An Amazing Place to Photograph Birds near Orlando
Located halfway between Orlando and Tampa, and less than an hour’s drive from both TPA and MCO, Circle B Bar Reserve is unquestionably one of the best places to photograph birds in Florida. Situated on the northwest shore of Lake Hancock, the former cattle ranch is now maintained by Polk County as a nature preserve with an extensive trail system that takes you through oak hammocks, open fields, and marshes. The area is teeming with wildlife, notably a wide variety of bird species and alligators. The alligators are the star of the show for most visitors, as they come out to see these 8+ foot monsters sunbathing along the edge of the trail. While the alligators are cool, our focus is on the birds - and there are plenty of them.
What will I see?
Resident birds include the Anhinga, Common Gallinule, Purple Gallinule, Double-crested Cormorant, Great Blue Heron, Little Blue Heron, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, White Ibis, Red-shouldered Hawk, Bald Eagle, Tricolored Heron, and Osprey. Seasonally you may see Painted Buntings, Sandhill Cranes, Northern Harrier, Wood Storks, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Cattle Egret, Swamp Sparrow, Blue-gray gnatcatcher, and a variety or warblers and other songbirds. Be sure to check eBird before coming out to see the latest sightings. Of note, Painted Buntings won’t show up on eBird checklists because they are intentionally excluded to prevent trappers from finding them.
To give you a sense of what you might see and photograph at Circle B, all of the photos in this article were taken over a single weekend (New Years Eve 2023 and New Years Day 2024).
Anhinga. Very little editing was actually done to this photo. A slight crop, minor reduction of highlights, a lift in shadows, a small bump in vibrance, and sharpening with noise reduction. The Anhinga was sitting on a log in the middle of a canal parallel to the trail. The canal was in deep shade and the bird had found the only sunny spot to perch and dry off. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 1000.
Anhinga. Same bird as above, but photographed from a different angle. When the bird was backlit the sunlight penetrated the thin skin of its neck. I had no idea the skin was so thin in this area. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 1000.
American Alligator. A small gator sunning in the marsh. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 800 mm f/6.3 VR lens at f/8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 2500.
American Alligator. A ‘slightly’ bigger gator crossing the trail. Visitors must remain vigilant on the trail to make sure they don’t get harmed. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 180mm, f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 640.
Black-bellied Whistling Duck. This bird, along with about 200 of its whistling duck friends, were nestled in the marsh. Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 320.
When should I visit?
Anytime it’s not blazing hot and humid! Seriously, you’ll find yourself walking anywhere from 2 to 5 miles on the trails so you’ll want to come when the weather is good. I find the best time to visit is December through May. Over the winter months the weather is cool, the humidity is low, the mosquitos won’t carry you away, and the birds are most active. You can of course visit any time of the year and still find the regular resident birds.
Painted Bunting (female). Painted Buntings can been seen at Circle B during the winter and spring months. They can be hard to spot sometimes as they prefer to stay low in the brush picking seeds off plants. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 570mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 3200.
Yellow-throated Warbler. Warblers are common birds throughout the spring and fall migration. I was happy to find this one on New Year’s Eve 2023. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 720.
Palm Warbler. Palm warblers were in abundance during this particular visit. Like the spider that made the beautiful web in the background, they feed on the insects in the marsh. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 550mm, f/6.3, 1/2000 sec, ISO 2000.
What lens should I use?
This is a matter of personal preference, but I prefer a zoom lens at Circle B. You’ll come across birds of all sizes from small songbirds to giant Sandhill Cranes, so having the flexibility of a zoom lens means you won’t have to carry around several primes. I used to bring a 600mm f/4 lens out on the trail which was great for small birds, but I also missed some great opportunities to photograph larger birds like Sandhill Cranes. So now I carry my Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 lens. Sometimes I’ll bring the 800mm if I want to focus on small birds or BIF, but the majority of the time I use a zoom. My recommendation is you use the best zoom you have from your camera bag if you want the greatest flexibility to shoot anything that you come across. If you have a target species, then bring the lens best suited for that bird knowing you may need to forego shooting some birds you see.
Consider the weight of the gear as well. Be mindful you’ll be carrying it for 2 to 5 miles depending on how many trails you explore.
A Sandhill Crane on the trail on a foggy morning. Birds, alligators, bobcats, raccoons, and other wildlife can often be seen on the trail. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/8, 1/1250 sec, ISO 1600.
White Ibis. Where there are flocks of birds, there is opportunity for BIF photography. There was a flock of about 50 White Ibis feeding in the marsh alongside a dozen Sandhill Cranes. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 500mm, f/8, 1/1600 sec, ISO 400.
Sandhill Cranes. A zoom lens gives you the flexibility of shooting both large and small birds. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/8, 1/2000 sec, ISO 900.
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 sec, ISO 900.
Eastern Phoebe. Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/8, 1/800 sec, ISO 1000.
What makes Circle B so special?
You won’t have trouble finding birds. The resident wading birds, raptors, and songbirds mean you won’t walk away empty-handed and disappointed.
The birds are fairly habituated to human presence so you can take close shots, getting all that feather detail, from the trail without disturbing the birds.
The variety of birds is astounding. My eBird checklists are no less than 30 species a walk, and I usually don’t count everything I see because I’m focused on photography.
Varied backgrounds. As you walk the trails you’ll find the ecosystems shifting from oak forest with lots of hanging Spanish moss, to open marsh, to deep black-water canals running along the trail, to open prairie. This means you can get a variety of looks to your photos, with a wide variety of birds, all on a single 2 mile trail. It’s fabulous.
American Kestrel. In addition to wading birds and song birds, raptors such as this American Kestrel make Circle B their home. This bird was pretty far off, yet even with heavy cropping there is good detail in this image. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR lens at f/8, 1/3200 sec, ISO 560.
Bald Eagles. A pair of Bald Eagles flew overhead. One had a fish and the other wanted it. Nikon Z9 with Nikkor Z 800mm f/6.3 VR lens at f/8, 1/1600 sec, ISO 400.
Red-shouldered Hawks. A pair of hawks were perched in a tree overlooking the White Ibis and Sandhill Cranes feeding the in the marsh. I suppose they were waiting for marsh rat or other critter to get flushed by the birds. Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/8, 1/2000 sec, ISO 500.
Is there anything bad about Circle B?
It can get crowded, especially on weekends and holidays. The alligators are a big draw, particularly for families who are tired of visiting Orlando amusement parks and want to get out for a walk, soak in some nature, and see some gators. In addition to the tourists, many locals come out to walk, run, or bike the trails - activities you expect at any park - and they won’t stop just because you’re taking pictures. It’s just something you have to tolerate while in any heavily trafficked park.
While I have never heard of an alligator attack at Circle B, visitors are cautioned to the danger of being so close to them on the trail with nothing between you and them. I constantly remind myself to check the edges of the trail and behind me to make sure I am not walking too close to a gator or one is sneaking up on me. If you’re afraid of alligators some parts of Circle B may not be for you, but there are many other places you can go in the park and be perfectly safe.
Final Thoughts
Circle B is a fantastic place to photograph a wide range of wild birds. If you’re a bird photographer and you are in Orlando, perhaps visiting a local theme park, come to Circle B to get a break and drink in some nature. Oh, and check out Orlando Wetlands!
Common Yellowthroat. Nikkor Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 VR lens at 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 900.
Looking for the best place to photograph birds in Florida? Check out this post.
Happy birding!
