Florida Photography

[jbellis]

So many of you posted great pictures of Florida birds (and Monkeys) last winter, I though you might be willing to share some details with the ones of us that have limited Florida photography experience. I know that there are great suggestions scattered through out image critique, but that's just it, they are scattered. The best season of Florida is coming up, and several of us (me included) are planning trips for nature photography. I would love a list of places (with details of best times, what's there, admission charges, etc). Landscapes are nice too, so don't leave them out. I'm planning a week to 10 days so I should have time to hit several of the "you can't miss these" spots.

Thanks:)

[jlphoto]

As one pro from Florida put it recently.... come Feburary, quit your day job. That really kind of sums of Florida bird photography. There are a lot of really key spots.... Ill list a few here:
Aligator Farm in St. Augustine - a lot of pro workshops take place here in April and May
Anhinga trail in the Everglades - this will blow your mind in March.
Ding Darling preserve
Corkscrew Swamp
Fort Desoto - near tampa

As far as Aligator Farm goes, there is a special fee for photographers but its an anual pass and you get in the gates earlier than the rest of the customers. There is a major rookery here right along the edge of the boardwalk through the preserve. Any time you have a very large concentration of alligators, you have a good chance of a rookery popping up. The birds benifit from the high concentration of gators due to the fact that the gators eat all of the nest raiding species such as racoons, possums, snakes, etc. . . The birds here are guarenteed!

The Anhinga trail in the Everglades is a favorite of mine. Winter is the dry season in the glades. This means that you have the wildlife that covers 1.8 million acres in the wet season, suddenly converging upon a handful of deep ponds - gator holes. Last trip down there, I photographed white herons, wood storks galore, snowies, green backs, and all the rest of your standard southern wading bird fare. Then of course there are the gators. So many gators. Dont even try to count them - you'll miss the birds lol. My first trip, I got to about 40 on the first hundred yards of the trail or so, then when I walked out onto one obersavation deck, I just saw gators laying ontop of gators...a mass of reptilian exctacy.

The key to these two spots though, is that the birds are habituated to people. Cormorants and Anhingas often times need wide angle lenses.

There is so much to Florida. If you have any specific questions just ask. Otherwise, register with www.birdphotographers.net and check out their forums. This is hosted by the top names in bird photography today and the majority of them are based in florida. Its an endless wealth of information for bird photography.

Ill be heading down there myself this spring...either in March or in April. I'm reserving May to photograph at our own rookery out here on the Outer Banks.

cheers,
Jared

[jbellis]

Jared, Looks like Febuary or March for me. January is the CNPA Outer Banks trip and I'm going to Costa Rico (I'm so excited) in April. I had not considered the Everglades, but but now I will.
I checked out birdphotography.net and it looks like a great site. Might even post a few pixs there.
Thanks for the tips

[jbellis]

Someone suggested Fort De Soto Park as a good spot for Winter birds. Does anyone have knowledge about this park they could share?

[donaldmullaney]

If you get over to the east coast of Florida, in Palm Beach Co., be sure and stop by Wakodahatchee and Green Cay Wetlands both in Delray Beach. Nearby in Boca Raton, is the American Orchid Soc. greenhouses and Morikami Museum with it's Japanese gardens. A little further south near Coral Srpings, there is Butterfly World. The first 2 are free.

[mrsisu]

Hi all, have had very good luck at Merritt Island near Titusville (ie Cape Kennedy) Try and get there when tides are low at time of sunrise and sunset ie early and late for best light. Be sure there are no launches from Cape Kennedy as they close the Wildlife Drive for a few days before and, as I recall, the day of the shuttle launch. There is also a place just south of Titusville by about an hour called the Viera Wetlands which is apparently very good. It was closed for a day when I went last year as it had rained and it was very muddy. You might be able to find out more information about these areas on the Nikon Cafe Site. Its really a good resource.