Category Archives: Viera Wetlands

A bad day for fish…

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Photography Interest Group members haven’t been doing much photography together lately.  I was happy that Kevin M. arranged a trip to Viera Wetlands last Friday.  Kevin K. also went along.

Early morning calmEarly morning calm – Along the St. Johns River where it crosses HW 50

On the way, we stopped at a favorite sunrise spot and even though it’s been well photographed, managed to get images we liked.

At Viera, we drove around the main cells a couple of times and saw some interesting things.  This Tricolored Heron had speared a large fish and was trying to swallow it.   It couldn’t hold on and dropped it just after I made this photo.

Tri-colored HeronTri-Colored Heron, this one with breakfast.

We saw a few of the regular birds there, but the ducks and other winter migrants don’t seem to have arrived yet.  On the way out, Kevin M. talked us into taking a quick spin around the Click Ponds and I’m glad he did.  The water’s been low there for a while and the birds are having a feast.  The shallow water concentrates the fish and makes them easy prey.  Birds lined up and grabbed fish out of this small stream that flowed toward the low point in the pond.

Chow lineChow line – The water level in the Click Ponds at Viera Wetlands was very low yesterday. 

Over in the corner was a very large mixed flock also enjoying the banquet.  I spotted Wood Storks, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herons, Glossy and White Ibis, Roseate Spoonbills, Black Vultures, and a White Pelican in this one photo.

A large flock of birdsA large flock of feeding birds

So, it wasn’t a good day for fish, but the birds enjoyed it.

I have many posts about Viera Wetlands here on the blog  that you can scroll through at this link, and many photos you can look through in this album on Flick.

You might also be interested in this quite literal “behind the scenes” look at a very handsome gentleman photographing the sunrise on Friday morning:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/34024553@N08/29844690526/in/dateposted/

Oh, and I might be joking about the handsome gentleman part    😉

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!

©2016, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.

Viera Wetlands – 11/20/15

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I slept in a bit Friday.  Instead of getting up for sunrise, I met Kevin M. at 7am to go to Viera Wetlands.  I know, I know – missing dawn is for photo wimps.  Well, don’t do as I do – do as I say!  Get up for sunrise!

On the way, we stopped by the boat ramp at SR 520 and the St. Johns River for a few minutes.  Water Lily photos are a bit cliché, but I like how the tear in the leaf only shows in the reflection.

Reflection ImperfectionReflection Imperfection

This is a popular place to launch boats.  I caught this one coming back into the ramp and liked the way the wake patterns look.

A boat on the St. Johns RiverA boat on the St. Johns River

There were a few herons along the boardwalk and a great many Swallows – which I have trouble photographing.  They seem to almost always be in the air and change directions before I can track them.  My Tamron 150-600mm lens was also acting up.  For some reason,  it has an intermittent focusing issue.  After I use it a while, the focus seems to slow and then stop.  Usually I can turn the camera off and back on and it will work again, but yesterday that didn’t help.  I did some research on-line when I got home and many folks are complaining about this.  Two of my friends have this lens and theirs sometimes do it too.  I cleaned the contacts on the lens and camera  – maybe that will fix it.  If not, Tamron has a 6 year USA warranty.

When we got to Viera Wetlands, the road was closed (lots of rain lately), so we got to walk the circuit around the nearest ponds. There are very few ducks so far.  But there were lots of Wrens, Terns, herons,and egrets.  We also had a Black Crowned Night Heron, an Osprey fishing, an American Eagle fly over, a Caracarra, a Harrier, and a Belted Kingfisher – all in the distance.  I missed getting a photo of the eagle because I was fooling around with my phone.  Again, don’t do as I do – do as I say!  Quit messing with your phone!

Forster's Tern in flightForster’s Tern in flight – and example of when my Tamron would focus

Kevin spots things all the time that I don’t notice.  He discovered an American Bittern back in the reeds.  They have very effective camouflage.  It took me several minutes to find it – even with him telling me where it was.

Flower and flyFlower and fly – Another flight shot

The Click ponds have been closed for a while.  They’re open now but almost empty of birds.  Maybe next time.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.  Now – go make some photos!

©2015, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.

Viera Wetlands – 8/28/15

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Kevin M. organized a trip to Viera Wetlands on Friday and Kevin K., and I went along.  We were at the small park across from the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp where SR 520 crosses the St. Johns River about 45 minutes before sunrise.   It was very dark – making focusing difficult  and exposures long.  It was also very calm, and I thought the reflections in the water were lovely.

Before SunriseBefore Sunrise – Two frame panorama, 24mm, f/8, 30 seconds at ISO 160

Kevin M. noticed a puddle in the parking lot and we spent several minutes using it to frame the sunrise.  You should check out Kevin K’s version of this here on Flickr.

Hey Ed - sunrise is over here!“Hey Ed – sunrise is over here!” – Kevin K. helping me figure out which way is east.  Isn’t it amazing how level he’s holding that leg of his tripod?

At Viera Wetlands,  the rangers closed the roads because of all the rain we’ve had, so we walked around the cell closest to the entrance.  It was quieter than the last few times I’ve been there, but we still saw many of the usual Florida avians.  This Turkey Vulture was posing in good light on one of the observation platforms.

Why don't I ever see Eagles posing like this?Why don’t I ever see Eagles posing like this?

It’s still plenty hot here in Florida, but the days are getting shorter.  We can look forward to  cooler weather soon along with the arrival of migrants and winter visitors to make the birding even more interesting.

We’ve posted many more photos from this trip on Flickr.  You can see Kevin K’s photos  here, Kevin M’s photos here, and mine are in this album.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!

©2015, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.

Three more from Viera

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I enjoyed Viera Wetlands so much the last time I visited, that when my friend Robert Wilson suggested we meet there I was more than willing to go again.  Here are three more photos showing some of what you can find there.

It's not easy being greenIt’s not easy being green – A Pig Frog.  Believe it or not, these aren’t too hard to spot once you know what to look for.

Least BitternLeast Bittern – Most of the time they hide down deep in the reeds. This one hung out at the top for a bit.  It’s a little better look than the last one I posted.

A pair of ottersA pair of otters – We enjoyed watching these two take their morning dust bath on the dirt road.  I’ve seen them do this several times at Viera Wetlands.  The one on the right seems to have an injury to its mouth.  Robert thinks it might be a cleft palate.

I had a great time exploring Viera with Robert.  By the way, he’s an excellent photographer and really into digiscoping.  He explains what it is and shows some wonderful examples of his photos in this article he wrote on the Photography World site (sorry – no longer available).  Well  worth a look!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!

©2015, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.

Merritt Island and Viera Wetlands

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Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and Viera Wetlands are two of my favorite places to photograph and I had time to visit both last week.  They’re each wonderful and seem similar, yet they can be very different.  When I was at MINWR, it was very quiet with few birds or other wildlife around.  July isn’t the best time for birds in Central Florida, so I wasn’t expecting much.

Blackpoint dawnBlack Point dawn – I’ve seen this area along Black Point Wildlife Drive in MINWR full of birds. Not last week.

On the other hand, Viera Wetlands was full of activity.  Right away, we saw a couple of Osprey fishing:

Osprey with catchOsprey with catch at Viera – always fun to see and a thrill to get a good, in focus photo

And as we walked around we saw Sand Hill Cranes, a Caracara, Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Swamp Chickens (Common Gallinules), a Red-bellied Woodpecker, Least Bitterns, Little Blue Herons, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, White Ibis, and Green Herons.

Green HeronGreen Heron at Viera – posing nicely in very good light

My friend Kevin M. was with me, and he saw a Yellow-crowned Night Heron.  We also spotted a family of four otters crossing the road, and multiple Alligators.

Why did we see so much more at Viera than Merritt Island?  Was it the weather (don’t think it was much different)?  Time of day (we were there a bit later)?  Water type (fresh vs. brackish)?  Vegetation?  Kevin’s luck?

I really don’t know.  I’m just grateful I went to both places and got to see so much.  The moral of the story:  If one of your local photo spots is quiet, try a different one.  You never know what you’ll see.

I have more photos from Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge collected in this set on Flickr.  And more from Viera Wetlands in this set.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.  Now, go make some photos!

©2015, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.

Black-bellied Whistling Ducks

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We’ve had fantastic weather here in Central Florida this week – perfect for a photo outing.  When Kevin K. invited me to go back to Viera Wetlands yesterday with Frank B., I readily agreed. There’s a lot to see with many baby birds about and even reports of a King Rail family.  There are also a great many Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.

Black Bellied Whistling DuckBlack-bellied Whistling Duck

These are common around here this time of year.  I’ve also seen them at the Circle B-Bar, Orlando Wetlands, and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

They’re unusual ducks.  Their appearance is distinctive and instead of quacking, they do have a whistle like call.  I usually see most ducks paddling around in the water.  Black-bellied Whistling Ducks are sometimes in the water, but you’re much more likely to see these perched in trees.

I managed to catch this sequence yesterday.  One bird was minding its own business on a dead palm tree and another wanted to join or replace it.  These four photos capture what happened.  The bird on the tree was not interested in sharing!

Black Bellied Whistling Duck disputes -1 of 4Duck dispute – 1 of 4.  “Hey what do you think you’re doing?”

Black Bellied Whistling Duck disputes - 2 of 4Duck dispute – 2 of 4.  “You can’t land here!”

Black Bellied Whistling Duck disputes - 3 of 4Duck dispute – 3 of 4.  “I said back off, buddy!”

Black Bellied Whistling Duck disputes - 4 of 4Duck dispute – 4 of 4.  “OK, that does it – GET LOST!”

This same kind of thing happened more than once on different trees, with different ducks.  Fun to watch!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!

©2015, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.

Viera Wetlands, Earth Day 2015

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I realize this post comes a little late for Earth Day.  But I usually only publish once a week on the weekends, and on April 22nd  I was out enjoying the Earth.

“Earth Day is an annual event, celebrated on April 22, on which day events worldwide are held to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was first celebrated in 1970″  Wikipedia

I haven’t written anything here about Viera Wetlands lately and decided to head down and see what’s going on there.  On the way, I ran into this scene.  I really liked the clouds, the way the their edge leads to the sun, the reflections in the calm water,  and the illumination on the flowers in the foreground.

Sunrise by the riverEarth Day sunrise by the Arlington / St. Johns River at SR 50, east of Christmas, Florida

I think Viera Wetlands is an proper place to celebrate Earth Day.  It’s a water reclamation facility and the very clean water provides a home for many birds and animals.  Here’s a link to a chart showing the 233 kinds of birds sighted there, organized by month.  Last Thursday, I saw:  Alligator, American Coot, Anhinga, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Double-crested Cormorant, Osprey, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron,Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, Limpkin, Pied-billed Grebe, Common Gallinule, Grackle, Northern Cardinal, Mockingbird, Least Bittern, and Red-winged Blackbird.

This next photo is interesting.  The bird was hiding in the reeds and severely back-lit.  I couldn’t really tell what it was but managed to focus through the plants and get a good exposure.  At the time I thought it was probably a Green Heron since I’ve seen many of them at Viera.  When I got home and could check it on the computer, I realized it was a Least Bittern, a much rarer sighting (for me anyway).

Had I realized it then, I’d have spent more time trying to get a better photo.  Two teaching points (remember these, Ed):  1)  The camera is a good tool for extending your eyesight.  It can see what you sometimes can’t.  2) Always take the photo – you can’t be sure what you’ve got until later.

Least BitternLeast Bittern – I found this little one hiding in the reeds at Viera Wetlands. It was extremely back-lit and hard to see.

Here’s one more somewhat interesting photo from that day.  To me, these look like a large sparrow, but they’re actually female Red-winged Blackbirds.  If you start trying to ID it by comparing it to different types of sparrows, it’ll take you a while to climb back out of that rabbit hole.  The good news is that once you do learn this ID you’re more likely to remember it next time.  If you’re interested, here’s a photo of a male.

Female Red Winged BlackbirdFemale Red-winged Blackbird

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!

©2015, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.

Around Central Florida

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Here are three photos from last week that I made in and around Central Florida. First up is the Cocoa Waterfront.  I liked the early morning look of the clouds and water at River Front Park.

Calm morning on the riverfrontCalm morning on the riverfront. (Two frame vertical panorama, Infrared, B&W, 34mm eq. fl, 1/40 sec @f/5.6, ISO 200)

The morning light was also nice at Viera Wetlands, and this American Bittern posed for us in the reeds.  I’ve been lucky enough to see them there several times over the years. I’m sure they’re in spots like Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge too, but I’ve never spotted one there.

American BitternAmerican Bittern.  (600mm, f/8, 1/640 sec, ISO 320)

Orlando Wetlands Park opened again February 1st.  It’s one of my favorite places for sunrise.  Our walk on Friday morning  was brisk and breezy, but I like the wind’s effect on the water in this photo.

Wee hour winds whisk water and reeds in the wetlandsWee hour winds whisk water and reeds in the wetlands.  (Two frame vertical panorama; 120mm; I shot the bottom frame at f/22 and ISO 50 to extend the shutter speed to 8 seconds and maximize depth of field.  I made the upper frame at f/8, .5 sec, ISO 100 to maximize sharpness)

So that’s some of what I photographed last week.  What did you shoot?  Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!

©2015, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.

Avoid the Familiarity Trap

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We’re blessed in Florida with wildlife we can easily photograph. Alligators are common, and many kinds of birds too.  But how many photos do you need of a Great Blue Heron, or an Alligator basking in the sun? If you live here for a while you may get jaded with our common animals.  So much so that you don’t even bother taking a photo of one when you see it.  “Familiarity breeds contempt” and it’s a real risk in photography – one you must not fall into!

I have plenty of Anhinga photos but I was still excited to make this recent one.

Wet wings and itchy back
Wet wings and itchy back – An Anhinga dries its wings and preens its back at Viera Wetlands

 This isn’t close enough for a “record” shot of the bird.  The Anhinga’s just one element of the composition.  But I like the light, the reflections, and how the bird’s pose echoes the tree’s shape.  If I had glanced at this and only seen the bird, I’d have missed the photo-op.  To be a better photographer, you have to really observe things you glance at all the time.  Watch for good light and backgrounds.  Keep an eye out for unusual behavior, poses, or patterns.  And of course pay attention to new life birds or rare animals to help keep things interesting.  Avoid the familiarity trap.

I’ve put a few other examples in this set on Flickr.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now – go make some photos!
©2014, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.

Viera Wetlands on 7-19-2014

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I went over to Viera Wetlands last Saturday.  It’s best not to expect too much in the middle of summer in Florida, so my expectations were a little low.

First on the agenda was a stop where SR 520 crosses the St. Johns River, near Cocoa, Florida.  There’s a park on the north side of the road with a busy boat ramp and a boardwalk reaching a short distance out into the river.  The sunrise was pretty – here’s one of the images I made:

Ultra-wide daybreak
Ultra-wide daybreak – Five frame panorama – The resulting horizontal field of view is about 130 degrees.

After sunrise I went on to Viera Wetlands to meet up with several Photography Interest Group members.  Kevin M. organized it and we had one of the largest turnouts in a long time.  Frank B., Kevin K. and his son Evan, and Tom M all showed up too.

With the heavy rains we’ve had lately they closed the berms to cars, so we took off on a stroll around the cells closest to the entrance.  There were more birds out and about than anticipated.

Red bellied Woodpecker
A very colorful Red bellied Woodpecker

In addition to woodpeckers, we saw and heard a lot of whistling ducks.

Perched Black Bellied Whistling Duck
Perched Black Bellied Whistling Duck

We also saw many of the regular Florida avians (Tri-colored Herons, Great Blue Herons, Snowy Egrets, Ibis, Anhingas, Moorhens, Coots, Black Vultures, etc.). Dragonflies and Alligators were also abundant.

I started with low photographic expectations and ended up coming home with several images I really like.  I also got to spend a little time with friends.  Once again I was pleasantly surprised by another wonderful Central Florida Photo Op!

You can see more of the photos from trip by clicking the links I included above to each person’s photo stream.  You can also click here to view the Photography Interest Group photo pool.  My Viera Wetlands album on Flickr is at this link, My St. Johns River album is at this link, and my Cocoa album  is at this link.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. Now, go make some photos!

©2014, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.