Revisiting the Sea Bird Sanctuary

I have made many trips to the Sea Bird Sanctuary over the years. These birds always make for lovely subjects. 

A striking White Pelican.

This Black Crowned Night Heron was one of the wild birds that stays close to the sanctuary. Between the grey roof and the patchwork of sunlight he was almost perfectly camouflaged. 

On this particular visit I was able to learn a little more about my favorite Red-Tailed Hawk. One of the staff members informed me that her name is Isis and she is just over thirty years old (close to my age). She is blind in one eye. She has a handler that comes to the sanctuary regularly to take her out for walks on the beach. Because of her age she shows little interest in flying but she does love to stretch her wings. I never would have guess that she was that old. They must take excellent care of her.

Feeding Time

On a visit to St. Petersburg, Florida I made a stop at one of my favorite places: The Sea Bird Sanctuary. I found my favorite bird, the Red-Tailed Hawk, but to my surprise we caught her right at feeding time.

Between her talons and beak she made short work of the rat while two of the sanctuary's free roaming Vultures waited by the back of her enclosure; tantalizingly close to the scraps.

To view additional photographs from a previous trip to The Sea Bird Sanctuary please click the following link: http://currentsandcolor.blogspot.com/2011/08/sea-bird-sanctuary.html

Lowry Park Zoo

Lowry Park Zoo is a wonderful zoo located in Tampa. I always have a fantastic time and one of my favorite places to take photos is within the free-flight aviary located just inside the entrance. 

A pair of Pied Imperial Pigeons from Southeast Asia.

A Sun Bittern from Central and South America showing off its beautifully patterned feathers.

A breeding pair of Red Legged Seriemas from Brazil with their two chicks. 

A young Orangutan munching on some leafs. 

An adolescent Orangutan joins the younger one who was eating. I was able to capture this dynamic pose of the older one reaching for the Orangutan below. 

One of my favorite animals from the zoo - a Yellow-Footed Rock Wallaby. Just adorable!

The incredible thing about the Wallaby's was that they were held in an enclosure that the guests could walk through. You were able to be inches away from them as long as you did not touch them. The enclosure also had two attendants standing by the entrance and exit. Apparently the Wallaby's were a little too curious about the rest of the zoo. 

An Alligator Snapping Turtle. 

A resting Pine Snake. 

A Bald Eagle framed beautifully by the branches of the tree. 

A decorative bust in the Asian Gardens.

Easter 2014

I went home to visit family in Tampa for Easter and I was fortunate enough to get several breathtaking photographs.

Normally it is preferred to have an unobstructed sunset, however, many layers and textures of clouds can create a beautifully dramatic sunset. 

William and my two sisters at dusk.

A dock under the clouds in the very last moments of daylight. 

My sister Jenny lives in an above garage apartment near downtown St.Petersburg. Her landlady keeps a stunning garden. Hidden towards the back is an old broken ceramic hand featuring the defining areas of palmistry. 

A lovely speckled plant. 

Ethereal plumbago peak up through the foliage. 

This delicate trumpet flower elegantly shifts to a gorgeous pink hue. 

An close up view of a trumpet flower reveals an interior design that resembles a star fish. 

My sister took us for a bike ride around The Pier. The Pier was an aquarium and unique tourist destination for many years. I remember taking field trips there as a child. In recent years The Pier has become abandoned. There have been plans for development in the works for years, however The Pier remains closed and largely untouched. The surrounding area is still available for pedestrians to walk around and the docks behind The Pier are still open. A brown pelican waits patiently for scraps as a group of people fish. 

A small neighborhood park was covered in plants shedding hundreds of fuchsia petals. I wanted to capture the light from the setting sun as is fell into the park. I didn't realize until later that some of the glare from the sun matched the striking color of the flowers. 

The little brown pelican that patiently waits for my sister to return home. 

Last Flight

I was walking into Walgreens one day when I noticed something unusual on the ground. I decided to get a closer look. 

It appeared that a tiny little bird accidently flew into the exterior wall of the building and a fell to its death. Its wings were still partially spread out as though it was still in mid fight. Beyond that, there were no other signs of injury or disease. It looked as though the small piece of plant material may have been carried by the bird before it fell. 

Poor little thing. She must not have been there long before I found her. 

Fond Memories of Newport Colony

I have lived with my best friend Amber for a total of five years. The first two years we rented a house with two other girls, the remaining three years we rented an apartment together. This is a reflection back on our time spent at Newport Colony.

My cat lounging by the window on a rainy afternoon.

The smooth silhouette of a red-shouldered hawk in contrast to the ruffled foliage of the tree. 

Newport Colony was a very dog friendly community and when we moved in two of our immediate neighbors had a combined total of three black labs. Amber and I would often go downstairs to play with the dogs. Over time an old bird feeder had been repurposed to hold play things such as tennis balls and stuffed chew toys.

I brought my camera outside and began experimenting with whatever caught my attention. I was sorting leaves when I found this tiny black and orange bug. It is an Asian Multicolored Lady Beetle and it is the only one I have ever seen the entire three years I lived at that apartment. 

My cat basking in the early morning sun. 

This picture was pure luck. I was trying to get a good shot of these wild mushrooms but at the time I had accidentally messed with one of the photo settings on my camera. It was taking pictures, however, the viewfinder was completely blacked out so I couldn't actually see what I was photographing. After taking several blind shots of the mushrooms from above I finally decided to try and reset the camera. In my frustration I dropped it and decided to go back inside before I did any further damage. Amber helped me fix the settings and when I upload the photos I only had one clear, focused shot, which happened to have a great perspective. It was the shot that went off when I dropped the camera.

Amber training her new puppy as my cat intently observes from the second story window.

One of my favorite photos of Amber and Lexi. 

This lovely bouquet was a "just because" gift from Amber. 

This photo was taken after a stormy day as I was returning home to my apartment. 

The view of our apartment just after dusk. 

On this particular day I was washing my sheets. It didn't stop my cat from curling up as close to me as he could while I was working on my computer. 

A nice, clear day at the pond near the entrance of our apartment. 

I took this photo of one of the flood lights while I was taking a evening walk. 

A beautiful view of the sky shortly after sunset. I love the way the warm apartment lights are complemented by the soft purple of the sky. 

Last Light

I caught this moment while I was waiting to meet my sister outside of the Mellow Mushroom restaurant. Sunlight getting choked out by the approaching storm while an ominous crow glides up to the power line.

The Birds of Prey Center

The Birds of Prey Center is one of the lesser known gems of the Orlando area. Located on the corner of a residential area, it has a lakeside view and beautiful accommodations for its birds - many of which will become rehabilitated.

This is a Red -Tailed Hawk - one of the largest and most wide spread raptors of North America. Interesting side note: this bird's screech is so iconic that it is used as the go-to sound affect for any bird of prey depicted in television and movies. You may not have realized it, but you have probably heard this bird's call more than other.  

As I was walking around I happened to look down and see this little door tucked away at the base of a tree. 

This Great Horned Owl is part of their out reach program. He injured his wing during a fall from his nest and due to his ease around being with people his is one of the birds at the center who makes regular trips to schools to support awareness. 

Two of Florida's smallest birds of prey - The American Kestrel (in front) and a falcon, poised on their tiny perches watching the rain behind the safety of the screened in patio. 

A couch inside the center decorated with crochet and hand sewn pillows.