Living in one place has changed our camera work a bit. Even when we walk down a trail or explore a new area we rarely take our camera with us. Instead we just enjoy being where we are and appreciate that it is not temporary. There is something less "touristy" about knowing you'll be here for a long time and we don't feel the need to capture things so much as we know we'll see them again pretty much anytime we want to.
We have taken to keeping our old camera in the van however and that gives us the opportunity to take a shot now and then. Mostly, we snag photos of birds sitting here or there. The majority are familiar birds but they are still fun to spot. We have unexpectedly seen three lifers though and that's pretty cool.
The neat thing about the birds in this area is that they have their "spots". So, it is a sure bet we will see them again if we just go to where we saw them last time. A few times we remembered to actually take a photo.
There is a Kingfisher that sits on the wire just past the Surf Shop. Under him you will usually find Ibis, Little Blue Heron, Tri-colored Heron and the occasional Wood Stork. Just around the corner, on the other side of Publix, on a wire overlooking her own little piece of hunting land is this beautiful American Kestrel.
Annie thought moving to Florida meant no more mountains. But we must cross two to get to the beach. One of these days we'll remember to have the camera ready as we crest the first bridge over the river. The view is wonderful and you can see across the river, across the Intracoastal and all the way to the ocean. In the meantime, this shot of the second mountain (as we jokingly call it) will have to suffice.
There is a small 'beach' at this location and here we can spot four 'resident' birds on a regular basis.
This Osprey usually sits on this perch and repeatedly announces our disturbance of his territory.
One day though Nicole caught him in the middle of his bath!
The Great Blue Heron and Brown Pelican that regularly reside in this area remove themselves immediately and quite boisterously upon our arrival. This Little Blue Heron is more extroverted though. Nicole captured a shot of him with her archaic flip phone camera (below). He will walk the shoreline with you and talk the whole time.
A few non-regular surprises have popped up at this location, too. A Great Egret, a Snowy Egret and the bird in the photo below.
It was a Red-Breasted Merganser.
Traveling up the island one day with Nicole's brother we saw a Bald Eagle. Although they are prevalent in Florida, it was surprising to see one hanging out on the telephone pole with the Turkey Vultures.
Heading toward the US Sailing Center, this Broad-winged Hawk was spotted one day.
LIFER!
At the beach we regularly see Sandpipers, Sanderlings, Rudy Turnstones, Terns, Snowy Egrets, Osprey, Willets and Pelicans.
We don't typically carry our camera or phones on the beach with us.
One day, however, Nicole had to watch the time and so she had her
phone and snapped this shot of one of the Magnificent Frigates that
hangs out in the area (lifer!). Hint: Look at the tiny black spot above the house.
This Common Ground Dove is also lifer for us. We spotted it in the beach parking lot.
Speaking of the beach and our parking lot. Here is a shot of one of the many reasons that we love ours.
Solitude.
