A Collection of Osprey

One bird that intrigues me is the Osprey. I have encountered many people over time who have mistaken the Osprey for a Bald Eagle. It is an easy mistake to make but once you get familiar with both birds, they are easy to differentiate. Whenever I go to the Circle B Bar Reserve, I see many Osprey in many different locations. Being so close to Lake Hancock, it is natural to see them. Also, with many dead tree snags for them to perch on, it is a logical place for them to be. So, here is a collection of several pictures from the Circle B.

Survival of The Fittest - Heron vs Snake

Let me start right out by saying these pictures are not of the best quality. The Great Blue Heron found the snake in these shots a good distance away. But, I thought the sequence was interesting enough  to post them anyway.

This all happened a few days ago while I was on one of my normal outings to the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland, FL. I was on the Alligator Alley trail photographing an American Bittern swallowing a crayfish when I saw the heron make a quick stabbing move and come up with this black snake. So here is the sequence.

 This first shot is to simply show you how far from the trail they were. This accounts for the poor quality of the photographs.

 At this point I was not sure if the Heron would win the battle.

 With the snake by the tail, the Heron seems to be trying to keep from being bitten.

 Now with the snake somewhat docile, the Heron has it up near the head.

 Now it is in position to swallow.

 This process took a few minutes.

 Nearing the end.

Some 20 minutes later, and the Heron is ready for a napkin.

Circle B Bar Reserve Alligators

Every once in a while I feel I must move away from the creatures which are much harder to capture in a good photograph, and post some of the more sedentary forms of wildlife. Therefore, today it is time for more alligators. You will always see them if you go out to the Reserve, but too often I feel I have enough and pass them up. However, recently I have made it my interest to get some alligator shots mixed in with the birds, bobcats, river otters, and turtles. One things about alligators, you almost never need to be in a hurry to take that shot. Generally speaking, they are not going anywhere.

Bobcat Encounter - Second Sighting

You may have seen the blog posting and photographs back on February 9th after I had seen a Bobcat up close and personal. Well, if that was not enough, I went back four days later and was able to repeat that encounter. I have no way of knowing if it was the same cat or perhaps a new one, but it was just as exciting as before. So, without further delay, here is a selection of shots from my second sighting.

 Here is the cat just after it walked onto the trail from the bushes.

 I posted the above picture in order to show the ears. The color pattern is very interesting.

 I guess this shot shows the cat wondering if it should go back to the bushes.

 After it decided to stay, It looked at me as if to wonder what I was doing there.

 Coming back onto the trail after being in some bushes on the right side of the trail.

One last look at me before going back under cover to find dinner.

American Bittern

Many people who venture out to view wildlife, or simply walk the trails in Circle B Bar Reserve, never happen to see the elusive American Bittern. The main reason for this is the way in which they go about their business of stalking and catching their next meal. Because of their coloring, and habit of walking very slowly among the grasses and reeds around their environment, they can be very hard to see. Even once you have spotted one, they can disappear quickly back into the weeds.

I remember one occasion when I was in St. Mark's National Wildlife Refuge, and stopped to photograph some wading birds in a small pond beside the road. Another photographer was already there taking pictures. As I stepped up near him I noticed a Bittern in a small clump of reeds and grasses close to shore. I mentioned the bird and the other photographer was surprised since he had not seen it before I pointed it out to him. One of the fun things to watch is a bittern who is trying to blend in with it's surroundings. I have seen them actually swaying back and forth with their head held pointed skyward as the breeze moves the grasses around them.

Here are some shots of one just after it had caught a small catfish, and was in the act of swallowing it.

Great Egret

I got a phone call this morning from a neighbor who told me she had just seen a fox walk past her home. I took my trusty camera and went to find it. As luck would have it, I was not able to see where it had gone. But as I was about to return home, I saw a white flash overhead, and got a few quick shots of this Great Egret as it flew by heading who knows where. Thanks Joanne.

River Otters on the Hunt

Here is a collection of photographs taken yesterday at Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland, Florida. There were a group of four otters which possibly was a family of two adults and their two young from last year. I walked along a canal where they were fishing and watched them for perhaps 30 minutes to get these shots.

Bobcat Encounter - Close Up

For those of you who have read previous postings of mine, you may be aware that I like the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland, Florida. I will not go into a lot of detail as to why, but just go there if you can, and you will understand. If you are from Maine, sorry - you just have to imagine somehow.

Today was not the best day for a photo shoot, but I was for some reason moved to go there anyway. Even though it was cool and cloudy, I just had to go. It was after 3pm when I got there, and wandered around a bit before taking the trail know as Swamp Rabbit Run. A good hour later, after returning to the main intersection of Swamp Rabbit, and Alligator Alley, I walked a ways down the main trail to the South. Looking around I could see that I was alone and no human was anywhere around. (Getting dramatic here I can see). Just then I noticed a flash run across the trail up ahead and identified it to be a Bobcat.

The following pictures were shot over a 20 minute period of time. The Bobcat was coming along the trail straight towards me, and was looking to be in the stealth mode. If it were a good 125 pounds heavier, I think I would have left quickly. But, I stayed and took a total of 41 pictures as the cat went about his/her hunt. 

At one point the cat left the trail, and went into the bushes off to the side. After a good 5 - 10 minutes of silence, I heard a splash, and saw the cat coming out of the water after it had tried to grab a Coot that had been swimming a little too close. After it missed the Coot, it came back onto the trail. 

Here is a selection of the better photos I took. Hope you enjoy.

 This is the first shot of the series as the cat was coming at me.

 As you can see - the cat is in the stealth mode here.

 Here the cat goes off the trail into the brush to look for food, or as some would say - prey.

 Now back on the hunt, and moving steadily towards me.

 But, back into the brush once more. This is where he went after a Coot after being in there for a few minutes.

 Now that the cat is out, you can see that it is wet.

 Smelling where another Bobcat must have been.

 At this point the cat is about 12 feet from me.

 It now decides not to walk across my feet and goes a bit off the trail.

 Crossing the rocks around the culvert where I am standing.

 Can you get any closer?

 I had moved my 100 - 400mm zoom lens back to 100mm and could not get the whole cat in the frame.

 Now he is past me and moving away still on the hunt.

After getting by me, the cat turns down Swamp Rabbit Run and goes back into deep stealth mode. Must be a morsel somewhere nearby.