After yesterday's teaser at Lettuce Lake Park and with only a couple of hours this morning before we had to head for Orlando, we decided to continue the water-bird theme and have quick looks at Davis Islands and Cypress Park in Tampa.
Davis Islands
An up-market housing development built on reclaimed land at the mouth of the Hillsborough River on Tampa Bay. The small bay formed by a breakwater at the southern end of the islands provides a sheltered marina for the Davis Island Yacht Club and a sandy beach upon which there is often a variety of birds.
Boat-tailed Grackles were heard among the bushes beside the beach but only this female provided a good enough look for a photograph.
and several Least Terns were roosting on the beach and allowed reasonably close approach
although one was quite obvious in acknowledging my presence
so I didn't push any closer.
We spotted this Osprey with a fish on the mast stay of a yacht anchored in the bay.
Cypress Point Park
A small beachside park on Old Tampa Bay just south of the Tampa International Airport (see map). When we arrived there was a lot of human activity on the beach but there was still some birdlife to be found.
This Tricolored Heron was foraging in the shallow water just off the beach walking among the bathers, seemingly unperturbed by them.
even stopping for a quick bath and fluff of its feathers.
An Osprey flew overhead but I didn't manage to spot it until it was half way across the inlet. It circled over the fishermen in the boat for a minute or so then headed out into the bay.
Laughing Gulls hung around on the beach, only moving if people or the occasional dog got too close.
The morning's highlight was this White Ibis that walked up the beach towards us
and proceeded to feed only a few metres away, forcing me to remove the 2x adaptor so I could fit the bird in the frame.
Davis Islands
An up-market housing development built on reclaimed land at the mouth of the Hillsborough River on Tampa Bay. The small bay formed by a breakwater at the southern end of the islands provides a sheltered marina for the Davis Island Yacht Club and a sandy beach upon which there is often a variety of birds.
Boat-tailed Grackles were heard among the bushes beside the beach but only this female provided a good enough look for a photograph.
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| Boat-tailed Grackle (female), Davis Islands, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/125 |
Two American Oystercatchers foraged along the shoreline and I was happy to capture this one in the reflection of the mast of one of the many yachts moored in the bay.
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| American Oystercatcher, Davis Islands, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/1000 |
and several Least Terns were roosting on the beach and allowed reasonably close approach
 |
| Least Tern, Davis Islands, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/800 |
although one was quite obvious in acknowledging my presence
 |
| Least Tern, Davis Islands, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/1000 |
so I didn't push any closer.
We spotted this Osprey with a fish on the mast stay of a yacht anchored in the bay.
 |
| Osprey, Davis Islands, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/1250 |
Cypress Point Park
A small beachside park on Old Tampa Bay just south of the Tampa International Airport (see map). When we arrived there was a lot of human activity on the beach but there was still some birdlife to be found.
This Tricolored Heron was foraging in the shallow water just off the beach walking among the bathers, seemingly unperturbed by them.
 |
| Tricolored Heron, Cypress Point Park, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/9, 1/1600 |
even stopping for a quick bath and fluff of its feathers.
 |
| Tricolored Heron, Cypress Point Park, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/9, 1/1600 |
An Osprey flew overhead but I didn't manage to spot it until it was half way across the inlet. It circled over the fishermen in the boat for a minute or so then headed out into the bay.
 |
| Tricolored Heron, Cypress Point Park, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/9, 1/400 |
Laughing Gulls hung around on the beach, only moving if people or the occasional dog got too close.
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| Laughing Gull (Adult and immature), Cypress Point Park, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/2000 |
The morning's highlight was this White Ibis that walked up the beach towards us
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| White Ibis, Cypress Point Park, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/11, 1/3200 |
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| White Ibis, Cypress Point Park, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8 (x2 adaptor), ISO 400, f/9, 1/2000 |
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| White Ibis, Cypress Point Park, Tampa Florida Pentax K-3, Sigma 300mm f/2.8, ISO 400, f/5.6, 1/2000 |
Hi Ian I have only read and seen this post after I wrote the comment from your previous post. well you certainly found a lot of birds at this site adn your photographs are fabulous. The white Ibis shots are amazing adn it must have been wonderful to be able to get this close to a lotof these birds. Now you are making me wnat to go more and more to Florida. I hope when you get to Orlando you also go birding as I also have a friend there and I would like to know of birding sites around there. Thanks for sharing adn Iook forward to seeing more from this trip.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret,
DeleteUnfortunately we did not get the chance to go birding in Orlando but did get back to the Gulf Coast at Cedar Key - posts of this to come.
Cheers, Ian