Tag: #rookerybay

Sweet Pelican Landing

“Mind if I join you?” is the quote that comes to mind. There is something about this clumsy looking, yet actually graceful pelican landing that I find endearing. Brown pelicans are huddling in close quarters on this rookery island to spend the night.

#rookeryisland, #rookerybay, #naples, #florida, #sunset, #safety, #landing, #pelican, #mangrove, #estuary, #nature, #nikon
In the golden light of sunset, pelicans, ibis, cormorants and herons make room for one another on this popular rookery island.

It is a privilege to watch all of these graceful birds flock to the island in Rookery Bay (near Naples, Florida) at sunset. This close up is a cropped image, captured with a 200mm Nikon lens. We are not as close as we appear, and we stay silent to avoid disturbing this natural daily migration.

The sunset Eco-cruise is provided by the Southwest Conservancy. Buy your own ticket online at conservancy.org.

Exciting Sighting: Wurdemann’s Heron

I love Nature and Birds and Learning in general, so I find it super exciting to be introduced to a beautiful bird that is new to me. I spotted and photographed my first Wurdemann’s Heron in Rookery Bay south of Naples, Florida in March 2018.  What is a Wurdemann’s Heron, you might ask?

#wurdemanns, #heron, #morph, #southflorida, #rookerybay, #florida, #birdphotography, #nature, #Wildlife, #sony
From a slow moving boat around the mangroves in Rookery Bay, we spotted a Wurdemann’s Heron perched on a high branch.

It is a color morph of the Great Blue Heron and the Great White Heron. The size resembles that of the Great Blue Heron I have seen. It is a handsome bird.

#wurdemanns, #heron, #birdphotography, #bird, #southflorida, #florida, #sony, #wildlife, #nature
Seen from another angle as our boat circled the Wurdemann’s Heron’s location, you can appreciate his long legs, white belly and breeding plumage.

And one more image before he flew away.

#wurdemanns, #heron, #rare, #morph, #rookerybay, #birdphotography, #sony
The Wurdemann’s Heron shows the red shoulder of the Blue Heron and more brown coloring than either the Great Blue or Great White.

Photographer’s note: these images were shot with the Sony a2r7 and the Sony Zeiss 100-400 mm lens (at 400mm) at 1000 ISO, f/8 and 1/800 or 1/1000 second. Evening light was low, and it was necessary use a fast shutter speed to freeze the motion of the boat I was on. The Sony performed well with minimal noise and a sharp rendition of the subject. These images were cropped and processed in Lightroom;  the file size was reduced in Photoshop for the smooth loading on this blog post.

Great Ball of Fire

The last few minutes before the sunset pass so quickly and quietly. In Rookery Bay surrounded by water and mangrove, it is especially peaceful. While peaceful, the moment is also filled with drama — the brilliance of the sun, the vibrant color of the sky and the quickening darkness. Nature gave us a magnificent show.

#orange, #sunset, #rookerybay, #florida, #swflorida, #kayak, #dayisdone, #nature, #landscape, #humanelement
Sunset from Rookery Bay, south of Naples Florida.

Pelicans’ secret

Did you ever wonder where the pelicans go at night to sleep? Their favorite spot is an island in the bay, safe from land-based predators like raccoons. In this image, shot in Rookery Bay south of Naples, Florida, you can see a large number of pelicans getting settled for the night at sunset.

#sunset, #pelican, #orangeandblue, #rookerybay, #rookeryisland, #mangrove, #goodnight
One Pelican lands on an outside branch as a dozen of them settle in for the night on an island in Rookery Bay, Southwest Florida.

Our boat cut the engine and floated silently, so we could watch the pelicans and other large wading birds settle in on their rookery island. It was a privilege to watch this natural phenomenon up close.

A Painter’s Eye

When my friend Susie accompanied me on a sunset cruise in southwest Florida, we were looking forward to seeing Eagles, Ospreys, Pelicans and Heron in Rookery Bay. We were not disappointed, as we observed all of those species and more. Our first wildlife observation was a pair of bald eagles and their eaglet. But just as the sun was beginning to set, Susie, who is a painter, leaned over and whispered to me, “Do you know what is my favorite part of this cruise?”

“No,” I said.

“The clouds,” she said.

#clouds, #blueandorange, #reflection, #waterscape, #nature, #rainoverthere
Clouds in Rookery Bay near Marco Island, Florida.