Tampa Audubon Photography Field Trip: Circle B Bar Reserve, 18 Mar 2023

Yesterday I had the opportunity to lead a Photography Field Trip for the Tampa Audubon Society to Circle B Bar Reserve in Polk County. This was a short-notice field trip due to some issues with a trip we had scheduled for Fort DeSoto. Two people signed up for the trip, but only one showed up that morning (Mark). Mark and I met at 07:15 and we hit the trail at 07:35. The weather forecast called for overcast skies with rain threatening. We experienced neither. It was cool & sunny, just perfect for a long hike at Circle B. Winds were light out of the south.

Both Mark and I were shooting with Nikon equipment. Mark was using a Nikon D7500 with a 200 - 500 f/5.6 lens mounted on a monopod. I was using my Nikon Z9 with the 800mm f/6.3, also mounted on a monopod. By the end of the walk, I wished I had brought my 200 - 500mm f/5.6 lens as well, as that zoom lens is better suited for the wide range of bird sizes encountered in this park, and the shorter focusing distance would have been helpful too.

We walked from the parking area down Heron Hideout till we reached the intersection of Marsh Rabbit Run and Alligator Alley. On that section of the trail, we didn’t photograph much. We continued straight through the intersection towards the Eagle Roost trail and saw some Palm Warblers flitting about the trees and brush. One caught a larger insect and landed along the edge of the trail.

Accessed from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Map-of-Circle-B-Bar-Reserve-its-trails-our-trapping-locations-and-the-location-of-the_fig1_343294793

Palm Warbler with an insect. Nikon Z9 with 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/8, 1/1000 sec, ISO 6400.

Mark and I turned around before reaching the Eagle Roost trail and turned left on Marsh Rabbit Run. We walked a couple of hundred yards but didn’t see much. We spoke with someone coming in the opposite direction and he said he didn’t see much the way we were going, so we turned around and walked towards Alligator Alley. Here is where we had much more success. We started by photographing a Common Gallinule, commonly called a Moorhen, perched on a fallen tree branch. It was a bit dark, but both Mark and I had plenty of time to take good shots of this bird and it’s large yellow feet.

Common Gallinule. Nikon Z9 with 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1/640 sec, ISO 2000.

Continuing down the trail, we came across a Great Blue Heron standing on the opposite bank. The background was a bit messy, but the bird had beautiful plumage. We took a few photos and continued down the trail. A few feet down we stopped to photograph another Common Gallinule and a Tricolored Heron. The backgrounds on all of these photos were a bit of a challenge (dark shadows, bright highlights in the Spanish moss, and lots of clutter). Mark and I talked about all these things and ways to work around them to get better photos.

At the outset of the hike, I told Mark that when I go out to photograph birds I almost always have a “target” bird in mind. On this trip, I was really hoping to see a Painted Bunting and/or Sandhill Crane colts. While we didn’t see any Sandhill Crane colts, we did get lucky and find a Painted Bunting! The lone male was feeding in a small group of bushes and trees right along the edge of the trail. Another photographer was already taking photos and we joined him without disturbing the bird. We had about seven or eight minutes with the bird and I think we all got a decent shot or two. Here’s mine.

Painted Bunting. Nikon Z9 with 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 2000. The bird was so close to the trail that I had to stay back with my 800mm lens just to get him in focus. This is where the 200-500mm lens would have been a better choice.

Leaving the Painted Bunting we neared the lake front where we encountered a raccoon and an alligator. We also saw an Osprey with a fish up in the tree tops. In the distance we saw a couple of Great Egrets resting on a tree. I commented to Mark that I thought that scene would make a nice black and white photo.

Osprey with a fish. Nikon Z9 with 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 250.

Great Egrets in a tree. Nikon Z9 with 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 250.

There is a small pier on Alligator Alley that seems to be a gathering place for Anhingas and Double-crested Cormorants. They didn’t disappoint on this trip as well. I counted eight Anhingas and three cormorants, and there were at least a couple of Great Egrets milling about.

Anhinga with wings outstretched. One of the challenges with these birds is that you have to be careful not to blow out the highlights on the white feathers against the black feathers. It’s very easy to do and shooting in Manual will allow you to make the necessary adjustments. Nikon Z9 with 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 640.

Double-crested Cormorant. Nikon Z9 with 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1/1000 sec, ISO 800.

As we left the pier, I spotted a Red-shouldered Hawk resting on a branch at eye level, no more than 20 feet away from us. I whispered to Mark, “look to your left.” I managed to get a few frames in before he took off. What a treat to see such a magnificent bird so close!

Red-shouldered Hawk. This bird was so close that I actually clipped its tail feathers (this is an uncropped photo). Nikon Z9 with 800mm f/6.3 lens at f/6.3, 1/1250 sec, ISO 2000.

This was the last bird both Mark and I photographed. It was a long walk, but the weather was perfect and I think Mark and I got some really nice photos. It was good way to spend a Saturday morning and I look forward to more Tampa Audubon Photography Field Trips in the future!