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Wilson’s Plover with chicks

By |2021-02-02T14:38:28-06:00March 3rd, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Nesting Birds, Pinellas County, Wilson's Plovers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I enjoyed my brief, long distance opportunity to photograph and observe these Wilson's Plovers and chicks, it was a small window into their life.

Ruddy Turnstone in early morning light

By |2021-05-17T06:51:37-05:00February 27th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |

I photographed this Ruddy Turnstone in early morning light at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida several years ago as it stood on the sandy beach.

Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork Size Comparison

By |2023-02-26T07:17:25-06:00February 15th, 2013|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Roseate Spoonbills, Wood Storks|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This photo shows a Roseate Spoonbill and Wood Stork on the shoreline of a tidal lagoon at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida and it shows how the Wood Stork can dwarf the Roseate Spoonbill in height.

Wilson’s Plover in habitat

By |2016-12-07T12:12:34-06:00December 11th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Wilson's Plovers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

This Wilson's Plover and its mate were being run ragged chasing after the two chicks they had fledged, this adult stopped in front of me where I had laid down in the sugary white sand and rested a few moments in the dried Sea Purslane stalks.

Low angle Long-billed Curlew

By |2022-08-16T04:05:00-05:00December 3rd, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Long-billed Curlews, Low angle|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Since winter has thus far decided to stay in more northern latitudes and higher elevations I decided to post an image of a Long-billed Curlew taken in southern, sub-tropical climes a few years ago.

American Oystercatchers in Florida

By |2020-11-06T04:43:37-06:00September 25th, 2012|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Birds, Egmont Key National Wildlife Refuge, Egmont Key State Park, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I don't get to see or photograph Oystercatchers here in Utah but I still dream about these shorebirds and can hear their calls when I look at the thousands of images I took of them.

Yellow-crowned Night Heron or Orange-eyed Day Heron?

By |2021-07-03T04:02:03-05:00September 4th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Yellow-crowned Night Herons|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Despite having "Night Heron" in their name Yellow-crowned Night Herons (Nyctanassa violacea) are not strictly denizens of the dark, they can and do stalk their prey during the daylight hours too.

Ruddy Turnstones in breeding and nonbreeding plumage

By |2021-06-26T03:53:07-05:00August 17th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Ruddy Turnstones|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Ruddy Turnstones in breeding and nonbreeding plumage can appear to be two different species to novice birders and bird photographers as can several other bird species.

Least Sandpiper – The World’s Smallest Shorebird

By |2022-05-01T13:08:03-05:00August 4th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Least Sandpipers, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Least Sandpipers (Calidris minutilla) are the world's smallest shorebird, weighing in at a mere 0.7 ounces (20 g), a length of 6 inches and a wingspan of 13 inches.

Willet in the surf of the Gulf of Mexico

By |2021-04-25T10:22:52-05:00July 16th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Willets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Getting "Down & Dirty" pays off when photographing shorebirds like this Willet in the surf I photographed in Florida as it walked along the shoreline of the Gulf of Mexico.

Western Sandpiper on the Go

By |2024-03-21T06:06:31-05:00May 23rd, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Western Sandpipers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

It dawned on me this morning that I haven not posted an image of a Western Sandpiper here yet so I pulled this one out of my archives that I photographed at Fort De Soto as the small shorebird ran in front of me on the shoreline.

Willets – In Utah and Florida

By |2021-09-07T05:36:28-05:00May 3rd, 2012|Categories: Antelope Island State Park, Birds, Davis County, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Utah, Willets|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Willets have returned to Utah, on the causeway to Antelope Island hundreds of them can be seen in the shallow water. They seem to spend some time there fattening up after migration before they get down to the serious business of mating and rearing their young.

American Oystercatcher – Friday Photos

By |2020-11-06T06:18:55-06:00April 13th, 2012|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

These two photos are of the same adult American Oystercatcher (Haematopus palliatus) in sequential order taken at Fort De Soto County Park in Florida. I was laying in the sand while I created the images to get a low angle and the bird was on a ridge elevated slightly higher than my location.

Forster’s Terns

By |2022-09-13T03:50:38-05:00April 8th, 2012|Categories: Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, Birds, Box Elder County, Florida, Forster's Terns, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Utah|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

When I moved from Florida to Utah I felt it was fortunate that some of the nonbreeding birds I used to see in Florida during the winter I now get to see in breeding plumage on their nesting grounds.

Piping Plover – Down & Dirty

By |2023-03-01T08:25:57-06:00March 1st, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County, Piping Plovers|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Piping Plovers nest in shallow scrapes in sand, gravel, salt flats or dunes which leaves their nests vulnerable to predators and in danger of being accidentally stepped on.

People, Birds And A Sea Star In A Sea Fog

By |2023-03-26T03:26:53-05:00February 28th, 2012|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Herring Gulls, Laughing Gulls, Pinellas County, Ring-billed Gulls, Sea Stars|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I'm glad I didn't turn around to head home when I saw the thick sea fog that morning, if I had I may have missed photographing some of these beautiful things.

American Oystercatchers Feeding

By |2022-07-06T17:56:26-05:00February 19th, 2012|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Birds, Florida|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

I was laying down in the wet sand with my lens about an inch from the surface of the beach when I photographed these shorebirds, one needs to watch out for those rogue waves because they don't only wash away the bird's prey... they can soak your lens & camera too!

American Oystercatcher

By |2020-11-06T06:11:17-06:00January 30th, 2012|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |

This American Oystercatcher image was taken nearly three years ago, it seems difficult to believe that is has been that long but I like it as much today as the morning I photographed it.

Piping Plover and Semipalmated Plover – Sunday Shorebirds

By |2024-01-07T02:56:49-06:00December 4th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Low angle, Pinellas County, Piping Plovers, Semipalmated Plovers|Tags: , , , , , , , , |

When I am out in the field I take a large amount of photos and there are times I don't get around to processing them until much later, these are two such images taken at Fort DeSoto, Florida in 2008.

Low Light Bird Images

By |2020-01-29T05:51:30-06:00November 24th, 2011|Categories: Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Low light, Roseate Spoonbills, Sanderlings|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

Because I live far from my family and have no children at home my yearly Thanksgiving tradition includes spending a part of my day out photographing birds, mostly early morning outings.

American Oystercatchers

By |2020-11-06T05:02:54-06:00June 14th, 2011|Categories: American Oystercatchers, Birds, Florida, Fort De Soto County Park, Pinellas County|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |

American Oystercatchers are fascinating birds to photograph, They can strike unusual poses and their plumage is spectacular in flight. I enjoyed watching them pry open bivalves with their long bill

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