2006 Florida Wildlife Photography Tour and Workshop

South Florida Wildlife

February 18 - 25, 2006

Limit 4 Participants

One of North America's finest bird photography destinations is South Florida during the dry season. The weather is mild, and birds -- adorned in finest breeding plumage -- are concentrated around locations with water, food, and nesting habitat. From the tidal flats of Sanibel Island to the old growth cypress forests of Corkscrew we visit a variety of productive habitats to photograph birds, mammals, reptiles, scenics, and flora.

Take a break from gloomy winter weather and enjoy outstanding wildlife photography in balmy South Florida.

Six full days of photography.
Small group - maximum of 4 participants.
One-on-one field instruction.
All levels of experience are welcome.
Single occupancy lodging at no extra charge.

SUBJECTS
(photographed during previous workshops)

BIRDS
Anhinga, american bittern, painted bunting, cardinal, coot, double-breasted cormorant, sandhill crane, bald eagle, cattle egret, great egret, reddish egret, snowy egret, northern flicker, purple gallinule, boat-tailed and common grackle, pied-billed grebe, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, black-crowned night heron, great blue heron, green heron, little blue heron, tricolored heron, yellow-crowned night heron, glossy ibis, white ibis, Florida scrub jay, blue jay, belted kingfisher, snail kite, swallow-tailed kite, limpkin, red-breasted merganser, common moorhen, osprey, barred owl, burrowing owl, eastern screech owl, monk parakeet, brown pelican, white pelican, loggerhead shrike, sora, roseate spoonbill, wood stork, blue-winged teal, royal tern, wild turkey, white-eyed vireo, black vulture, turkey vulture, pileated woodpecker, red-bellied woodpecker.

MAMMALS, REPTILES, AND OTHER SUBJECTS
River otter, raccoon, white-tailed deer, wild pig, alligator, turtle, lizard, tree snake, landscape, flora.

ITINERARY

Day 1 (Saturday, February 18, 2006) Arrival In Fort Myers, Florida
Fly into Fort Myers International Airport. Transportation is provided from airport to motel. No photography is planned for today.

Day 2 ( February 19) Sanibel Island
We start our adventure at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island - where the first photo opportunity can be a serene view of roseate spoonbills standing in calm, reflective water, or a wild feeding frenzy along the tidal flats involving a dozen bird species. Reddish egrets performing their frenetic fishing dance and ospreys flying with fish in their talons are common sights on Sanibel Island.

Day 3 Corkscrew
From the wide open beaches and tidal flats of Sanibel we switch to a completely different habitat found at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. The preserve was established to protect the largest remaining stand of bald cypress old-growth forest in North America. A sturdy boardwalk winds through pine forest, cypress forest, marsh, and wet prairie. Ponds covered with water lettuce and duckweed attract wading birds, purple gallinules, alligators, river otters, and raccoons. Red-shouldered hawks and barred owls are often seen on moss-covered branches while swallow-tailed kites soar overhead in search of prey and nesting material.

For me, Corkscrew's best attraction may be its "surprise factor." You never know what you may see around the next bend in the boardwalk. It could be a pileated woodpecker, painted bunting, or a pair of barred owls grooming each other.

Day 4 Venice
After two full days of photography we're now ready for some challenging, fast-paced action photography at an extraordinary rookery where herons, egrets, anhingas, and cormorants nest at eye level. The birds, adorned in finest breeding plumage and colors, constantly fly back and forth with food and nesting material for exceptional flight photography opportunity. All aspects of rookery life are readily observed and fun to photograph. Be sure to bring plenty of film or memory cards.

In the afternoon we may get an opportunity to ride on a stable pontoon boat and use it as a platform from which to photograph a wood stork rookery. The boat is private and belongs to a friend of mine. As such, this opportunity is unique, and is not offered to any other photo tours.

Day 5 Myakka River
Limpkin, glossy ibis, red-shouldered hawk, blue-winged teal, green/tricolored/little blue herons, egrets, yellowlegs, boat-tailed grackle, black and turkey vultures, and alligators are potential subjects here. We have photographed sandhill cranes feeding their orange-colored chicks along the lakeshore, and have also seen turkey, wild pigs and deer.

In the afternoon we check out a bald eagle nest and cute burrowing owls in the Cape Coral area.

Day 6 Sanibel Island or Corkscrew
In the morning we revisit either of the above locations. In the afternoon we spend more time with the eagles and owls.

Day 7 Shark Valley
No trip to South Florida is complete without a visit to the Everglades. We enter the northern part of Everglades NP to photograph wood stork, purple gallinule, egrets, herons, diving birds, and alligators.

The action can be fast and furious when you're photographing a purple gallinule walking on lily pads and a cormorant suddenly surfaces with a foot-long Florida gar in its beak - both at less than 30 feet away.

Day 8 (Saturday, February 25, 2006) Departure From Fort Myers
Transportation is provided to Ft. Myers airport for flights home or to a rental car agency for participants who wish to extend on their own. No photography is planned for today.

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FEE: $1895 (Single occupancy -- each person gets his/her own room at no extra charge). Discounts are available for 2 people registering together and requesting to share the same room.

Fee includes 7 nights of lodging, ground transportation during workshop, admissions to planned locations, guiding, and field instruction. Fee does not include meals or air travel.

PLANNING PACKAGE
A planning package, along with equipment recommendations and a liability release form will be sent after registration.

Itinerary and photography subjects may change depending on wildlife concentrations, activity, weather, and other variables. Our schedule is flexible to take advantage of the best photo opportunities available.

Registration Form