Mondays Are Always Fun With The Caloosa Bird Club

Sanibel, FL (72 degrees, cloudy)

Tigertail Beach

John & Is

This summer several of our friends (Is, France, & Gail) encouraged us to join the Caloosa Bird Club when we returned for the winter season. We took their advice and are so happy we did.  Birding is a new hobby for us and there is so much to learn. This club has been meeting since 1958 and has very active members.

Black-crested Night Heron (Six-mile Cypress)

The outings are organized from  November - April and you meet each Monday at locations all over southern Florida.  One or two members lead the trip and afterwards we have lunch together discussing what was seen  Ken Hodges does a great job organizing all the events.  About 30-50 people attend and it's like going on a guided bird tour, only its free.  John and I would have walked by many of the birds we saw and this club has some very experienced birders who know all the best hot spots.

Green Heron  (Green Cay -our club mascot)

Least Bittern (Green Cay)

Gail & France (SRA-5)

Some of the trips involve an overnight stay and one was a full day bus trip to Green Cay (our favorite).  Most, however, are within a couple of hours driving distance. Getting up very early in the morning is required  I'm not a morning person but I rarely grumble because it's so worth the effort.  Well, not too much.

Meadowlark (STA-5)

Here is a list of the trips we've attended:

• Tigertail Beach/Marco Island/Collier County
• J.N. Ding Darling NWR/Sanibel Island
• Pine Island preserve/Pine Island/Lee County
• Sarasota Celery Fields and Myakka River
• Circle B Bar Preserve, Polk County (overnight)
• March Trail (Formerly Oil Pad Road) Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk
• Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve
• STA-5
• Green Cay (bus trip)

Click on the following link for some great information and maps of birding  "Hot Spots" provided by the Caloosa Bird Club

Black-necked Stilt & Snowy Egret (STA-5)

Black and White Warbler (Wakodahatchee)

Painted Bunting (Green Cay)

I didn't have my new camera for most of the trips so my pictures are not very plentiful.  Birding requires a much better camera with a good zoom.  I've loved my Panasonic Lumix but have found it difficult to get a good shot since birds move quickly or are far away.

White-winged Dove (Green Cay)

 Even if you are not a birder the natural beauty of the places we visited make the trip worthwhile.  

Green Cay

Six Mile Cypress

Circle B Bar Reserve

And, of coarse you can see more things than just birds....

Wild Pigs (Six Mile Slough)

Alligator (J.N. Ding Darling NWR)

So, I guess it really is official...we really are birders.  We are looking forward to a few more trips with them this season and will join up as soon as possible next winter. Thanks you Caloosa Bird Club for making us feel so welcome and enriching our love of birds and their habitat.

Six-mile Cypress

"Falling in love with the Earth in one of life's great adventures"

Steve Van Matr

My New Camera Has Inspired Me! Photographs Which Are Certainly Blog Worthy

Sanibel, Florida (67 degrees, cloudy, rain)

Love Birds

We have been volunteering at J.N. Ding Darling NWR for almost three months.  It's been a wonderful experience and the time has gone by very quickly.  One of the great benefits of being here has been the opportunity to attend the lecture series given by Ding Darling (Friday) and in addition, the Audubon Society (Thursday). 

Great Egret Eggs

One of my favorite lectures was given by  Donald & Lillian Stokes who publish lots of great guides about birding.  They live on the island and their free program was excellent offering great tips on photography and birding.  They recommended a camera recently developed by Canon called the SX-50 which offers a tremendous zoom, amazing photographs, ease of use, and best of all a great price. Taking close up pictures of birds in the past required a fairly significant outlay of money for long lenses. Lugging these around and changing them back and forth really did not appeal to me.  This camera is lightweight and gets a close up photo which certainly facilitates identifying a bird much easier.  I finally convinced John that I NEEDED one and have been playing around with it for a couple of weeks.  

The pictures I'm taking are blog worthy.  So, I've recommitted myself to writing again. Todays photographs were taken at the Venice Area Audubon Rockery.  There is a little island in the middle of rockery which is grand central station for nesting birds of all kinds right now.  These photos are of a very vocal baby Great Egret.  Seeing the action up so close is really a treat.  Binoculars are hardly necessary.  

Hello ...I'm hungry

Is anybody listening??

I'm starving to death...can't you tell.  

At last....thanks Mom!

Over the next week I'll write a few posts about what we have been doing and great visits we have had with friends.  Plus, we will update you on some of our upcoming travel plans. Stay tuned!