Purple Gallinule, Everglades Wildlife Management Area, Miami FL

No north American bird is as absolutely unlikely as the Purple Gallinule…or that is what I think! I mean, look at it. Such outlandish color. Really? How are we supposed to take this seriously? And I have never had views of Purple Gallinule like I had yesterday from Everglades Nature Tour’s airboat on the Everglades Wildlife Management area west of Miami. We stopped the boat and Captain Ozzie whistled up the Gallinule and it came up to a few feet from from the boat, feeding all around us on the lily pads, climbing on the reeds, etc. Quite a show. Of course the light was terrible. Intermittent rain…just enough to keep me damp and make me very conscious of my camera’s non-weather-proof status…but such a treat! And the Sony again pulled it off at ISO 3200. 🙂

Sony HX400V at 275mm equivalent field of view. ISO 3200 @ f5 @ 1/1250th. Shutter preferred. Processed in Lightroom on my Surface Pro 3 tablet.