I live in Northeast Florida, and today I just drove home from a five-day mini-photography trip to Central Florida. Here's some of what I learned. :)
1. Generally speaking, nature photographers and birders are a real pleasure to be around and are extremely helpful and extremely willing to talk about what they see and/or hear. I did find one exception, which I'm going to pose as a question at the end of this.
2. Changing motels every night is not fun. It's hard to get to sleep in a different bed every night. I sympathize with any of you who have to do anything like that for your job.
3. The light and heat from the sun and humidity level, at least in Florida, needs to remain just like it is between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. in the morning ALL DAY LONG. If you're walking in the shade, it can go to 9:00 a.m.
4. People from other states who haven't seen alligators before don't take very long to change their minds about how big a "large" alligator is (hint: five feet long is not a large alligator).
These are the places I went and how I would rate them as of today:
Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive - Excellent, even though with three times through (11 miles long) I never did see the otters. Research the North Shore of Lake Apopka, where the wildlife drive is, and you'll get some great information. Only open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays.
Circle B Bar Reserve, Lakeland - AWESOME for nature lovers of all kinds. I would highly recommend early morning. For one thing, only one trail is probably more than half in the shade. The rest is in the sun. Also, by late morning many, many, many people are there (there are nice picnic areas, etc.). It's owned by Polk County, and it is, as I said, awesome.
Viera Wetlands - I was sad to see how different this is than it was several years ago. The area surrounding Viera Wetlands has been almost entirely built up, and there were only a fraction of the birds there as compared to when I went once several years ago. There are still three Great Blue Heron nests, but I wouldn't make a trip to the Viera Wetlands just for that. People haven't seen the otters for a long time.
The Sandhill Cranes used to be plentiful. Now I only saw two couples. "The Florida sandhill crane is protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act and as a State-designated Threatened species by Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule." myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/imperiled/profiles/birds/florida-sandhill-crane/. It was sad to see.
Merritt Island NWR/Black Point Wildlife Drive - I didn't make a trip here this time because I was there a month or so ago and there is almost no water, just cracked mud. Also very, very sad to see. Hopefully it recovers. It's a relatively famous place, but it is a definite waste of time and energy to go there now.
Orlando Wetlands Park - A whole lot of walking in the sun, even if you get there just after sunrise. "The Orlando Wetlands Park has more than 20 miles of roads and woodland trails leading through marshes, hardwood hammocks and along scenic lakes." On Saturday and Sunday they run a tram. It only holds 14 people, and it's first come, first served. Last time I was there I took the tram, and I would highly recommend it. Otherwise, I would highly recommend a bike.
Lake Woodruff NWR - So-so. Again, a whole lot of walking in the sun. Not a lot of birds. Plenty of alligators, but that applies to everywhere. I think January/February might be a better time for this NWR.
Now, my question: I saw at Circle B one photographer who was young, probably in his early 30s, and was VERY aggravated by other people. Maybe he's a pro and wants to sell images, but to me you can't go to a place like that and be irritated because there are other photographers (and non-photographers) there. He looked normal and otherwise acted normal, but his irritation level was WAY up there. What do you guys think about that? Have you seen photographers like that, or are they almost always pleasant, like I found all the others to be on this trip?
I really needed this trip, and I had an amazing time. Thank you all for being here and for all your help!
Very nice report, thanks for sharing it. Glad you had a great time!
I have been going to SE Florida several times a year for more than 25 years to visit my ever-older parents in DelRay. The nature preserves there have saved (what is left of) my sanity. Over the last 5 years particularly, the decline in birds everywhere (Sanibel, Viera, Kissimmee, Green Cay, Wokodahatchee, Cape areas) has been very clear and very disturbing. The Alligator Farm and Venice Rookery seem somewhat less affected and are still worthwhile as of a year ago when I was last there. .
Now, I don't see going back again. Mother died recently, and we moved my 96-yr-old father to California so we can oversee his care.
I realized a few months ago that I have thousands of images of herons, egrets, and wood storks from over the years - but may well not shoot them ever again. Surely not the wood storks - they are endangered and scarce everywhere BUT Florida. THAT is sad too.
Sorry you encountered that rude guy. It is NOT typical, from my experience. I have found photographers in general to be pleasant, helpful, and kind - except for one ratty Italian guy in the Galapagos who thought nothing of repeatedly stepping right in front of others to get the shot he wanted. When we spoke to him about it, all he said was the equivalent of "No comprende" with a shrug of the shoulders - then he was caught speaking perfect English to someone on the street
Sandy
Posted by Richard Ditch on March 28, 2017 at 10:28 PM
Nice report. I've only been to Florida twice and never to any of these locations.
How many miles did you drive over the entire five day trip?
I've encountered photographers like you describe on occasion, but not often. I've probably been that way at times myself over the past 45 or so years of photography. In my own experience I think birders are more likely to share sighting/location information than photographers simply out of the joy of sharing. I've met some photographers who don't share, either because they view others as professional competitors, or because they don't want a favorite location overrun with other photographers.
I've always been free with info on the Gilbert Water Ranch where I shoot a lot, and I'm always happy to act as a guide for visiting photographers (perhaps 5-6 so far just from NPN). But I'm also a bit sad to see how crowded the Water Ranch has become with photographers at the spots that used to be very good. I now visit only on weekdays, and I always go alone. But I do miss one friend I used to shoot with who no longer goes there at all.
Paul, I agree that as he ages it will only get worse. I first noticed him because of how irritated he looked and how different that was from everyone else. Then I watched him to try to figure out why he was so irritated. I realized he wanted everybody else to go away, I guess, so he could get some shots of an owl. But there was really no reason for everyone else to go away. No one was even standing near him. So I thought about it and I decided to just go ahead along with everyone else, because it wasn't his owl, you know? Maybe he thought the owl would fly away, I don't know. Then I came across him again when he was kneeling on a trail in a shady part and waiting for a Pileated Woodpecker to come back around to that side of the tree. Meanwhile, other people were taking shots of the woodpecker while he was on the other side of the tree. Again, I don't think the woodpecker belonged to him, right? Finally he just picked up his stuff and walked away.
By the way, if you come across a Pileated Woodpecker in the shade (so relatively low shutter speed) that won't stop pecking even for a split second, I decided you just need to give up and take a video. Of course, I didn't think about that until much later. :)
Sandy, it is really nice to hear that you feel the same way, and, yes, it's been about the last five years. I agree that it is both sad and disturbing.
Richard, according to Google Maps I drove 551.1 miles. I did have Google Maps set to avoid tolls, because there are a whole lot of toll roads now in Central Florida, and I really like back roads, anyway, so I may have driven more miles than I needed to, but I really enjoyed it.
Thank you for the trip report Barbara it is a great help. It's sad to hear about Viera wetlands. We were there about 3 years ago and had a marvelous time, met some really nice birders there too. It's been a long time since we've been to Sanibel and Merritt, it's too bad to hear about the declining populations of birds everywhere.
It's too bad about that young man. He has, hopefully, a long life ahead of him. It's a shame he already has a sour soul, there is so much beauty out there if he would only open his heart to see around the obstacles in his way. Sure it is wonderful to get the shot, but at what cost?
Discussion
6 replies1. Generally speaking, nature photographers and birders are a real pleasure to be around and are extremely helpful and extremely willing to talk about what they see and/or hear. I did find one exception, which I'm going to pose as a question at the end of this.
2. Changing motels every night is not fun. It's hard to get to sleep in a different bed every night. I sympathize with any of you who have to do anything like that for your job.
3. The light and heat from the sun and humidity level, at least in Florida, needs to remain just like it is between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. in the morning ALL DAY LONG. If you're walking in the shade, it can go to 9:00 a.m.
4. People from other states who haven't seen alligators before don't take very long to change their minds about how big a "large" alligator is (hint: five feet long is not a large alligator).
These are the places I went and how I would rate them as of today:
Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive - Excellent, even though with three times through (11 miles long) I never did see the otters. Research the North Shore of Lake Apopka, where the wildlife drive is, and you'll get some great information. Only open on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays.
Circle B Bar Reserve, Lakeland - AWESOME for nature lovers of all kinds. I would highly recommend early morning. For one thing, only one trail is probably more than half in the shade. The rest is in the sun. Also, by late morning many, many, many people are there (there are nice picnic areas, etc.). It's owned by Polk County, and it is, as I said, awesome.
Viera Wetlands - I was sad to see how different this is than it was several years ago. The area surrounding Viera Wetlands has been almost entirely built up, and there were only a fraction of the birds there as compared to when I went once several years ago. There are still three Great Blue Heron nests, but I wouldn't make a trip to the Viera Wetlands just for that. People haven't seen the otters for a long time.
The Sandhill Cranes used to be plentiful. Now I only saw two couples. "The Florida sandhill crane is protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act and as a State-designated Threatened species by Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule." myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/imperiled/profiles/birds/florida-sandhill-crane/. It was sad to see.
Merritt Island NWR/Black Point Wildlife Drive - I didn't make a trip here this time because I was there a month or so ago and there is almost no water, just cracked mud. Also very, very sad to see. Hopefully it recovers. It's a relatively famous place, but it is a definite waste of time and energy to go there now.
Orlando Wetlands Park - A whole lot of walking in the sun, even if you get there just after sunrise. "The Orlando Wetlands Park has more than 20 miles of roads and woodland trails leading through marshes, hardwood hammocks and along scenic lakes." On Saturday and Sunday they run a tram. It only holds 14 people, and it's first come, first served. Last time I was there I took the tram, and I would highly recommend it. Otherwise, I would highly recommend a bike.
Lake Woodruff NWR - So-so. Again, a whole lot of walking in the sun. Not a lot of birds. Plenty of alligators, but that applies to everywhere. I think January/February might be a better time for this NWR.
Now, my question: I saw at Circle B one photographer who was young, probably in his early 30s, and was VERY aggravated by other people. Maybe he's a pro and wants to sell images, but to me you can't go to a place like that and be irritated because there are other photographers (and non-photographers) there. He looked normal and otherwise acted normal, but his irritation level was WAY up there. What do you guys think about that? Have you seen photographers like that, or are they almost always pleasant, like I found all the others to be on this trip?
I really needed this trip, and I had an amazing time. Thank you all for being here and for all your help!
Barbara, sounds like as he ages it will only get worse......
Sadly, it's hard to get away from the crowds these days, so, he will need to adapt or maybe get more remote.
Thanks for sharing your in depth review of your trip.......
I have been going to SE Florida several times a year for more than 25 years to visit my ever-older parents in DelRay. The nature preserves there have saved (what is left of) my sanity. Over the last 5 years particularly, the decline in birds everywhere (Sanibel, Viera, Kissimmee, Green Cay, Wokodahatchee, Cape areas) has been very clear and very disturbing. The Alligator Farm and Venice Rookery seem somewhat less affected and are still worthwhile as of a year ago when I was last there. .
Now, I don't see going back again. Mother died recently, and we moved my 96-yr-old father to California so we can oversee his care.
I realized a few months ago that I have thousands of images of herons, egrets, and wood storks from over the years - but may well not shoot them ever again. Surely not the wood storks - they are endangered and scarce everywhere BUT Florida. THAT is sad too.
Sorry you encountered that rude guy. It is NOT typical, from my experience. I have found photographers in general to be pleasant, helpful, and kind - except for one ratty Italian guy in the Galapagos who thought nothing of repeatedly stepping right in front of others to get the shot he wanted. When we spoke to him about it, all he said was the equivalent of "No comprende" with a shrug of the shoulders - then he was caught speaking perfect English to someone on the street
Sandy
How many miles did you drive over the entire five day trip?
I've encountered photographers like you describe on occasion, but not often. I've probably been that way at times myself over the past 45 or so years of photography. In my own experience I think birders are more likely to share sighting/location information than photographers simply out of the joy of sharing. I've met some photographers who don't share, either because they view others as professional competitors, or because they don't want a favorite location overrun with other photographers.
I've always been free with info on the Gilbert Water Ranch where I shoot a lot, and I'm always happy to act as a guide for visiting photographers (perhaps 5-6 so far just from NPN). But I'm also a bit sad to see how crowded the Water Ranch has become with photographers at the spots that used to be very good. I now visit only on weekdays, and I always go alone. But I do miss one friend I used to shoot with who no longer goes there at all.
By the way, if you come across a Pileated Woodpecker in the shade (so relatively low shutter speed) that won't stop pecking even for a split second, I decided you just need to give up and take a video. Of course, I didn't think about that until much later. :)
Sandy, it is really nice to hear that you feel the same way, and, yes, it's been about the last five years. I agree that it is both sad and disturbing.
Richard, according to Google Maps I drove 551.1 miles. I did have Google Maps set to avoid tolls, because there are a whole lot of toll roads now in Central Florida, and I really like back roads, anyway, so I may have driven more miles than I needed to, but I really enjoyed it.
It's too bad about that young man. He has, hopefully, a long life ahead of him. It's a shame he already has a sour soul, there is so much beauty out there if he would only open his heart to see around the obstacles in his way. Sure it is wonderful to get the shot, but at what cost?
Thank you again for your insights.
Hali