A St. Augustine Alligator Farm "Timeline"

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BobbyV

BobbyV

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I get lots of questions about the times during the nesting season, that certain things take place. I put together four images from four separate months to give an idea of what you might see.

1. Most of the birds are bringing in nesting material in February and March. This image was taken March 25, 2023.
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2. Snowy Egrets get active in April. This shot was from April 11, 2022.
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3. Late April into May and June the chicks arrive. These Great Egrets were shot on May 22, 2022.
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4. By June the chicks are growing quickly. This Spoonbill image is from June 11, 2022.
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I can understand that, especially with the changes to the trees, etc. Sounds like you are in the act of adapting to the changing environment just as much as nature is!
 
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Maljo said:
Have you used the special photographers platform and how Helpful was it?
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I have used it quite a few times, but just for a different perspective on some nests. It's not very big and it's lower than the rest of the boardwalk. It actually serves as a shaded area to review photos or take a break, and since it's for photopass holders only you don't have to deal with constant passing visitors.
 
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BobbyV said:
I get lots of questions about the times during the nesting season, that certain things take place. I put together four images from four separate months to give an idea of what you might see.

1. Most of the birds are bringing in nesting material in February and March. This image was taken March 25, 2023.
View attachment 55513

2. Snowy Egrets get active in April. This shot was from April 11, 2022.
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3. Late April into May and June the chicks arrive. These Great Egrets were shot on May 22, 2022.
View attachment 55515

4. By June the chicks are growing quickly. This Spoonbill image is from June 11, 2022.
View attachment 55516
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Robert This is a great series of documentary photos, thank you for sharing.

Oliver
 
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BobbyV said:
I have used it quite a few times, but just for a different perspective on some nests. It's not very big and it's lower than the rest of the boardwalk. It actually serves as a shaded area to review photos or take a break, and since it's for photopass holders only you don't have to deal with constant passing visitors.
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Thank you
 
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Question: I have a FL-900 strobe. Is it worth bringing to the Alligator Farm? I saw a picture of an Egret with a black background that suggested a fill-in flash was used.

Tom
 
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Tom Reynolds said:
Question: I have a FL-900 strobe. Is it worth bringing to the Alligator Farm? I saw a picture of an Egret with a black background that suggested a fill-in flash was used.

Tom
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Yes - depending on the lighting, you will probably like having a flash. I don't think it's so much for a black background as to gently fill shadows and put a catchlight in the eye. You'll probably want the related accessories - a fresnel lens to throw the flash further, a flash bracket, and a flash cable to mount the flash on the bracket - but all that depends on your lens choice.

This was with a 300mm f/4, 1.7 TC, and flash. The flash provided a catchlight in the eye but was minimally involved in lighting. The dark background was a shadow behind the bird.

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Eric-
It is not clear how far the OLympus Fl-900 flas will throw. The 100-400 will focus as close as 4' and the Fl-900 has a zoom feature that will narrow the beam and the Fl-900 is setup for the m4/3 FOV.

Are shots sometimes available with subjects in the 8-10' range?

-Tom
 
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Tom Reynolds said:
Eric-
It is not clear how far the OLympus Fl-900 flas will throw. The 100-400 will focus as close as 4' and the Fl-900 has a zoom feature that will narrow the beam and the Fl-900 is setup for the m4/3 FOV.

Are shots sometimes available with subjects in the 8-10' range?

-Tom
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Yes - there are photos of nests and chicks in the 8-10' range. I'd avoid flash at close distances like that since flash is believed to harm the eyes of owlets. The more common use of flash is as a gentle fill for adult birds in flight or landing at a nest. If you can tell flash was used, it was probably used poorly.

There are a number of tools that can help with flash at longer distances. All involve a fresnel lens on the front of the flash. I use the MagMod system which is quite flexible. Fresnel lenses are recommended only for focal lengths of 300mm and longer. The lens can literally start a fire or melt plastic at close range.
 
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Tom Reynolds said:
So I tried, I really tried to get an egret showing off like Eric's photo but failed. I did, however get a good cattle egret, my first
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Tom, I hope that you and your wife are enjoying your time in Florida.

Have you found the Roseate Spoonbill nest in BobbyV's shot with three chicks in the nest? I spent a good amount of time on Saturday morning trying to get a good shot, but to no avail.

I'll be back there in about a month, on my way to Vero Beach; hopefully, there will still be small chicks on the nests.
 
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