Happy new year to all!! May you have success, happiness, love and good health 🙂 Bird photography at Fort Desoto has long been a must repeat for me. Though, I have not gone as often in the recent years it remains a prime location for top bird photography if you know where to look. While the location has changed quite a bit, with the elimination of the big trees and the apparition of new large bands of sand, there is quite a diversity of subjects to go after. Note that there are still two open spots for the March 28-29 2020 Osprey tour. Would you like to join?

ISO 640 | f/5.6 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AI servo rear focus
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS II coupled with the 1.4x extender and the Canon EOS 1DX mark II.
Above, two Black-bellied Plovers with winter plumage eating sea shells in the low tide. Fort Desoto remains a top location for shore birds if you know where to look for them. In my experience, many people (bird photographers included) tend to overlook shore birds activity so to prioritize larger wading birds. Yet, there is so much to capture from the “smaller” world.

ISO 2000 | f/5.6 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AI servo rear focus
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS II coupled with the 1.4x extender and the Canon EOS 1DX mark II.
There are not that many good opportunities to photograph Yellow crowned night Herons during day time. While, not being as difficult as working with Black crowned Night Herons, you really need to keep an eye open for those. I was delighted to spot this one on the hunt, and not too close to the mangrove trees for once. The result is a nice diffused background in a captivating stance. For this shot, I had to lay belly down in the muck so to create the very low angle perspective 🙂

ISO 500 | f/5.6 | 1/6400 sec. | Manual mode | AI servo rear focus
Canon 600mm f/4 L IS II coupled with the 1.4x extender and the Canon EOS 1DX mark II.
Wings all the way down is definitely a stunning position for birds in flight. See the illustration with the above Snowy Egret. Having the bird flying close to the ground gives a fantastic sense of perspective in my opinion.
Florida Ospreys Photography Tour – $1,490
March 28th-29th 2020 / limit 5 people – 2 openings

3 boat rides on a pristine cypress trees lake. Many nests are at eye level, allowing shooting from up close in a natural habitat. No big lens needed! An ideal setup for beginners… 2 working lunch sessions with lunch included. $300 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com
Florida Spoonbills Photography Tour – $1,390
February 22nd-23rd 2020 / limit 6 people – Full
May 2nd-3rd 2020 / limit 6 people – Full

2 working lunches and 3 boat rides to the absolute best rookery to photograph spoonbills with breeding colors. $250 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com to be added to the early contact list for 2021!
bob feldberg
Steven Blandin