Return Visit to the Celery Fields
I had such a nice visit to the Celery Fields last weekend that I decided to return this weekend. My primary goal was to photograph a Crested Caracara. Over the past week some nice images of a Caracara pair have been posted to the Celery Fields Facebook page, so this seemed like a great opportunity to photograph a bird that I’ve struggled to photograph in the past. Over the last few years I have seen Caracara’s at Joe Overstreet Landing in Kenansville and at Myakka State Park, but have been unable to make a good photo. Last year I even drove down to Miami where there were reports of a Yellow-headed Caracara - a truly rare bird in North America - but couldn’t find it. So the beautiful close-up photos of a Caracara on the Celery Fields Facebook page were very enticing and convinced me to return to the Celery Fields once again.
I started near the Raymond Road Boardwalk. The farmland opposite the street (which is the subject of a rezone petition which, if approved, will result in DR Horton putting in a 170-home subdivision there) was where I started looking. It’s prime Caracara habitat - open pasture without tall vegetation but with scattered trees, poles, and fences near a body of water. I scanned the fence line and trees but didn’t see one perched anywhere. Then, to my delight, one flew by over head. I managed to get a burst of photos as it flew by and perched on a farm truck deep in the property. A couple of other photographers saw the flyby and we patiently waited for the bird or its mate to come out again, but it never did. I was happy to get the photo, but I’m not a fan of blue-sky backgrounds. The search will continue.
Crested Caracara. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 280.
Next I walked out to the boardwalk. The cold temperatures (around 40F) didn’t deter the Saturday crowds and there was a dozen or more birders and photographers at the end of the boardwalk. I didn’t see anything special except a few Glossy Ibis feeding in the marsh. The sky was cloudless, and by now (9 am) the directional light was already casting harsh shadows. A few of the glossies did fly by and I was happy to get this shot.
Glossy Ibis. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 1000. The jewel tones are really starting to come out in the iridescent feathers.
Gray-headed Swamphen. A non-native species that often gets confused with the Purple Gallinule. A beautiful plumage nonetheless. The dark shadows in the background were becoming problematic by this time in the morning. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 1000.
Savannah Sparrow. This bird and its mate were working the marsh’s shoreline for insects. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/4000 sec, ISO 1100.
My next stop was the feeders at the Nature Center in the hopes of photographing Painted Buntings again. The feeders were completely mobbed by dozens if not hundreds of Nanday Parakeets, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Red-winged Blackbirds, Boat-tailed Grackles, and Common Grackles. I hung around for about two hours and never saw a bunting, which was kind of a bummer. But I did take the optimistic view and had some fun photographing the Nandays. They are beautiful birds, and a reminder of the beautiful winter weather we have in this area of Florida which stands in stark contrast with the wintry conditions the rest of the country is experiencing.
My tips for photographing Nandays:
Like all perched birds, photograph them on a natural perch and avoid taking pictures of them on a manmade structure (i.e., bird feeder).
Photograph the birds that are at eye level. There were lots of birds on the ground and in the tops of trees which I ignored.
Look for clean and pleasant backgrounds. No sky.
Look for perches where there is subject to background separation.
Nanday Parakeet. A non-native species well-adapted to Florida’s environment. Nikon Z8 with handheld Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 370mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 640.
Nanday Parakeet. Nikon Z8 with monopod-mounted Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR S lens at f/6.3, 1/2000 sec, ISO 560.
Red-bellied Woodpecker. This Red-Bellied flew onto a tree in the bird feeder area. Nikon Z8 with handheld Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 570mm, f/6.3, 1/1600 sec, ISO 450.
While I didn’t get the Caracara photo I had in my minds-eye, and struck out on Painted Buntings, I had a really nice time. A good day of birding is always a good day.
Happy birding!
