Tuesday, July 18, 2006












Just one of many rocky, mangrove covered islets set in clear Gulf water. The red mangroves on these islands must be at the extreme northern edge of their survival zone. The reds are not very cold tolerant and are almost absent from Cedar Key a few miles north of here.











The cormorant was just resting, but the Ibis were busy slurping small crabs from among the razor sharp oysters they are standing on.











In bird photography, you continue to shoot as you get closer and closer...hoping to get as many shots as possible before you finally spook them. Then you cull without mercy. In this case, we stove paddles and drifted with the tide towards the island. I kept the ibis covered with the camera and kept shooting as their casual attitude became more nervous with our increasing proximity...until finally one gave me a gift. Posted by Picasa

6 comments:

Likes2mtnbike said...

Oh sure, but no REAL evidence of the mama and baby dolphin. Your summer forays are making me homesick for what was here in my neck of the woods.

robin andrea said...

What a beautiful shot, FC. Are those black-tipped wings? We don't see Ibis in the northwest, sure wish we did. Lovely.

R.Powers said...

Likes2mtnbike,
I should have listened to Jr. He said to photograph the dolphins, but I said it would just be two dark specks on the water.
...note to self: next time shoot the dolphins...figuratively speaking of course. I'm sorry your south FL home has changed so much. The sad thing is, the new comers don't know what WAS there, hence they think the "new" Florida is normal...sigh.

Robin,
Thank you. Yes, sleek white with black wing tips. A really graceful bird.

Anonymous said...

Wow - very nice in-flight ibis! Appreciate the mangrove forest shots too - they are eco-cool.

Ava said...

Great shot of the birds and great strategy used to get it. I do the same thing. Only I tend to keep to many of the pictures.

R.Powers said...

OOPS!
I recommented yesterday, but Blogger went all "page not found".

Once more with feeling:

Wayne,
Thanks, I think the mangroves deserve a post of their own.

Ava,
I still have the culls waiting to be deleted...painful.

roger,
all oysters growing on limerock boulders. the whole bottom here is a shelf of flat limerock.