Ft. Myers, FL How about bird photography coming weekend?

[jemini_joseph]

Can anybody tell me if this is a good time for bird photography

in florida? I read January is a good time. Early february is ok?

 

I'm going to Ft. Myers this weekend. I'll get a day for birding.

 

Is there any particular place I should go? I want to get maximum

birds within a day :)

 

BTW, I have 500mm+1.4TC and D70. So my reach is 700mm on digital which

is 1000mm angle of view.. Is this good enough?

 

Thanks in advance..

[bill_proud]

Joe,

 

You will most likely see birds in breeding plumage but not too many babies. And it depends on the tide at the time of your visit on how close they will be. Just beyond the cross dike near the observation tower is a culvert that allows tide water to flow. The inflow will bring in fishfood and the birds will forage at the culvert for it. You will be able to get full frame shots then.

 

Short of that you may have opportunities that require every millimeter of focal length. I'll post an image of White Pelicans at either 1.4X 0r 2X.

 

good luck,<div></div>

[mike f]

I was booked to go to Ft. Myers this coming week but had to cancel. Maybe next year. Don't miss Little Estero behind Holiday Inn. Used to be a real hot spot. The fishing pier near the light house on Captiva Island is always good. Go up to Venice Rookery. Corkscrew is usually average and we have gotten a few (not many) shots at Lovers Key State Park. Coral Gabels (across from Ft. Myers?) area has burrowing owls. I can't remember them all. Check out my web site under Florida. http://www.ordata.com/~lmforbes and go to photo opps. Get some good photos for me since I can't be there.

[jemini_joseph]

Thanks Bill, Mike

Bill, are you talking about Ding Darling area?

Mike where's this holiday inn? IFrom dpreview, most of the people are suggesting Ding Darling.. I have to compile all these places and find out which one will be the best

[bill_proud]

Joe,

 

Yes, Ding Darling. Sorry , when I think Fort Myers I automatically think Ding Darling.

 

You can also hit Corkscrew in the same day although a bit of a drive. Corkscrew has a boardwalk and if you go the reverse way you will come to a bird feeder off a side trail. You may see Painted Buntings here, as well as a Pileated Woodpecker working the trees. It can get darker because of the foliage cover so a flash fill will help. Also beware, the birds are banded, except for the woodpecker.

 

best,

[jemini_joseph]

Thanks Bill

 

Wow!! Painted Bunting is my dream bird. Not sure how many different birds I'll get. I'll try to be out as much I can.

 

Mike

I'll try to bring some birds for you too :)

[bill_proud]

Joe,

 

Here is a Painted Bunting from the back side with an EOS 3 and500mm f/4.5 at 2X? It isn't as sharp as I wanted so I played with it a bit. Shooting on a boardwalk is difficult because people are moving around on the boards. This guy was back in the foliage and is fill flashed with a Better Beamer attachment set something like minus one.

 

good luck<div></div>

[jemini_joseph]

That's a beautiful shot Bill!! I'm also a sharpness freak. My current setup reaches 1000mm with the crop factor. So I hope I can get them frame filled..

 

The painting effect is great. It's quite meanigful for the bird :)

[mike f]

From Fort Myers you cross the big bridge to get to Sanibel Island. If you turn left you will get to the light house and the fishing pier. A must. It is better than Ding Darling. If you turn right however you get to Ding Darling which is on Captiva Island. At the narrows, on teh way to Ding Darling, there is a small bridge separating Sanibel and Captiva Islands and there is a parking lot on both sides of Blind Pass. Park on the East side and wander around. Can be very good. DIng Darling is closed on Fridays if I remember.

 

Little Estero is an island just south (ish?) of Fort Myers, It might even be called south Ft. Myers. It is the road that leads down the coast to Naples. Anyway, down the road a ways on Little Estero is the one and only Holiday Inn. On the beach behind there (and up and down the beach for about a mile) is where Arthur MOrris has gotten a lot of his famous photos. A number of my bird shots on my web site came from there. Anyway all of these spots are Ft. Myers or a half hour away. The Venice Rookery, gotta see it, is about two hours away and difficult to find but should not be missed. There is a boat rental out of Boce Grande (good spot on your way back from the Venice rookery) and Captial Marion will take you to Pelican Island. They "drive", you shoot. They charge by the boat, not the people or hours. A sunset trip here is wonderful with the ibis, herons and pelicans coming in to roost. Their phone number is on my web site. This is another Arthur Morris secret site.

Dang, I think I'll see if I can get my reservations back.

[mike f]

Finally reading your message, with only one day plan on being on Sanibel/Captiva Islands. They had a lot of damage in the hurricanes but the birds are still there I have heard. If things are slow try for Little Estero. It would only be an hour away or even less. Your lens should do very well. In some cases such as the fishing pier and Little Estero a 200 mm to 300 mm can work much better the birds are so close.

 

The fact you aren't shooting a Canon could hold you back a bit. ;)

[jemini_joseph]

Mike, I'm putting all these info into my palm pilot, so that I won't lose them. Someone in dpreview said that she was there couple of weeks back and there are lots of birds. I have two days, but most probably won't be able to spend much time on sunday. But I'll try.

 

"The fact you aren't shooting a Canon could hold you back a bit. ;)"

Hmm, well I miss the IS and superub autofocus. But I cannot afford their 500mm IS or any high end camera. So I got to live with my tiny tools :)

[sergey_oboguev]

If you have only one day, go either to Venice rookery or to Shark Valley. All other places are hit-and-miss and many are tide-dependent. Ding Darling may be good in AM *if* tide is low.

 

Both Venice rookery and Shark Valley are AM places and you want to be there by sunrise.

 

For PM, drive to Ding Darling and try to catch spoonbills at sunset time *if* they will flock past observation tower (no guarantee and flash with extender is a must).

 

BTW, for Shark Valley, you might want also to bring something shorter than 500mm.

[mike f]

I am teasing you on the Canon. Many of my Nikon friends put me to shame with their excellent photos.

[jemini_joseph]

Sergey,

Thanks for the info. I have to find out how far is Shark Valley and Venice rookery from where I'll be staying. I'm trying to be there by sun rise so that I won't lose any minute :)

 

Mike I know you were teasing. I love canon's IS lens, especially 500/4. But I cannot afford it now. May be some day. I'm trying to get 300/2.8 IS as the first lens...