Eurasian Spoonbill

Late February is the time when most Eurasian Spoonbils return North to their summer abode.  However I was luck to see a few stragglers at the Keoladeo NP.  The birds are still in breeding plumage though the colors are not a vibrant.I planning a 2019 photo tour and workshop for Birds, Tigers, Landscapes and of course Agra for the Taj Mahal.  Let me know by email or a comment if you are at all interested. 

More from SW Florida

Even though the copy of the Leica f/2.8 200mm lens is a pre-production unit I foun it performing exceptionally well.  It focuses fast and the camera and lens combination have no problems following birds in flight.  This was a very active nest.  The adult had brought 5 or 6 fish and regurgitated them multiple times. This was the first time I witnessed a Green Heron Sky-Pointing which is a very common mating behavior with Great Blue Herons and various Egrets.Ding Darling NWR was a big disappointment.  The birds were sparse with the exception of Pelicans, Willets, Dowitchers and Dunlins.  As the sun set, these Pelicans started departing the sand-bar they were on, probably to roost elsewhere. 

Burrowing Owls of Cape Coral

After a full day of disappointments at Corkscrew and Ding Darling, I got to Cape Coral just as the sun was setting.  Made it to three nests, each with just one owl.  There were two owls in the in the first one but one scampered down the burrow as I was focusing on the pair.All images were captured hand-held.This last image was captured after the sun had set and you can see the camera's performance at ISO 8000. 

Space Coast Wildlife & Birding Festival - Day 1

It was a gorgeous 84 degree day yesterday when I arrived in Titusville for the Space Coast Festival but this morning it was a cold 51 degrees.  This rapid change is no good for bird photography as most of the birds were hunkered down in the mangroves.  The few that braved the cold were mostly way out of reach even with an 800 mm equivalent lens.These are a few decent images albeit severely cropped.  Now for the good news - the new Leica 200 mm f/2.8 arrived and I have just unpacked it.  Will give this lens a shot tomorrow morning.