Do you like today’s featured image? Why or why not? All comments are both welcome and appreciated.
What’s Up?
I forgot to mention that on Sunday morning, while photographing with Peter Dominowski, I had an American White Pelican on the ground here at ILE for the first time ever. It landed several times on the South Peninsula but was very shy.
I enjoyed an excellent Monday morning session. The potential crane mom continues to sit on her two eggs. I keep hoping to spot some orange fluff on her back or tucked under her, but so far, nothing. I saw a “vulture” on the ground on the South Peninsula but as I drove past it realized that it was the young eagle! Oops! It flew off, of course. I had a few more chances with the eaglet as the morning progressed but did not get anything great. I spent a bit of time at the vulture tree and made a few very nice images of a dramatically side-lit TV (Turkey Vulture) flying toward me in the canal to my left. Just before heading home, I spent some time with a pair of Sandhill Cranes on the rise behind the small building that sits near the base of the pier. Birds on any type of hill or elevated ground will usually offer distant backgrounds that can be rendered soft and out-of-focus. And that was indeed the case.
Be sure to click on today’s featured image to view the larger, high-res version.
I was glad to learn that BAA friend Greg Gulbransen sold his Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E FL ED VR lens in near-mint condition (with extras) for a very low $7996.95 (was $8496.95) in mid-March 2022 and that Used Gear Page regular Karen McCormick sold her Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 500mm f/4E FL ED VR lens in excellent condition a very low $5750.00 (was $6750.00) immediately after the price drop.
Today is Tuesday 22 March. The forecast for the morning is really a good one for bird photography: clear with a southeast breeze. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too had a great day. This blog post took a bit more than an hour to prepare and makes twelve days in a row with a new one.
If you are headed to Gatorland this Sunday and would like to learn to be a better photographer, please get in touch via e-mail ASAP.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links that are found on most blog pages and to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. Please, also, consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
And Please Remember
You can find some great photo accessories (and necessities, like surf booties!) on Amazon by clicking on the Stuff tab on the orange/yellow menu bar above. On a related note, it would be extremely helpful if blog-folks who, like me, spend too much money on Amazon, would get in the habit of clicking on the Amazon logo link on the right side of each blog post when they shop online. As you might expect, doing so will not cost you a single penny, but would be appreciated tremendously by yours truly. And doing so works seamlessly with your Amazon Prime account.
Please remember that if an item — a Delkin flash card, or a tripod head — for example, that is available from B&H and/or Bedfords, is also available in the BAA Online Store, it would be great, and greatly appreciated, if you would opt to purchase from us. We will match any price. Please remember also to use my B&H affiliate links or to earn 3% cash back at Bedfords by using the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout for your major gear purchases. Doing either often earns you free guides and/or discounts. And always earns my great appreciation.
Brand-New and As-Good-As-Ever Bedfords BAA Discount Policy
Folks who have fallen in love with Bedfords can now use the BIRDSASART coupon code at checkout to enjoy a post-purchase, 3% off-statement credit (excluding taxes and shipping charges) on orders paid with a credit card. The 3% credit will be refunded to the card you used for your purchase. Be sure, also, to check the box for free shipping to enjoy free Second Day Air Fed-Ex. This offer does not apply to purchases of Classes, Gift Cards, or to any prior purchases.
Money Saving Reminder
Many have learned that if you need a hot photo item that is out of stock at B&H and would like to enjoy getting 3% back on your credit card along with free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex Air shipping, your best bet is to click here, place an order with Bedfords, and enter the coupon code BIRDSASART at checkout. If an item is out of stock, contact Steve Elkins via e-mail or on his cell phone at (479) 381-2592 (Central time). Be sure to mention the BIRDSASART coupon code and check the box for Free Shipping. That will automatically upgrade to free 2nd Day Air Fed-Ex. Steve has been great at getting folks the hot items that are out of stock at B&H and everywhere else. The waitlists at the big stores can be a year or longer for the hard-to-get items. Steve will surely get you your gear long before that. For the past year, he has been helping BAA Blog folks get their hands on items like the SONY a 1, the SONY 200-600 G OSS lens, the Canon EOS R5, the Canon RF 100-500mm lens, and the Nikon 500mm PF. Steve is personable, helpful, and eager to please.
Important Note
As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small percentage when you purchase from Amazon after using any of the Amazon links on the blog (including the logo-link immediately above). My link works with Amazon Prime and using it will not cost you a single cent. Huge thanks, BTW 🙂
Please Remember Also
Please, if you enjoy and learn from the blog, remember to use one of my two affiliate programs when purchasing new gear. Doing so just might make it possible for me to avoid having to try to get a job as a Walmart greeter and will not cost you a single penny more. And if you use Bedfords and remember to enter the BIRDSASART code at checkout, you will (still!) save 3% on every order and enjoy free second-day air shipping. In these crazy times — I lost about fifty thousand dollars in income due to COVID 19 — remembering to use my B&H link or to shop at Bedfords will help me out a ton and be greatly appreciated. Overseas folks who cannot order from the US because of import fees, duties, and taxes, are invited to help out by clicking here to leave a blog thank you gift if they see fit.
This image was created on 20 March 2022 down by the lake at Indian Lake Estates. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 600mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 1600: 1/2000 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 8:07:12Am on a bright sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Turkey Vulture in flight — dramatically side-lit
Different Usually Works Very Well …
I had seen several Turkey and Black Vultures flying in as I pulled up to the Vulture Trees. I parked on the grass, got out of my SUV, and set the exposure for the incoming birds. First, I set 1/2000 sec. wide open and then aimed the lens at the light toned bark at the top of the left-most vulture tree. I know that raising the ISO until I see Zebras on the highlights of the bark will yield a workable if not perfect exposure for the dark birds that have some highlights on them. I had several decent chances with birds flying right at me right down sun angle but none of those excited me. After a few minutes of nothing, I looked to my left and saw a Turkey Vulture flying east down the canal. The woods on the south side of the canal were completed shaded, but the bird was lit by the sun, albeit more than 30 degrees of sun angle.
My mind processed the situation as follows:
1- Since the bird is lit by full sun, the manually-set exposure should be pretty good.
2- Since TVs have super-bright white bill-tips, there was absolutely no reason to try and lighten the exposure.
3- Though I often rail against using sidelight when photographing birds, I thought that the sunlit bird flying against a very dark background might look pretty neat.
4- I thought that I should practice what I preach: when something unexpected happens, try not to think too much, acquire focus, and press the shutter button.
5- Different in bird photography is almost always a good thing. Especially when you are photographing a common subject that you photograph often.
I fired off about 15 frames and kept five good ones. Today’s featured image was the best of the lot. Since there was a sunlit moss-covered tree trunk on the right side of each frame, I executed a healthy crop from the right and from below. Image #1 contains about 70% of the original pixels. The crop left a few sunlit stalks of weeds in the bottom right; those cleaned up nicely with the Patch Tool and Content-Aware Fill.
The Lessons
#1: Trying for something different is always an excellent option, even if you fail.
#2: When something unexpected happens, press the shutter button.
And finally, a realization:
#3: Like backlight, sidelight works best against dark backgrounds.
Sony 200-600 Versatility
Check out the amazing versatility of the Sony 200-600 G lens by comparing today’s featured image with the feautured image in the The Handoff. Gatorland Update blog post here.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back-and-forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:
Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.
Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.
You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.
Typos
With all blog posts, feel free to e-mail or to leave a comment regarding any typos or errors.
Which of today’s seven featured images is the strongest? Why?
What’s Up?
I headed down to the lake for sunset and hung out by The Perch. The sky color was gorgeous, and I had a few Boat-tailed Grackles land. But there were no fly-bys in the color. I spent most of the day watching more March Madness games on TIVO and finally finished watching the 32 first round games. Today is Monday 21 March 2022. The forecast for this morning is for clear skies with a northeast breeze. You know where I will be. Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes eleven days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on most blog pages and always in the right column or to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
Tracking: Spot S AF-C with Animal-Eye/Face Detection performed very well. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #1: Leopard cub holding antelope leg
A Great Trip Made Possible by a Great Driver-Guide
A photo trip to Africa can be made or broken by the skill and knowledge of your driver guide. On several of my trips to Kenya and Tanzania, I argued often with my co-leader about firing one of the guides … Anita North spent four months in Africa in 2021 — from August thru November. She spent a good deal of time with the same guide, and came home raving about him. Here is what she had to say:
First, I would like to thank Arthur for posting the story of my remarkable photography experiences with Simon Kararei in Kenya. I hope that this blog post inspires others who wish to visit Africa to make a trip with Simon. Simply put, he is the best.
In the early 1980’s I made my first trip to Africa with a small local company in Tanzania. We camped off the beaten path at several locations. Amazingly, we pitched tents on the floor of Ngorongoro Crater; there were no lodges on the rim and the crater was densely populated with wildlife. Over the decades, I visited Tanzania several times but had never explored Kenya. I began photographing 2016 and was determined to get to Kenya.
I recalled a photographer who had mentioned a terrific driver-guide in Kenya but remembered only his first name: Simon. Almost miraculously, I was able to find him on social media. Or so I thought. When I contacted him, he told me that I had reached the wrong Simon, but he knew exactly who I was looking for, his friend and neighbor — Simon N. Kararei.
Each segment of my trip the I did with Simon was flawlessly planned and executed. I loved he Simon offered a variety of lodging options. On my travels, I learned that Simon was a highly respected in his community and served as a mentor for other aspiring driver-guides.
Most nature photographers appreciate the critical importance of a wildlife guide. All the amazing opportunities I had in Kenya during my two trips were due to Simon’s immense knowledge of the animals and their habitats and due to his incredible understanding of photography and his commitment to helping you get the best possible shot. One of his strongest skills is getting the safari vehicle in the best spot and positioning it perfectly every time. He was tireless in his efforts.
Simon’s Safari Vehicle
Get in Touch with Simon!
Simon was born and raised in the Masai Mara. He knows and understands the habits of all the animals that share his home. He always had me in the right place at the right time. And he was at his best when the sun was close to the horizon so that I could enjoy the magical early morning light and create dramatic sunset silhouettes. His modified vehicle has the door removed so that you can photograph from a low perspective rather than from the top of a safari van.
Simon is quite flexible and would be glad to help you or your group plan the African trip of a lifetime. Here is his contact info:
Simon N. Kararei
e-Mail: skararei@gmail.com
What’s App #: +254717457601
Tracking: Spot S AF/C with Animal-Eye/Face Detection performed perfectly. Click on the image to enjoy the high-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #2: Leopard taking down wildebeest
A Note From Simon
I was born in Maasai Mara and grew up there. I have been leading safaris here and in other parks in Kenya and Tanzania for more than 15 years. I love Nature! Guiding is my passion and career and I just love helping photographers to make great images. I did my extensive forestry training in 1998. From 2001 to 2004 I worked with Basecamp Mara where I helped create various tree plantation woodland projects to conserve the environment. While I was working with Basecamp I got inspired and did my guiding training with Kenya’s professional guiding association and did my field training with the WWF Mara Monitoring program. In 2005, I began guiding at Fig Tree Camp. From 2006 to 2008 I worked with Kicheche Camps. At that time, I worked with several other guides to create the Olare Conservancy. In 2009 I set out on my own and started my own small private guided safari business. My business grew slowly, and I now have clients from around the globe. I work with a group of 4 other excellent Maasai guides. I guide both single photographers and larger photographic groups in addition to private individuals and families as well.
Thanks, Anita, for helping me to get my name out there. Lots of love. God 🙏 bless you a million times over.
Simon
This image was created on 3 September 2021 somewhere in Kenya by Anita North. She used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 20000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/200 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB.
Tracking: Spot S with Animal/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #3: African Lion adult male
Sony’s High ISOs
Kudos to Anita for exposing to the right and not worrying about the ISO settings. The average ISO for today’s seven featured images is just under 6000, yet there is virtually no visible noise in any of the images. That is due in part to the quality of the a1’s sensor, in part due to exposing properly to the right, and in part due to the beyond remarkable plug-in, Topaz DeNoise.
Great Topaz News!
Folks who use the BAA Topaz link to purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or the Utility Bundle (or any other Topaz plug-ins), will receive a 15% discount by entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout. If the stuff is on sale (as it usually is), you save 15% off the sale price! To get the discount you must use my link and you must enter the discount code. Be sure to start with this link.
Those who purchase Sharpen AI, DeNoise AI, or any other Topaz plug-ins using my link and then entering the ARTHUR15 code at checkout can e-mail to request a short Getting Started with Topaz e-Guide. Please include a copy of your Topaz receipt that shows the discount. Aside from the basics, the guide explains how to install the plug-ins so that they appear in the Photoshop Filter Menu.
This image was created on 9 September 2021 somewhere in Kenya by Anita North. She used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 8000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/2000 sec. at f/4 (wide open) in Manual mode. AWB.
Tracking: Zone with Animal/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #4: Cheetah cubs playing
Sony Tracking: Zone AF
Shooting flight with Sony Tracking: Zone AF is a remarkable experience. And with Animal/Face-eye detection enabled the AF performance when tracking running cats is equally amazing.
This image was created on 22 November 2021 somewhere in Kenya by Anita North. She used the Sony FE 600mm f/4 GM OSS lens and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. IS 4000. The exposure was determined via Zebras with ISO on the rear wheel: 1/1600 sec. at f/8 (stopped down two stops) in Manual mode. AWB.
Tracking: Zone with Animal/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a higher-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #5: Cheetah cubs playing
On Working Hard
Anita North works harder than any photographer I know. Including and especially me. She is relentless. She has worked very hard for the past six years to improve her skills both in-the-field and at the computer. I’d say that she has done quite well.
Tracking: Zone AF-C with Animal-Eye/Face Detection performed very well. Click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image courtesy of and copyright 2021: Anita G. North
Image #6: Cheetah — adult running
November 22
22 November is a significant date in American history. Considering that three of today’s seven featured images were created on that date in 2021, I am quite sure that Anita will remember the date fondly for many years to come.
If you see any evidence of significant Photoshop clean-up work, please leave a comment and state your case clearly. All are invited to share their thoughts on today’s featured image, be they good or bad.
What’s Up?
Keep reading to learn about my Gatorland morning. On Saturday afternoon, Peter Dominowski returned to ILE for some Sony A1 lessons. He recently purchased two a1 bodies, the 200-600, the 70-200 f/2.8 II, and the 1.4X TC — all from Bedfords — God bless him, and wants to learn to use his new gear before heading to Africa this summer. I taught him the basics that afternoon even though we did not have any really good situations. Sunday morning dawned cloudy with a breeze from the NW and the sun came out at about 8:15am. We did well with the crane colts and Peter quickly got the hang of my super-simple a1 AF set-up, the hang of getting the right exposure (even in changing light) using Zebra technology, and the hang of working with a 200-600 zoom lens.
When we got back to my house at about 9:15am, I noticed that my glasses were missing. For a change. I searched the whole car using the light from my cell phone. No luck. We took a ride back to our last location — we had been sitting while photographing two adult cranes in a field of yellow tickseed blossoms. I thought that I had dropped them very close to the road, so we parked so as to avoid running over the glasses. We walked slowly north for two or three minutes. I gave up. Peter said, “I am gonna go on for just a bit.” A moment later he said, “I got em!”
That was a great moment, but not as great as seeing the young eagle fly around for the first time, that in the low light of early morning. First it flew from the nest tree to the next tree just to the south. I felt like a proud poppa. I marveled as it flew around the nest tree in the wind and landed safely. And when it flew across the canal and landed atop a small palm, I kvelled. I said to Peter, “I feel like a dad watching their child ride a bike for the first time without falling.”
Kvell (verb): to experience pride and satisfaction from seeing others (particularly one’s children and grandchildren) excel. From Yiddish, and most often used by American Jews.
Today is Sunday 20 March 2022. I will be doing some more work on my first GNPA keynote and watching first and second round Men’s March Madness (NCAA basketball) games on TIVO. I have already watched nine first round games and have seven more of those to watch along with the eight second round games from Saturday. Eight more second round games are set to record today. In addition, I am taping all the Women’s NCAA tournament games as well!
The highlight so far has been the incredible 15th-seeded St. Peter’s stunning upset of number-2 ranked Kentucky. To give you an idea of the immensity of this upset, consider these two facts: St. Peter’s men’s basketball coach Shaheen Holloway made $266,344 in 2019; Kentucky head coach John Calipari’s base salary is $8.5 million. St. Peter’s basketball revenue was $1.6 million in 2019-20, while Kentucky’s was $29.3 million. I give Calipari credit for being a gracious loser; he gave lots of credit to the scrappy St. Peter’s team.
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope that you too have a great day. This blog post took about two hours to prepare and makes ten days in a row with a new one.
Please remember to use the B&H and Amazon links on most blog pages and always in the right column or to use the BIRDSASART discount code at checkout when purchasing your new gear from Bedfords. And please consider joining a BAA IPT. You will be amazed at how much you will learn …
This image was created on 19 March 2022 at Gatorland. I used the hand held Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS lens (at 456mm), and The One, the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless digital camera. ) The exposure was determined using Zebra technology with ISO on the Thumb Dial. ISO 500: 1/1000 second at f/6.3 (wide open). AWB at 8:20:22Am on a mostly sunny morning.
Tracking: Zone with Bird/Face-Eye Detection performed perfectly. Be sure to click on the image to enjoy a high-res version.
Image #1: Great Egret — Male passing twig to female
Sony 200-600 Gatorland Versatility
As it is on the cliffs of La Jolla, the Sony 200-600mm G lens is very effective at Gatorland. It is great for flight on sunny mornings, and its less than 8-foot MFD (minimum Focusing Distance) makes it deadly on nests that are close to the boardwalk, all the while yielding plenty of much-needed magnification. As the gate opened promptly at 7am, as sunrise was not until 7:29, and as the day began completely overcast and foggy, I spent the first half hour trying to create some nice pleasing blurs with the 200-600. I failed. There was lots of action, mostly with Great Egrets, and I created more than 200 images. But only two — of a Snowy Egret flying right at me with a green background were kept. And neither of those is very good … Creating excellent pleasing blurs is a lot like playing the lottery!
Gatorland Update
There are probably ten times as many Great Egret nests this year as there were last season. As always, photographing from boardwalks at the gator rookeries is extremely challenging and difficult. Here is an excerpt from The BAA Middle of Florida Site Guide:
Many photographers who know anything about Gatorland would say, “Who needs a guide or photographic instruction at an alligator farm tourist zoo rookery? The birds are right there; all you need to do is push the button. “My answer – based on many, many visits – would be, “Just about everybody.” Rookeries are great places to make hundreds of really lousy images in short order. They are busy places with zillions of branches, cluttered backgrounds, other nests, other birds, whitewash, and blocking vegetation, all of which make it difficult to create artistically pleasing images. To get you on the right track I will start by commenting on the various locations along and above the boardwalk and then offering some general tips …
My Gatorland visit yesterday was no exception. At about 9am, I counted more than 60 photographers. There was a busload of folks (about 35) from The Villages, a large active adult retirement community located in Lake and Marion counties northwest of Orlando. They were 100% beginners. Of the other 30 or so folks, most had zero clue as to how to photograph birds. None, zero, nada. There were perhaps half a dozen folks with decent gear, and I doubt that any of them made a decent image. At least not while I was looking.
Though there are more than a half dozen Great Egret nests close to the boardwalk, there was exactly one decent situation. The male in today’s featured image was very active, bringing in sticks every minute or so — sounds like a piece of cake, no? Actually “No.” When the bird landed, its head was in the shade. When he leaned down to pass the twig to his mate, the heads of both birds were fully lit by the sun, but only for a moment. After it handed off the stick, it would turn to the north, to my left, and take flight almost instantaneously. As I said, not easy. I was the only one who worked that bird. There were lots of folks very close to me trying to make photographs in an impossible situation — there were two tiny Great Egret chicks in a higher nest that was completely blocked by twigs. Despite of that, many folks persisted.
When it clouded over briefly at about 9:15am, I switched to the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 II with the 2X TC to gain even closer focus along with an extra 1/3 stop of light. I kept one image of the female egret tending the eggs and several others of a gator head. All with perfect exposures, thanks to Sony’s Zebra technology.
Folks who own The BAA Middle of Florida Site Guide are invited to e-mail proof-of-purchase and the words “Gatorland 19 March 2022 Short Update Please” cut and pasted into the subject line.
The Lesson
When working the gator wading bird rookeries, do not settle for cluttered shots. Keep searching for at least one good situation. And then hammer it.
Gatorland In-the-Field Sessions
I will be at Gatorland on the next two Photographer’s Pass mornings, Sunday 27 March and Saturday 2 April. If you are interested in learning to make good photographs in difficult situations, please shoot me an e-mail. Remember that you will need — as noted below — to purchase you pass or passes well in advance.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
You can purchase your copy here in the BAA Online Store.
The BAA Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide
126 pages, 87 photographs by Joe Przybyla and Arthur Morris.
The PDF for this e-Guide is an electronic download sent via e-mail.
I had thought about doing a guide to some of the great but little-known photo hotspots around central Florida for about a decade, but those plans never came to fruition. I met Joe online in the Avian Forum at BirdPhotographer’s.Net about two years ago. Joe’s photography has improved tremendously over the past few years; he credits the BAA blog, my books and PDFs, and his participation on BPN. The one thing that I learned right from the get-go about Joe is that he is a hard and tenacious worker, always striving to improve his skills and to grow his knowledge base. As he knew of more than a few good spots in central Florida, I broached the idea of us doing a photographic site guide that covered many of the little-known photographic hotspots from Brandon to Lakeland to Joe Overstreet Road to Indian Lake Estates (my Florida home for the past 20 years or so). After more than many, many dozens of hours of effort, The BIRDS AS ART Middle of Florida Photographic Site Guide is now a reality. Thanks to Joe’s wife Dottie for her review of our writing. We all learned once again that writing is a process, a back-and-forth process. All thanks to the white pelicans of Lakeland. Here are the locations that are detailed in this e-Guide:
Indian Lake Estates: Sandhills Cranes with chicks and colts, lots of vultures, and Ospreys up the kazoo!
Gatorland, Kissimmee: Learn to make great images of wading birds in a cluttered rookery.
The Brandon Rookery: Great for nesting Wood Storks, Great Egrets, and more.
Circle Bar B Reserve, Lakeland: Here you will find a great variety of avian subjects in a great variety of habitats.
Lake Morton, Lakeland: There are lots of silly tame birds here including and especially American White Pelican during the colder months.
Lake Mirror, Lakeland: Tame Anhingas, Limpkins, and a zillion White Ibises at times.
West Lake Parker, Lakeland: Here you will have a chance for two difficult birds, Snail Kite, and Purple Gallinule.
Joe Overstreet Road, Kenansville: Crested Caracara, meadowlarks, Loggerhead Shrike, and much more on the fenceposts and barbed wire.
Each location includes a map, a detailed description of the best spots, best season, light and time of day instructions, the expected species, and an educational and inspirational gallery that is designed to open your eyes as to the possibilities.
You can purchase a copy here in the BAA Online Store.
30 Good Reasons to Visit Gatorland
In this short (3:48) video, you can check out the variety of wading bird species that can be easily photographed at Gatorland in Kissimmee, FL in most years. Keep reading for info on the 2022 Gatorland Photographer’s Pass Program.
2022 Gatorland Photographer’s Pass Program
Though the 2022 Gatorland Photographer’s Pass Program (GPPP) is much improved from last year’s program, it falls well short of the great program that was in effect BC (Before Covid). I am hoping that the program will be restored to its former greatness next year. This year’s program includes ten scheduled days. The first is on 19 March, and the last is 21 May 2022. And it gives photographers the opportunity to get into the park at 7:00 am instead of the normal 10:00 am entry time.
Reservations are required two days before your visit. For example, if you wish to visit on 27 March, you need to make your reservation on March 25th. You can make reservations here on the Gatorland website, or by calling 407-855-5496 ext. 226 during business hours with your credit card in hand. There is no late stay option this year. The price is $25.00 + tax per visit and includes early entry at 7:00 AM at the SOUTH ENTRANCE. All tickets are date specific and non-transferable. You will not be able to leave until 10:00am when Gatorland opens.
Choose from the following 2022 dates:
March 27, 2022
April 2, 2022
April 10, 2022
April 17, 2022
April 22, 2022
April 30, 2022
May 8, 2022
May 13, 2022
May 21, 2022
A far better deal for folks who live in the area is the Birding Seasonal pass for $125.00 per person. That includes visits on all ten dates. And best of all, you can never be shut out. If, like me, you are on the list for the Birding Seasonal pass, you can show up on any of the GPPP days, have your name checked off the list, and enjoy a great morning of photography.
If you have a party of 15 or more folks and would like to book a Private Group early entry, Gatorland is able to offer additional dates of your choice (subject to availability and pending approval). Please contact: JoIndomenico@gatorland.com.
The famous Gatorland Bird Rookery was created in 1991 as an alligator breeding marsh. While the birds lose an occasional chick to the gators, they gain pretty much complete protection from ground predators. This unique habitat has grown into one of the largest and most accessible wading bird rookeries in Florida. Today, this area provides protected nesting, foraging, and roosting area to more than 20 different species of birds, many of which are listed as Endangered or Species of Special Concern. Gatorland’s boardwalks provide birders and photographers with access to these incredible birds, their nests, and their young, allowing people to safely observe them while capturing stunning photographs.
You can learn exactly how to make the best possible photographs at Gatorland in here ; details on that above.
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