Marsh Rabbit Run, about halfway down the trail. It felt so good to […]
August 3, 2011 - My image “Mobile Home” was honored on Flickr in the Florida Outdoors July photo contest for “Cutest Baby Bird.” Thanks to Jamie for judging (and for selecting my shot!) Now I get to choose the topic and judge the August contest. The Internet certainly is cool for connecting with people and sharing photography.
July 31, 2011 - The Bald Eagle has returned to his nest on the sandhill at the Circle B Bar Reserve! I was very happy to hear him and then confirm that he was sitting just above the nest. It’s been almost a month since Dyeyo and I went to Circle B, so we were both excited to get […]
July 30, 2011 - I saw several birds for the first time this morning at the Click Ponds: two Wilson’s Phalaropes, Black Terns, Stilt Sandpipers, and a Semipalmated Sandpiper. It was a fun morning to be out! I arrived at the Click Ponds (across from Viera Wetlands) just after sunrise. The Click Ponds have all but dried up and now […]
July 27, 2011 - I was going through my photos from Viera Wetlands from last Friday again when I realized that I had a new bird. At first I assumed this bird was a Least Sandpiper, but it was too big. In the uncropped image a Least Sandpiper was in front of this guy, and the Least Sandpiper is […]
July 26, 2011 - The Black Skimmer colony that I posted about yesterday is at the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, a non-profit bird hospital. I enjoyed walking around and seeing the birds that are under treatment there. They have so many pelicans! Black-Crowned Night Herons hung around all over, offering nice photo ops. When you walk out to the beach, […]
July 25, 2011 - I stopped at Indian Rocks Beach to visit the Black Skimmer colony yesterday after my morning at Fort De Soto. It was 10:15 by the time I got there, so the light was already pretty harsh, but I couldn’t resist the temptation to see the little chicks all grown up. As a reminder, here’s what […]
July 24, 2011 - Rich says I must have lost my marbles. I got up at 4:45 this morning and drove to St. Pete in order to search for Marbled Godwits. It’s been a few months since I’ve gone to the beach, and I was in the mood for some nice shorebird photography. It’s funny that after photographing lots […]
July 23, 2011 - After hearing on Birdbrains about the early fall migrants at Viera Wetlands, I had to make a trip over there. The wetlands itself was very unproductive, with not even the Purple Gallinules showing themselves to me. No Black-bellied Whistling Ducks greeted me, either. But over in the Click Ponds, there was a ton of activity. […]
July 22, 2011 - I spent my off-Friday morning at Viera Wetlands, excited by the Birdbrains reports of American Avocets and pharalopes and baby Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. Of those three, all I found were the avocets. This was my first opportunity to see and photograph American Avocets. Here’s a teaser picture, with a full post to come tomorrow…
July 10, 2011 - Today Herman took Dyeyo and me for one last boat ride in the Polk Rookery. The nesting season has all but ended. Most of the birds have left, leaving the islands very empty looking. A few adults and fledglings were still perched at the top of the Brazilian Pepper, allowing for easier subject isolation. It […]
July 9, 2011 - I went to Viera Wetlands on Saturday morning. After all the rain on Friday, I wasn’t optimistic about the light level (I actually didn’t decide to make the drive until Saturday morning at 5am!) There was virtually no sun till the very end of the morning, but the babies were cute and I was relatively pleased with […]
July 6, 2011 - While shooting at the Viera Wetlands this weekend, I enjoyed watching some Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks landing on palm tree stumps. There was potential for beautiful background bokeh with the green trees in the distant background. At first I stood to photograph, which gave me this kind of picture: Then I realized that the background wasn’t […]
July 4, 2011 - Dyeyo and I went to Viera Wetlands this morning with hopes of finding some of the babies reported on Birdbrains, and maybe the Fulvous Whistling Duck that was photographed there yesterday. It’s summer, though, and I wasn’t optimistic that we’d find much, especially since we don’t get to Viera often and so are not as familiar with the area. […]
July 4, 2011 - This is an older picture, but still one of my favorites. I took it a few years ago at a raptor show, where they posed the Bald Eagle in front of a flag. It’s very appropriate for the Fourth.
July 3, 2011 - It was a slow start to the morning at the Circle B Bar Reserve. I pulled up to the main gate at 6:30, hoping to catch the sunrise. But the gate was closed! All I could think was “I drove an hour to get here and it’s closed!?!?” As Dyeyo and I chatted about where […]
June 26, 2011 - To see if the water level on the other side was higher! It wasn’t… I’ve never seen the water levels at Circle B Bar Reserve this low. We hiked the Wading Bird Way trail this morning. We got there at sunrise and got in two hours of photography before the rains drove us away. It’s […]
June 25, 2011 - After a sunrise with the Least Terns, Michael and I headed up to the Alligator Farm for another few hours of photographing. For once I was happy that it was cloudy. It kept the temperature cooler and let me take shots that are usually very backlit in the mornings. The rookery is definitely starting to […]
June 25, 2011 - I went back to the Least Tern Colony at Summer Haven this morning. My friend Michael Libbe came with me, and we had high hopes for a sunny morning and nice close nests. Instead we got fog, a slight drizzle, and not-so-cooperative birds. The nests that were close to the edge of the roped-off area […]
June 24, 2011 - Seeing is believing…and yet who can believe that such tiny Black Skimmer chicks can swallow fish almost as big as they are? :) I went back to the Black Skimmer colony this morning. After the incredible sunset last night, I knew not to expect great light angles on the colony this morning. So I was […]
June 23, 2011 - I love my off-Fridays! Rich and I took advantage of our three-day weekend to drive out to Indian Shores, where there is a nesting colony of Black Skimmers. The colony is located near the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary, a really neat non-profit bird hospital. The sanctuary rehabilitates birds and releases them back into the wild. We […]
June 19, 2011 - Dyeyo and I spent a nice Father’s Day morning with Herman at his rookery in Polk County. That’s always such a fun place to go. Herman’s little portable boat is awesome for floating between the islands and observing the birds. We started the morning with a Least Bittern – what a way to start the […]
June 18, 2011 - Dyeyo and I have been going to Circle B together for over a year now, and for that whole time Dyeyo has been on a quest to see Red-Headed Woodpeckers. But day after day goes by and Dyeyo still hasn’t seen his “Woody.” So for Father’s Day, I asked Herman to recommend a place where […]
June 12, 2011 - This morning I was off to Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (MINWR) in search of baby Black-Necked Stilts. I’d seen a very photographable nest there last weekend, and I was hoping to see chicks there today. At first I was disappointed – the nest was deserted. But I drove around some more and found some […]
June 11, 2011 - Rich thought I was insane when I woke up at 4am on my off-Friday and drove up to St. Augustine. He thought I was even crazier when he heard me describe how I lowered the tripod and lay flat on my stomach to photograph the birds. But look at the results…. :-D The Least Terns […]
June 10, 2011 - I found the Matanzas terns! They have moved south to Summer Haven. (Thanks Monique!) I spent a great morning at the colony this morning. I have so many fun pictures that I can’t finish the post tonight, so here’s a tease. Check back tomorrow for more!!
June 5, 2011 - Dyeyo and I spotted these, um, friendly squirrels at the Circle B Bar Reserve on Saturday. They made me chuckle and think of Rich’s and my anniversary. So here’s an anniversary message from the squirrels… Keep your partner looking his best. (I’ve never seen squirrels preening each others’ tails!) Lend a hand at every opportunity. […]
June 5, 2011 - It’s hard to believe that Rich and I have been married for seven years. We were married at Bok Tower Gardens, so we decided to go back there today in honor of our anniversary. Rich didn’t mind that I brought The Beast along. We saw lots of great baby birds. Since it’s our anniversary, I’ll […]
June 4, 2011 - Yes, that’s right, we saw a hummingbird at the Circle B Bar Reserve this morning! I didn’t get a picture—those guys move fast! I couldn’t see it for long enough to tell what kind of hummer, either, although I assume it was a Ruby-Throated Hummingbird. But it was most definitely a hummer! Dyeyo and I […]
June 3, 2011 - Can you imagine going through life with ridiculously long red legs? It’s not often that I devote a Beyond The Backyard blog post exclusively to one bird. But after spending the morning at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, I had a ton of great images of Black-Necked Stilts. They are all over! I found […]
June 2, 2011 - After reading about how Joe Overstreet Road is such a great place for bird photography, I’ve been meaning to get there all winter. But I didn’t get the opportunity until this morning. It wasn’t exactly what I expected. But I did end up with some fun pictures! I wanted to visit Joe Overstreet for Eastern […]
June 1, 2011 - Dina made me do it! After seeing her Roseate Spoonbill shots, I had to go to Lowry Park Zoo for myself. The spoonies have built a nest over the alligator exhibit, and there are three cute babies growing up in it. The nest is unusually visible, making it very photographable. Rich had been wanting to […]
May 31, 2011 - We stopped by Lake Eola at sunset tonight to try some cityscape photography. My favorite parts are the swan silhouettes in the foreground! :)