I'd been hoping to find Wood Ducks this winter in Florida... they're such a pretty bird. Until today I'd seen a few at Lake Woodruff NWR, but those guys were tucked into some thick wooded areas and I couldn't get a good photograph. This male and three females happened to be a couple of blocks from my house this morning on Lake Ivanhoe... to say the least I was pleasantly surprised.

Reddish Egret on Mangroves

This is my favorite wading bird the Reddish Egret. The only place that I've been fortunate to see one is at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, and to this point I still have not been able to get a real sharp shot... this is the best so far. Lucky for me MINWR is about an hour of Orlando!

Roseate Glowing in the Morning Sun

This photograph was taken the same day as Roseate Sunrise. The reflection of the sun on the birds feathers was outstanding this morning... some of the best light I've ever seen.

Roseate Spoonbill at Sunrise

This is a sunrise photo of a Roseate Spoonbill at Merritt Island Nation Wildlife Refuge. My family was staying at the beach for New Year's weekend, so I had quite a few opportunities to wake up real early and go to some favorite spots. This photo was taken on Blackpoint Wildlife Drive.

Carlos and Fish

Carlos with his prize. A fellow photographer had taken a photo of Carlos with this fish a few hours after I ran into him... suffice it to say there was much more of that fish.

My 1st Post - Carlos

I visited Viera Wetlands during the week of January 12th, 2009. It was the middle of the day and overcast, so I didn't have my hopes up. This time of year in Central Florida is very active and I was hoping to get some decent shots of migratory birds, which can be at the wetlands any time of day.
I saw "Carlos" on one of the wetland embankments eating a large fish head. Carlos, as I later discovered, is a well known bird in this area of Brevard County. He is tagged and also has a radio transmitter attached to his back. I don't know if this is the reason he seemed so tame, but he was eating this fish head in front of my vehicle and wouldn't move until I either inched my car up near him, or I got out of the car and approached to around 5 feet. He would then fly about 50 yards up the embankment, and we'd play the entire game again. This happened 3 or 4 times, and undoubtedly I have quite a few pictures of this beautiful bird... I'll likely post more.