Osprey Photography as Sebastian Inlet

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Tom Reynolds said:
DV Wildlife Photography (https://www.dvwildlife.com/)

Osprey Tour on Blue Cypress Lake - Vero Beach, Florida
Available Dates: May 8th to May 18th 2023

Eagles + ospreys this time of year @:
Bald Eagle & Raptor Tour - Gainesville, Florida
Available Dates: Year-Round
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I second Tom's call for DV Wildlife tours, but it is almost two hours north of Orlando, and you'd likely be best served by planning early to hire him as a guide. (Florida is a much larger state than most people realize!) The action there can be hit or miss as far as raptors, (Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Kites and Harriers) but if anyone can find them, Dick can. I've been out with him several times, and I remember only one time that the Bald Eagles just didn't cooperate at all.

As far as close to your current location, Loxahatchee NWR, Wakodahatchee Wetlands and Green Cay are your likely best bets, but you might need to be there very early to get parking in the morning. IMO, a cloudy morning/day is best for morning photos at Wakodahatchee.
 
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JoelKlein said:
Ooookay, Went to both locations. First to Wakodohatchee, arrived 6PM (heavy traffic) With the Z600 & 800 pf.
I was amazed how close the birds are. I wished I had with me the 100-400, but lens rentel didn’t have it available for my dates.
The 800 was way too long, or maybe not. Will see on the laptop later. The 600 was better.

At 7PM we were asked out, they close on 7PM. So we hopped over to Green Cay, arrived almost 7:30ish glad I had all gear in car, We took the 70-200 & 50/1.8 it was really no more shooting time. But, against all odds, about 8pm we found a lonely Spoonbill! First time we see it in real life. Its a much smaller bird of what I had anticipated. The birdy was kind enough to come close to get some burst shots in a variety of shutter speeds and ISO. We then switched to Video, until it was literally dark.

Thank you for the help though.
It’s a start…
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I’m glad you got to see a spoonbill! If it’s wings were more white than pink it was probably immature. A mature roseate spoonbill will have bright pink wing feathers with a wingspan of 4 ft or more across.

Enjoy the rest of your trip!
 
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JAJohnson said:
I’m glad you got to see a spoonbill! If it’s wings were more white than pink it was probably immature. A mature roseate spoonbill will have bright pink wing feathers with a wingspan of 4 ft or more across.

Enjoy the rest of your trip!
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I had to transfer and post up a pic. out of camera
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You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.
 
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JoelKlein said:
Both are about 40 mintues drive. Perfect! can I leave now or its too late?
which one should I choose?!
Wakodahatchee Wetlands, 13270 Jog Rd, Delray Beach, FL 33484
or
Green Cay Nature Center & Wetlands, 12800 Hagen Ranch Rd, Boynton Beach, FL 33437
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We have a condo in Boynton Beach, so I visit both while I'm there on vacation. Last time was in January this year. Found spoonbills in both locations. This was the first year that I've seen spoonbills at these two locations. Both are good for wildlife and I like both places, even though they have distinctly different characteristics. I would say birds are more concentrated in Wakodahatchee. There is a painted bunting feeding station at the entrance to Green Cay. I have not seen painted buntings at Wakodahatchee. I find Wakodahatchee tends to be slightly more crowded, and there is less parking than at Green Cay. I never had trouble finding an open parking spot at Green Cay, but I have occasionally had to wait for one at Wakodahatchee. Best to get there early morning before most of the locals.
 
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Butlerkid said:
I used Middleton's Marina 772-473-1885.
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Got the boat for coming Sunday morning. 7:30 - 9:30 (Do I need more time?)
Will take along all lenses, Put the AF in Brid, Auto Area, Shutter 1/3200, @20fps H*
I would probably begin with the 600pf, unless the 70-200+1.4 TC is a better option.

Then I could drive over to Stick Marsh. And capture some SB, Unless the pro’s here think its a waste of time to photograph @ 10:30am. (I’m not going to have another chance on this trip to go again to Stick Marsh)
 
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JoelKlein said:
Got the boat for coming Sunday morning. 7:30 - 9:30 (Do I need more time?)
Will take along all lenses, Put the AF in Brid, Auto Area, Shutter 1/3200, @20fps H*
I would probably begin with the 600pf, unless the 70-200+1.4 TC is a better option.

Then I could drive over to Stick Marsh. And capture some SB, Unless the pro’s here think its a waste of time to photograph @ 10:30am. (I’m not going to have another chance on this trip to go again to Stick Marsh)
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Allow plenty of time in the morning to get to Blue Cypress Lake....... It depends on where the birds are and how active they are. I prefer 3 hrs...... You will spend time going in and out of the marina and want to spend as much time as you can finding birds. Take sun protection............
 
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JoelKlein said:
Got the boat for coming Sunday morning. 7:30 - 9:30 (Do I need more time?)
Will take along all lenses, Put the AF in Brid, Auto Area, Shutter 1/3200, @20fps H*
I would probably begin with the 600pf, unless the 70-200+1.4 TC is a better option.

Then I could drive over to Stick Marsh. And capture some SB, Unless the pro’s here think its a waste of time to photograph @ 10:30am. (I’m not going to have another chance on this trip to go again to Stick Marsh)
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If it's overcast that day, then why not head over to SM? If you want to see the SB's then yes head over to SM though realize that it is a 45-60" drive from BCL and if it is sunny... You're in Florida now and how do you feel about shooting objects in the sun at 10:30-11:00?
 
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ajrmd said:
If it's overcast that day, then why not head over to SM? If you want to see the SB's then yes head over to SM though realize that it is a 45-60" drive from BCL and if it is sunny... You're in Florida now and how do you feel about shooting objects in the sun at 10:30-11:00?
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Loud and clear. I gauss SM will have to wait for another opportunity
 
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Butlerkid said:
Allow plenty of time in the morning to get to Blue Cypress Lake....... It depends on where the birds are and how active they are. I prefer 3 hrs...... You will spend time going in and out of the marina and want to spend as much time as you can finding birds. Take sun protection............
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I’m wondering, are there so many fish in the lake to feed hundreds of hungry Ospreys on a daily basis? It’s not an ocean with unlimited supply.

Regarding sun protection,
I plan on wearing full clodes and a white hat. Only exposed skin is my neck, face, and hands.

Novice question here… As funny as it sounds, I never had to use sun protection in my life before, and I was never on a lake under the Florida sun for a prolonged period. I can use some tips. 🫣
 
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JoelKlein said:
Got the boat for coming Sunday morning. 7:30 - 9:30 (Do I need more time?)
Will take along all lenses, Put the AF in Brid, Auto Area, Shutter 1/3200, @20fps H*
I would probably begin with the 600pf, unless the 70-200+1.4 TC is a better option.

Then I could drive over to Stick Marsh. And capture some SB, Unless the pro’s here think its a waste of time to photograph @ 10:30am. (I’m not going to have another chance on this trip to go again to Stick Marsh)
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Joel, when I went to Stick Marsh a couple weeks ago the action was fast and furious until about 9:00. I won’t say there was no activity after that but it was greatly diminished. Also, unless you have a cloudy day the lighting is harsh after about 9:00. You will still see Spoonbills but the photo opportunities will be less inviting. The islands where they are nesting are too far away to take photos unless you are looking for some spoonbill/enviromental shots. You will likely need to go to the car wash after, as the dirt road drive there is super dusty.
 
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JoelKlein said:
I’m wondering, are there so many fish in the lake to feed hundreds of hungry Ospreys on a daily basis? It’s not an ocean with unlimited supply.

Regarding sun protection,
I plan on wearing full clodes and a white hat. Only exposed skin is my neck, face, and hands.

Novice question here… As funny as it sounds, I never had to use sun protection in my life before, and I was never on a lake under the Florida sun for a prolonged period. I can use some tips. 🫣
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Any exposed skin I highly recommend sun block!
 
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