The Spoonbill Rookery from the Ospreys / Spoonbills mix tour is arguably the best land based rookery to photograph Spoonbills. See for yourself! 2023 dates for this tour are March 25-26 and April 22-23. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com to book your spot.
ISO 1250 | f/5.6 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS coupled with a 1.4x extender and the Sony Alpha 1
The Vero Beach Spoonbills rookery offers many easy flight opportunities for the discerning photographer. The birds regularly fly from their nest to the shore and vice versa. It is hence possible to create many flight photographs of the birds in full breeding colors, as above. In addition, backgrounds tend to be pleasing and some judicious placement can help having the best of both worlds: a nice flight stance with an outstanding blue and green backdrop.
ISO 640 | f/5.6 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS coupled with a 1.4x extender and the Sony Alpha 1
As the birds come back and forth to their nests, some of them will seemingly change their mind on their way out and operate a sharp turn to come back to the nest. The sharp turn is the opportunity to create banking shots. Those images tend to be more difficult to create as one needs to anticipate on a possible flight turn.
ISO 1250 | f/5.6 | 1/4000 sec. | Manual mode | AF-C Zone Focus Area
Sony 600mm f/4 GM OSS coupled with a 1.4x extender and the Sony Alpha 1
Best of all, most birds will have stunning breeding colors on display. The view above of two Spoonbills in pursuit gives us a magnificent glimpse of their upper wings, back and tail colors. It is difficult not to in awe in front of those gorgeous birds. 🙂
Ospreys / Spoonbills mix Photography Tour – $1,390
March 25th-26th 2023 / limit 5 people – 3 open
April 23rd-24th 2023 / limit 5 people – 4 open
3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring => 2 boat-based Osprey shoots at the Vero Beach Cypress Lake + 1 land-based Spoonbills shoot at a local rookery. $250 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .
Black Skimmers Colony Photography Workshop – $1,090
June 25th-26th 2022 / limit 5 people – 1 open
3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring => 3 shoots at the Sarasota Bay Black Skimmers colony. We shoot along the beach, where the nesting colony is easily accessible. $250 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .
Tampa Bay Spoonbills Rookery Photography Tour – $1,490
January 21st-22nd 2023 / limit 5 people – Full
February 18th-19th 2023 / limit 5 people – 1 open
3 shoots and 1 over-the-shoulder Photoshop tutoring => 3 shoots at the Tampa Bay Spoonbills rookery. We typically shoot while wading in the water in the mornings and from the boat in the afternoon. $250 deposit. Send me an email at steven@stevenbirdphotography.com .