Great Egret: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — Honestly, doesn’t that hurt your neck? Great Egret cocked a ready for prey. And close. OM System OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Painted Bunting: Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, 2024 — Though the boardwalk behind the Visitor Center is closed, the Painted Buntings are still coming to the feeders in the thicket at the end of the VC deck. It is always too dark in there, but with patience the birds will set on perches on their way to the feeders. OM System OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 770mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. ISO 12800. Processed in Pixomator.

Green Heron: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — I like Green Herons, and there are always a few hanging out in the channel by the rest stop half way around Blackpoint Wildlife Drive. And as photos of Green Herons go, I particularly like the reflections in the water around this bird. 🙂 OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. -0.7EV. Processed in Photomator.

Tricolored Heron: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — I have never seen as many Tricolored Herons at Merritt Island as I saw this year. They were pretty much everywhere around Blackpoint drive. This one was not disturbed by my presence, standing less than 20 feet away as I passed him on the berm. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Reddish Egret: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — I have probably said this before, but one of my favorite things to do is to watch Reddish Egrets hunting. Such a wild and wonderful dance. Such intense purpose and such unlikely postures. This was my first Reddish encounter on my very first day at Merritt Island, before the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival even began. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 614mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds-in-flight and action modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Tricolored Heron: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — There are a two ways you can go on foot from the rest stop parking half way around Blackpoint Wildlife Drive at Merritt Island…or maybe I should say two ends of the big loop trail. You can go straight out, and a long way round, or you can walk out to the observation tower and back. I have only done the whole loop once, and was in some fear I might never get back, so I generally just walk out to the tower. I did not go to the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival during Covid, of course, and they only got rekindled this year, but there was a Tricolored Heron sitting just exactly were I saw and photographed one sitting, just this side of the tower, 4 years ago. Maybe the same heron? OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Anhinga: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — Anhinga’s out drying. Female and male. Male entering breeding plumage. Called the “snake” bird for its habit of swimming with its body totally submerged and just its head and long neck showing above the water. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent (female) and 454mm equivalent (male). Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.

Snowy Egret: Blackpoint Wildlife Drive, Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. Titusville, Florida, USA, January 2024 — Always a challenge…a white bird in the sun. You want to catch the feather detail. The OM-1 handles it very well. And who could resist the pose? This Snowy Egret was sitting up only a few yards from the road. OM Systems OM-1 with ED 100-400mm IS zoom at 800mm equivalent. Program mode with my custom birds and wildlife modifications. Processed in Photomator.