So how many alligators did YOU see today?

[wfooshee]

Another trip out to the local state park this afternoon.

Gettin' a little sun. I hung around about 45 minutes here, and he never moved except to blink, and once he closed his eyes for a while. I'm not sure I ever even saw him breathe! And no, there's nothing between us. This is a park, not a zoo, and I'm in his habitat, and supposedly bright enough to not bother him, and get out with all my parts attached.



I put the camera down low, used the rotating screen on my D5000 with Live View to frame, and zoomed all the way to 300mm.


A buddy swam out from the grass out-of-frame to the right.


Saw some non-reptiles, too:


Great Egret backlit, shooting almost towards the sun, showing wing feather detail. pretty cool!


Coots enjoying a dig through a really nasty stagnant pond.




A turtle popping up for air. I don't know the species, he was close to 2 feet long.


Not a great pic, but the only time I've been anywhere near close enough to one to try. Little Blue Heron, smaller than the Great Blue Heron, and blue all over, including the beak.


No clue what this one is, so someone help a brother out. He came at me out of nowhere and it was all I could do to whip the camera up and trip two shots. The second one focused on the grass.
EDIT: My thanks to f86sabjf for identifying it as a Green Heron!


Along a trail through the north side of the park, near what we call Grand Lagoon. The lagoon is salt water, unlike the lake where the gators and other birds are shown.


Snowy Egret, smaller than the Great Egret, and distinguished by the black bill.


Great Blue Heron passing by


Another one I don't know.
EDIT: Again thanks to f86sabjf for (probably) identifying it as a Red Breasted Merganser.

[f86sabjf]

wow you had quite the day up there

The great egret shot is really nice. I believe the turtle to be a soft shell .

I'll take a stab at the mystery duck. I believe it is a Red breasted Mereganser (female) Thats the closest i see in my Fla field guide book. I 'm mainly focusing on the shape and color of th ebill and the tufted crown on the head. The one thing thats throwing me is the white mark under her eye.

[wfooshee]

Maybe so. When I look for that in Google images, I see a few that have a similar mark.

OK, find me the other one, the one before the deer!!!!

[f86sabjf]

wooohooo i got it . Look up a green heron .

My book says this heron is smart enough to put a bug on the water to attract fish so it can zapem with that bill. Amazing!!!

[wfooshee]

Ah, cool!!! I wasn't looking at herons at all, because it was so smuch smaller than the other types. I was trying to make it a duck-like bird because of its size, even with that beak.

I noted your assistance in my post, thanks muchly!

[Frog]

I didn't see any alligators but I saw some birds...not the ones you shot though.

Nice photos. How big was that gator?

[f86sabjf]

well we'll see how good i do tommorrow. We are headed out to Deleon State Park for some pics and some snorkeling. Hopefully the wildlife will pose nicely for me. I am just starting out in the photography world but you all inspire me.

Well since you noted my assistance and your muchly welcome . I must note the book that helped me.
Birds of Florida
Field guide
by Stan Tekiela

I believe it may be out of print but know its available out there

[wfooshee]

Gator looked to be 8 or 9 feet. We couldn't get a volunteer to go lay down by him for scale, for some reason.

Maybe next time I'm there and the beach is unoccupied by killers, I'll mark some lines!

[mattb]

Wow, that's a big gator. I think I saw 8 or 9 feet less gator than you!
Lots of good shots but I especially like the snowy egret.

[LPLIV]

Woe... Great set... looks like you are a little happier with the 70-300....Your pics reflect it too!! One suggestion... just to add a little thrill to your day try to sneak up on the gator and tap him on the nose... Or have one of your buddies do it while you shoot the reaction of the gator... We all have had a friend like that at one time in our lives...

thanks for the post...

Phil

[wfooshee]

My friends seem to be smarter than that... What does that say about your friends???

After I left and walked a ways around the trail, I did see a couple of guys throwing dirt clods or sticks, maybe small rocks towards the water. I couldn't see from where I was if the gator was in the water or still on the beach, but I wish I coulda wrung their scrawny necks. Folks like that get park sections closed to the rest of us.

But I do like the 70-300, have ever since I stuck it on there the first time. It's never done anything I didn't like, and I've never had a lens do so well for me so quickly. I've had it for a little less than a year, now. I've used it at the park, an air show, a sports car race, and some sunsets. It never disappoints, except for those few times when a little more reach would be nice...... But reach costs many $$$, and I don't have many $$$.

[paulnj]

any help with bird ID's you can't post in the sticky bird ID thread. most definately a female red breasted merganser.