Lastest from Kissimmee

I was at Gatorland at 7:30 this morning. There was a light rain for most of the morning. I did manage to get this rosetta spoonbill, but most of the birds were undercover and just did not come out. Headed to St. Augustine and hopefully clear skies.

More from Kissimmee ! The Great White Egret Dance

Always heard this mating dance happens, but never seen it, until today. It was pretty inpressive and very engaging. I was looking for more of the baby egrets, but mama never got off the sleeping chicks, so this was the best next thing. The weather was perfect and the bird activity was amazing. I will return in March, when most of the activity will be under way. This is a wonderful place to shoot birds. I will hit it again in the morning and then off to St. Augustine, where I hear the activity is also very good. Thanks for following me on this special trip.

Crutch

Kissimmee Rookery at Gatorland !

Wow! Look what I found. I was pleasantly surprised when the mother egret stood up and revealed these chicks. I quickly put on a 1.4 teleconverter to get closer and fill the frame. I would guess these chicks are 3 weeks out of the egg. They are strong enough to hold up their tiny heads and look around for a minute or so. I will definitely go back this afternoon and try it with my 2.0 converter. There are many, many nests everywhere including, great egrets, great blue herons, wood storks, snowy egrets and several rosetta spoonbills. I feel like this is where I should have been all this time. Will definitely shoot here this afternoon and Saturday morning. Several other guys here are saying that St. Augustine is very good too. I will try to be there Saturday afternoon. The weather has improved to daytime highs near 65.

Crutch

Ft. Myers , Florida

I was up early this morning in Cedar Key, but the weather was just to cold. My next stop was the Ft. Desoto Park, but the wind was hurricane-like so, I moved on to The Venice Rookery, in Venice, Fl., but the birds were not around. So, I continued south to Ft. Myers and the Little Estero Lagoon. The birds were finally moving around and I got these guys. I have talked to some friends and they tell me Kissimmeee is crawling with birds. I will leave early and try to be there for the morning light.

First stop - Cedar Key, Florida !

Arrived in Cedar Key around 3:00 this afternoon. This sleepy little town is located on Florida's west coast. The main industry here is fishing and growing clams. They do cater to tourists, but not like Key West or Daytona. Everyone here is very laid back and they have some of the best fresh seafood in the state. I will testing that a little later. :) (smile)...It has been raining all day, but I did manage to get out and get this little guy. Lots of gulls and pelicans, but they are not active with all the rain. The sun will be out tomorrow and I will be up early.

Packed up and ready to ride !

Well, I think everything is ready to go. I plan to head out about 4:00 am .....Hopefully, I will be in Cedar Key, Florida in time to shoot some pelicans and sunsets. Will be moving fast this week and you can get daily updates here.
Crutch

New trip to Florida to shoot birds.

I will take off again on Wednesday morning to Florida to shoot the birds in their nest building process. This is always a fun time to shoot, plus the weather will make the trip worth it. Don't know about you, but this year the cold and snow are really getting to me. I will update here often, but you can follow me with my posts at www.twitter.com/crutch1948 I plan to be in Cedar Key, Wednesday afternoon to begin. Thanks for following and Happy Shooting !

Crutch

Photo Tip of the Week

Move your subject from the middle. When composing your shot, try moving your subject to the right or to the left in your frame. This adds a sense of direction and size to your subject that would otherwise be lost. Think of a "tic tac toe" board in your viewfinder and try to place the main subject on one of the cross points. It doesn't have to be exact, just close, for a very pleasing effect. Happy Shooting !