Flooded Owls

It seems a bit insensitive to put up a post about going to watch a flood at present, but the owls of Aust Warth are an attraction at the best of times, and I couldn't resist a visit.  I wasn't the only one hoping for some close views - like this snap from a couple of years ago.

Usually the terrain where they roost and hunt is a grassy salt marsh, .......

but a few times in the year a really high tide drowns the marsh, and even the road goes more than welly deep (I know mine were nearly overtopped as I tried to get just one more shot!). 

At first the water seems to rise quite slowly , but the shallow gradient means it soon sweeps in.  The mipits found branches to perch on as did the crows ...........

- but they had an ulterior motive.  As the water comes in the voles that inhabit the land can be seen swimming at full speed inland, and the birds pick them off, chased by the gulls.

I had hoped to get some shots of the other inhabitants flushed out, and one or two owls did show, but sadly not as close as on other occasions.

In hindsight I missed the shot here - really I needed more foreground to show the scene properly.  I still tend to see the shot after my first visit somewhere rather than during.

Naples Pier

One of the joys of our annual trip to Florida is the chance to go fishing.  I struggle to fit this in at home and photography takes priority - hard enough to fit that in.  Most mornings see me down at the pier in Naples at sunrise for a couple of hours.  2012 was a struggle, but 2013 was great.  It wasn't just me though.

Most days an osprey called in  - herring gull like in terms of it's tolerance of people.

Looking vaguely hobbit like - smaller than you would think but look at the size of those feet (yeah I know, perspective, but they were big.

The reason it called in was soon apparent

when one of the locals tossed a fish onto the roof of the shelter!

Lovely views.

The real spectacle this year though was the sight of huge tarpon (100lbs +) smashing into the shoals of baitfish.  If you watch the video make sure you have your sound turned on - the sound was as striking as the view.

naples pier from Brian's 'Wobblecam' Videos on Vimeo.

Other birds joined in - you can see pelicans on the video, as well as dolphins.

There was a downside - if you weren't careful a pelican can snag the hook, and several got snagged while we were there.  most got sorted, but the pictures below reveal the sad sight of some with hooks or almost certainly hook related wounds.  Basically when the fish were really smashing into the baitfish the pelicans joined them and you just had to stop casting to avoid snagging.

Still a stunning place to spend some time

Kissing under the Dung Branch

The winter after we moved down to South Wales I noticed unfamiliar ball shapes in the bare trees.

Mistletoe isn't something I remember seeing 'up north', but down here, and especially in Gloucestershire and Somerset it is quite common.  This year hasn't been too good, but last winter there were berries everywhere.  As you likely know, although probably wouldn't couch in such terms, it's an obligate hemiparasitic plant - although it does photosynthesise it can only grow attached to a tree.  Once developed you can hardly see the join ......

but it is clearly completely different to the host.

The tree in the first shot had a fabulous crop of berries last year and really I should have tried to get some snaps of the redwing and fieldfare that visited, but the branches were high, the birds flighty and I don't think even a hide would have worked assuming the farmer tolerated it.  Still with rainclouds behind the tree looked good.

Dung branch?  The sticky seeds spread in bird poo, and one theory about the name is that it stems from the German words mist (dung) and tang (branch).

Marco Island III

After the sun got to the point where contrast was unmanageable I left the owls and wandered down to the reserve at Tigertail Beach while I was waiting for Kay, Simon and Angela to arrive. 

The tide was slowly coming in but it was too early for most of the waders to put in an appearance.  I'd left the camera kit in the car, other than my pocket Panasonic, so all these pics are with that.  I've said before it's not a bad little camera, and it was good enough to snap a ghost crab (one big claw) and a Wilson's plover.

Once the rest of the crew arrived we had a cracking day.  Canoeing on the lagoon is always fun, and I swear one of these days a big mullet really will jump into the canoe with me.  Some really are quite a good size - maybe next year Simon and I will actually get around to trying to catch some.  In the meantime we were content to drift along watching the egrets - least blue and reddish - as always they some more relaxed when you are in a boat.

Then we paddled to the far side and wandered along the white sand beach - good spot for shells, but just a great spot full stop.  A few more waders - a weakness of mine naming wise.  I think these might be short-billed dowitchers - if you know differently let me know!

After a fabulous veggie wrap (I'm not a veggie, but this is so unusual for the US I have to mention it!) the others wanted to see if any owls were around.  There were a couple still showing but the other denizens of the orange taped holes were also about - gopher tortoises, and this time one posed more happily.

If you are ever out this way do visit Marco Island and Tigertail in particular - there's even a bald eagle nest a couple of blocks away.

Marco Island II

Thought I'd add in a short video of the owls.  As usual shot on my pocket compact.

Burrowing owls of Marco Island from Brian's 'Wobblecam' Videos on Vimeo.

Marco Island I

About 50 minutes from where we stay in Naples lies Marco Island.  Like some of the other small islands on the Florida coast to Marco is very 'developed'.

However the island does have it's treasures.  Scattered around there are still plots of land yet to have a house plonked on them and amazingly these were the source of my favourite snaps from the holiday.  I had heard about the burrowing owls on a previous visit and an email to Nancy Ritchie City of Marco Island Environmental Specialist gave me a steer to some nest sites.  In fact as I was to find out the owls are doing well and even before I went I had found some other sites as well - all will be explained later!

In all I had 2 trips - one visit instead of a morning fishing session, and then a second on a day when Kay, Simon and Angela all came down to join me.  On day 1 the light wasn't so good, but I found the owls, they were very confiding with a little care (it seemed some sites were more used to people than others) and I couldn't wait to visit in better light.

Trip 2 saw better light, but the dawn glow didn't last and  I was soon reminded how strong sunlight can be, creating harsh contrast,  Still I got more snaps of a very relaxed pair of owls.

In general pics of wildlife look better if the object is looking in your direction, but in contrast to appearances most of the time I was ignored and the owls scanned for other threats - large birds overhead provoked some concern, ............

and whilst people strolling past didn't seem to worry them there was more of a reaction if they were walking dogs - or a large noisy lorry went past.

My visits were still quite short and I didn't get much chance to snap behaviours other than scanning the neighbourhood.  I had to giggle though when one of the pair started to do some housework.

At least at home I don't run the risk of being blinded if I get in the way!!

I said I found more nest sites before I visited - the power of Google maps.  You see the nest sites are protected by the City Council, each resembling a crime scene marked out with orange tape - and you can see them on satellite view!  I later found that not all the taped sites belonged to owls, but that's the next post.

More owl snaps in the web album HERE.