NaturalVisions Blog

I decided a couple of days ago that it might be time to look into some different blogging software for several reasons. I've been using MovableType ever since I began blogging, but there were some quirks that I just couldn't seem to find a workaround for since the last update. Problems uploading images, previously accomplished with the push of a button, required that I hand code everything when placing images in post. For the most part it was simply a matter of copying and pasting, then changing the file name, but it still wasn't the way to do things.

Another problem following the upgrade was that it was impossible to get to all of the archived posts. Not that most would want to do that, but once in a while folks do plus there are times that I want to go look through some of the older stuff, too (I found 3 species I hadn't included in my "life list" that way!). It's all there again with the change over to Wordpress.

I haven't exactly settled on what I'm going to use for the "theme" (the blog's layout and appearance), so you may find that it looks a little different from visit to visit over the first few weeks. Most importantly, however, is that the address has changed slightly so you will need to update your Favorites/Bookmarks to the following:

Black Skimmer, Fort DeSoto Park, Florida
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One cool bird of the shore, a Black Skimmer coming in for a landing at Fort DeSoto Park near St. Petersburg, FL. Almost always seen in large flocks, they are a real pleasure to watch feed as they "skim" just above the water, their lower mandible in the water and ready to snap shut with lightning speed when it touches a fish. Though their conservation status is considered "least concern," in some parts of their range in North America numbers have declined due to over development of coastal regions.

Pronghorn Buck at Bryce Canyon National Park
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This species is high on the list of my favorite mammals, they are really quite amazing. They are the only surviving member of a family that once included at least 12 members, the rest all becoming extinct around the time of the last Ice Age (one was the Dwarf Pronghorn, only about 24" tall!). They are the second fastest land animal on the planet and the fastest in the Western Hemisphere (only the Cheetah is faster). It is said that within days of birth they can outrun the fastest humans and, by 4 to 5 weeks, can outrun a coyote. Top speed for adults is between 55 and 60 MPH (90 - 100 km/h). Their incredible eyesight is comparable to that of a human using an 8 power pair of binoculars and, with the positioning of their eyes (about the size of a horse's!), their field of view is about 320 degrees. It is also said they probably outnumbered the Bison in total population, and there are anecdotal stories from passengers on westbound trains telling of passing herds 70 miles long! By the turn of the 20th Century the population, which has been estimated to have numbered between 40 and 50 million, had been reduced to less than 20,000 by market hunting. The population has recovered to nearly 1 million and in some areas where they had been extirpated (like southern Utah) they have been reintroduced.

Their scientific name, Antilocapra americana, does translate to American antelope and in much of the west there are many people who call this animal an antelope, but they are, in truth, not closely related to the old world antelopes. Please call this unique animal by its proper name, Pronghorn.

Thor's Hammer & The Pope In Reflected Morning Light
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One of the magical things about Bryce Canyon is the way the morning sun will reflect off of the plateau's edge and light up the rock formations from behind. This image features the hoodoo's Thor's Hammer and The Pope taken from the upper portion of the Navajo Loop Trail about 30 minutes after sunrise.

Last week's bird was a little on the tricky side, only because this species is infrequently seen in juvenile plumage: Crested Caracara. Along both coasts, as well as many inland areas, shorebird migration is in full swing. This week's bird is actually on of the later species to move south and looks very similar to a close cousin that lives on the opposite coast.

Sometime over the next few weeks and months I will be surpassing some "birding" milestones.One of those will most likely occur first, and that will be the 10th anniversary of my interest in birds (whenever it actually occurs - see below). The other milestones involve the numbers of bird species I have seen and/or photographed - more on those in a minute, too . . .

The fact of the matter is, I don't know exactly when the anniversary date is, just that sometime in late September or early October of 1999 I went looking to get some photos of herons and egrets down at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge near Titusville, Florida. At the time I was perfectly content to work away at my "second job," photographing auto racing. But a client at my primary job was a bird photographer who's work caught my eye, and I thought it would be kind of fun to take a few pictures of birds myself, just for a diversion. Now, in a way I was actually returning to a place I'd been before because, when I bought my first camera much of what did, and how I learned the basics of photographic techniques, was by making nature images (mostly in black & white). I ventured out a few times to the refuge, made a few nice photos, and then I saw "The Bird(s)."

One afternoon down at the refuge I saw a pair of Bald Eagles and was just amazed at how magnificent these birds were (had never seen them in the wild), and kind of became, shall we say, obsessed with getting a nice photo of one. It took a while for that to happen but, in the meantime, when there weren't any eagles around, I'd cruise around the wildlife drive at the refuge taking photos of herons, egrets, spoonbills, and whatever else I could find. Then I started noticing the birds in my yard, eventually joined my local Audubon chapter, and, though it would be a few more years, quit shooting cars and concentrated on birds. (This is one of the eagles that maintained a nest near the entrance to Blackpoint Wildlife Drive that first caught my attention. Many years ago I loaned a large framed print of this shot to the refuge to hang in the Visitor Center; as far as I know it is still there. The eagle had just flown into a tree talons first, broke this piece of branch from the tree, and was carrying it back to the nest.)

So, this 10th anniversary of my "relationship" with birds is milestone number one.

Unlike others who keep lists of the birds they've seen, I always been more concerned with the birds for which I have photos, only casually keeping a "life list." Some time ago I started marking off species I'd seen on an AOU checklist, noticed that I'd surpassed 350, and so started to look for a better method of keeping track. I tried a couple of online things, looked at software birding diaries, and finally settled on just a plain old spreadsheet. Over the past several weeks I've moved all that data over to this spreadsheet so that I can monitor things a little easier, mainly because I knew I was approaching 400 species I had seen. In fact, a few months ago, I realized it was within reach, and by the time I hit 382 got to thinking I might be able to hit the target by the end of the year. I really had my doubts as to whether or not I'd make it and, without a little luck, it will be tough with Winter approaching. But I've been slowly pecking away at it and, as of this morning, have but five to go to attain that goal. I've been helped by the fact that a couple of days ago I discovered a photo of a Horned Grebe, a species that wasn't on my list, and, in going through some old blog entries, found three additional species I had seen but not recorded.

What I need to do now is go through the Utah state checklist and see what might be out there that I haven't seen to get me to the goal. Tundra Swan would probably be a "gimme" in late October if I drive up to the Salt Lake area, but after that it will be a challenge to reach 400 by December 31. I'll keep you posted!

So there ya' go, ilestone #2 will be reaching 400 species on my life list.

Another milestone I'm approaching is the total number of bird species that I have photographed. This particular total represents only those species I've made images of that I consider worthy of being placed in my portfolio; I've photographed more than this total, but you know, some just aren't "keepers." Sitting now at 294, so I'm closing in on 300. Though may be a few in my slide files that I don't have in digital and I haven't counted yet.

That really kind of takes care of the upcoming milestones

Elsewhere, my Bryce Canyon list is at 145 species, so I'm nearing 150 there (out of 210 possible, 35 of those quite rare). Within the state of Utah I added 2 species yesterday down near St. George (Verdin and Greater Roadrunner) for a total of 172.

It'll be interesting to see what the next 3-1/2 months brings . . .

Snail Kite, Lake Marian, Florida
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With the catch of the day in it's talons, this immature Snail Kite certainly learned quickly how to hunt for Apple Snails. There was also a banded and satellite transmitter equipped female foraging in the same area that, if I had to guess, was probably this bird's mother. This catch was by far the largest snail by either of them while I was there. Here's a bonus shot after the snail was extracted and the shell discarded.

Lake Marian is southeast of Orlando and one of the "3 lakes" of Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area. These kites were seen near the Lake Marian Marina south of the WMA; another location to look for them is at Joe Overstreet Landing north of the WMA. In addition to kites, within the WMA you can look for endangered Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and, on a lucky day, you might see some of the non-migratory population of reintroduced Whooping Cranes near Overstreet Landing. Check out the Great Florida Birding Trail (East Section) for more info if you're heading to Florida.