This is one of my favorite images from my 2021 trip to Southeastern Florida. Wildlife is abundant throughout Big Cypress and there was an enormous concentration of avian life at the Oasis Visitor Center on this particular morning.
I will be writing up my Everglades-area 2021 full trip report with map links when time allows.
With morning temperatures at or below 19F our brave team began our Boonton Township birding observations at approximately 6AM on Sunday December 27th 2020. Our team consisted of Nora O’Rourke, Mike Leone, Cheryl Hochberg, Rick Miles, Rick Sedivec, Jeff Scheidecker, and Dave Blinder. One of our very first birds of the day was a Great Horned Owl hooting near Kincaid Woods on Powerville Road which was a great way to start out this frigid day.
Mike, Rick, and Jeff scan the skies at RVA FieldsFrigid morning!Image of an Immature Cooper’s Hawk at the RVA Fields taken through my binoculars
After detecting a 2nd Great Horned Owl in the dark our group proceeded to daylight birding at several locations including Boonton Township’s RVA Fields, Kincaid Woods, Leonard Park, Rockaway River (behind Boonton Senior Center), and the South end of Taylortown Reservoir. Our birding highlights included calling and circling ravens, a lone Hermit Thrush, a Great Blue Heron hunting rodents in a field, 2 Pine Siskins, and several flyover Bluebirds.
Canada Geese on Rockaway RiverHermit Thrush in Boonton Twp
Swallowtail on New York Ironweed at Kittatinny Valley State Park Sussex County, New Jersey
An 18-150mm handheld zoom lens, manual exposure, patience, luck, and direct sunlight were the ingredients in this recipe. The goal was to showcase the colorful Ironweed blooms in front of the landscape at KVSP.
Dave Blinder Nature Photography 