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Florida: Venice and Ding Darling, Venice rookery future



 
 
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  #1  
Old March 11th 04, 05:18 AM
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
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Default Florida: Venice and Ding Darling, Venice rookery future

Hi all, since there has been some activity on this group
on the Venice rookery and Ding Darling, here are a few images
processed from my ~4500 frames from last week:

http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries/gallery.NEW

Also there are some images from the Arizona Desert Museum.

Concerning the Venice Rookery, what is it's future?
There has been pressure to build on the grounds (fended off
as I heard from locals), but with all the building
activity in the region, there are many fewer birds nesting there
than even 5 years ago. So where have the birds gone?
Are there similar rookeries around that offer similar
photo ops?

Roger

  #2  
Old March 11th 04, 08:57 AM
Stefan Jondral
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Default Florida: Venice and Ding Darling, Venice rookery future

On Wed, 10 Mar 2004 21:18:57 -0700, "Roger N. Clark (change username
to rnclark)" wrote:

Hi all, since there has been some activity on this group
on the Venice rookery and Ding Darling, here are a few images
processed from my ~4500 frames from last week:

http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries/gallery.NEW


nice pics - as always
i specially like this one:
Image ID: egret.sunset.c02.29.2004.img_8300.b-600.jpg
TITLE=Great Egret Sunset Silhouette

Concerning the Venice Rookery, what is it's future?
There has been pressure to build on the grounds (fended off
as I heard from locals), but with all the building
activity in the region, there are many fewer birds nesting there
than even 5 years ago. So where have the birds gone?
Are there similar rookeries around that offer similar
photo ops?


i always enjoyed beeing there and would hope that it will last for
quite a long time from now. there are many places in sw florida to
nest but so many on a small spot with that really good photo ops is
not easy to find.

Gruß
Stefan

--


People:
http://www.stefanjondral.de/
Naturfotos: http://www.jondral-naturfoto.de/
  #3  
Old March 11th 04, 12:48 PM
PWW
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Default Florida: Venice and Ding Darling, Venice rookery future

Roger,

Very nice images. I also really liked your Mountain Lion
http://clarkvision.com/galleries/gal....08.2004.img_6
463b-600.html

Great expression, Great framing, Great Light, WOW!

About the Rookery; You were there last week. Late February is not quite
prime time for the Venice Rookery. So that might be part of the reason for
the light activity. Plus, I have seen years where it is slow and years where
the trees have been nearly destroyed by all the nesting. And there is a
natural cycle of ebb and flow of birds in Rookeries to think about. But the
main reason, for the lack of birds think is that is still early in the
season.

AFIK, the good shooting Rookeries are far and few between. What is so good
about the known ones is the birds are acclimated to the people so we don't
disturb the natural behaviors of the birds. And thusly they allow us to come
very close. I used to actively search out new Rookeries in Florida and I do
know a few, but access, shooting range, nest height and other variables make
almost all of them pretty inhospitable to bird photographers.

There used to be another nice Rookery in Sarasota (on private property), but
they took out the alligator that was in the pond, because they feared it
might attack some of their calves. Guess what happened. The Rookery died
off. Alligators are necessary for a good Rookery. They protect the Rookery
islands from Raccoons and other nest predators. I hope they did not take any
gators from the Venice Rookery.

--
PWW (Paul Wayne Wilson)
Over 1,000 Photographs Online at,
http://PhotoStockFile.com



On 3/10/04 11:18 PM, in article ,
"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote:


Hi all, since there has been some activity on this group
on the Venice rookery and Ding Darling, here are a few images
processed from my ~4500 frames from last week:

http://www.clarkvision.com/galleries/gallery.NEW

Also there are some images from the Arizona Desert Museum.

Concerning the Venice Rookery, what is it's future?
There has been pressure to build on the grounds (fended off
as I heard from locals), but with all the building
activity in the region, there are many fewer birds nesting there
than even 5 years ago. So where have the birds gone?
Are there similar rookeries around that offer similar
photo ops?

Roger


  #4  
Old March 11th 04, 03:09 PM
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
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Posts: n/a
Default Florida: Venice and Ding Darling, Venice rookery future

Paul,
Thanks for the comments.

PWW wrote:

About the Rookery; You were there last week. Late February is not quite
prime time for the Venice Rookery. So that might be part of the reason for
the light activity. Plus, I have seen years where it is slow and years where
the trees have been nearly destroyed by all the nesting. And there is a
natural cycle of ebb and flow of birds in Rookeries to think about. But the
main reason, for the lack of birds think is that is still early in the
season.

While I've only been going to the the Venice rookery for a couple of
years, I've been in Jan., Feb, March, and April. The birds have been
a similar density, but different (more anhingas as the season goes on).
But this trip I encountered more locals and several independently
on different days said I should have been there 5 or more years ago.
Each explained about construction destroying surrounding habitat
(off the present grounds) as well as threats to take some of the current
land for other things, ranging from tall buildings to a
veterans memorial. The local Audubon society successfully fended
of building on the site, but the building around it continues.

Personally, I like the present density. You can get nice clean images
without other birds in the background. Even now it is sometimes
difficult to get positioned right to get a good background, but there are
enough clean possibilities, that you can simply choose a different
target.

AFIK, the good shooting Rookeries are far and few between. What is so good
about the known ones is the birds are acclimated to the people so we don't
disturb the natural behaviors of the birds. And thusly they allow us to come
very close. I used to actively search out new Rookeries in Florida and I do
know a few, but access, shooting range, nest height and other variables make
almost all of them pretty inhospitable to bird photographers.

There used to be another nice Rookery in Sarasota (on private property), but
they took out the alligator that was in the pond, because they feared it
might attack some of their calves. Guess what happened. The Rookery died
off. Alligators are necessary for a good Rookery. They protect the Rookery
islands from Raccoons and other nest predators. I hope they did not take any
gators from the Venice Rookery.


That's an interesting observation. I saw 2 alligators at Venice this
trip, one last year (even got images of the alligator eating a young egret).

Roger

  #5  
Old March 11th 04, 04:53 PM
PWW
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Posts: n/a
Default Florida: Venice and Ding Darling, Venice rookery future

Roger,

Oooooo, lets see them. The very first photo I got published (and paid for)
in a National Magazine was of a Great Blue Heron Catching and Eating a two
and one half foot long live alligator.

BTW, your comment "Most of your images are backlit
or very large angle from sun to camera" surprised me. I did not realize that
half of those pictures I put up were like that. I always like your
observations. It is great to get such input and reevaluate my approach and
vision.


PWW
--
PWW (Paul Wayne Wilson)
Over 1,000 Photographs Online at,
http://PhotoStockFile.com


On 3/11/04 9:09 AM, in article ,
"Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)" wrote:


That's an interesting observation. I saw 2 alligators at Venice this
trip, one last year (even got images of the alligator eating a young egret).

Roger



  #6  
Old March 11th 04, 07:19 PM
Nicholas O. Lindan
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Posts: n/a
Default Florida: Venice and Ding Darling, Venice rookery future

"PWW" wrote

The very first photo I got published (and paid for)
in a National Magazine was of a Great Blue Heron Catching and Eating a two
and one half foot long live alligator.


Now that's something I would think twice about before putting it in my mouth
head first.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/

  #7  
Old March 11th 04, 07:40 PM
PWW
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Florida: Venice and Ding Darling, Venice rookery future

It actually stabbed him through the head and neck first with it bill. It
held it that way for quite a while, or till the gator was almost dead. Then
the GBH dunked it a bunch of times to wet it down for easy gulping and down
it went.

You can see it at my site, in the Great Blue Heron Index. It's the first
image. When I did art shows it always was a great conversation starter, and
I even sold a few. We called it "Taste Like Chicken" at the shows, and it
always got a chuckle.

PWW
--
PWW (Paul Wayne Wilson)
Over 1,000 Photographs Online at,
http://PhotoStockFile.com


On 3/11/04 1:19 PM, in article
,
"Nicholas O. Lindan" wrote:


The very first photo I got published (and paid for)
in a National Magazine was of a Great Blue Heron Catching and Eating a two
and one half foot long live alligator.


Now that's something I would think twice about before putting it in my mouth
head first.


  #8  
Old March 12th 04, 06:33 AM
Roger N. Clark (change username to rnclark)
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Posts: n/a
Default Florida: Venice and Ding Darling, Venice rookery future

PWW wrote:
Roger,

Oooooo, lets see them.


Unfortunately, some tree branches blocked the view, but here is is.
Warning: this is an alligator attacking an egret. The main lunge
is not seen, but a little blood and the bird's wing hanging out of the
mouth is.

http://clarkvision.com/photo/alligator-egret

  #9  
Old March 13th 04, 07:53 PM
RichardN22
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Posts: n/a
Default Florida: Venice and Ding Darling, Venice rookery future

Unfortunately, some tree branches blocked the view, but here is is.
Warning: this is an alligator attacking an egret. The main lunge
is not seen, but a little blood and the bird's wing hanging out of the
mouth is.

http://clarkvision.com/photo/alligator-egret


Nature at work. Nice images!


Richard Navarrete

Astrophotography Web Page -
http://members.aol.com/richardn22
 




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