ON THE ST. LUCIE

Quite unexpectedly, I have become a birder.

Sort of surprising but not really - the signs of being smitten with birds have been there all along when I think about it. It is just that within the last year I have started seeking them out, going to the parks and preserves just to see them and perhaps photograph them.

The lovely Sandhill Crane

I have a "bird" folder in my photo software program so it appears that I am a full fledged birder now. These pictures are from that folder.

I am not sure where this bird love is taking me but for the time being I am just happy to call myself a birder. There's a lot to conquer though - the Great Florida Birding Trail winds throughout the State of Florida - preserves and parks full of birds dot the Floridian landscape. Best of all we have nice oaks and mild weather - heaven for birds - right in our front yard. I love what I have read about the Great Florida Birding Trail. You can read about it yourself by visting this site:

http://floridabirdingtrail.com/index.php/about/access_the_trail/

This summer my husband and I stumbled upon this beauty of an owl when we walked in a neighborhood preserve at dusk (Read about the wonderful Spruce Bluff Preserve in Port St. Lucie, Florida, here: http://www.stlucieco.gov/beaches/76.htm).

This was the first time in my life that I had seen an owl in person, so close up, outside of a zoo-type setting. He was actually not that close to us, but via our Nikon we captured this wonderful image of a beautiful wild creature. It is not the best, clearest picture you will ever see, but it is a splendid picture to me, one that I will treasure forever. Here is this image of a magnificent, alluring, mysterious creature - a Great Horned Owl - perched in a wetland preserve located just minutes from my house. Had I not gone to Spruce Bluff Preserve that steamy late July afternoon, seeking out nature to photograph and enjoy, I would have never known the bliss of that moment. To see a bird such as this one is a magical event. It was as if the forest fairies had sprinkled fairy dust over me - I was instantly smitten with this lovely mysterious creature and overwhelmed with my feelings. This was the moment at which I knew I was in love with birds.

Being a birder is not hard as birds are easy to love. For example look at this gorgeous Roseate Spoonbill. How spectacular is this bird? The pink feathers come partly from its primary diet of shrimp and other crustaceans. We captured this lovely Roseate at our local park one summer afternoon. This is one of about 6 Roseates that were taking a water break in the local park (Hillmoor Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida - we are so lucky to live here).

And what is not to love about these photogenic Sandhill Cranes? This scene was a bit of a surprise to us. Previously, we had only seen these cranes walking in pairs, or with the offspring in tow, along the city highways and local residential streets, usually grubbing or on their way to some grubbing...but here there were in mass, soaking in the local park pond seemingly without a care in the world. These cranes have a slow, easy gate and walk regally through the grass and water. They are so easy to photograph because they seem to be assimilated to people and the business of modern life - they are not skittish, however I have read that they are a threatened species that does not adjust well to changes in environment and increases in human population. What makes them really endearing is that they walk frequently (instead of flying) and we see them them fairly often walking along the side of the road with purpose and seemingly oblivious to the traffic around them. However, this comes at a risk as I have seen dead Sandhill Cranes on the side of the road more often that I want to say.

Sandhill Cranes at our local park

I am sure you have seen those photographers on a NatGeo or PBS special with binoculars in hand and Nikons ready to fire - willing to sit for hours to capture the perfect bird shot - almost as if they were possessed it seemed to me. Now I understand what that is all about.

Cormorant feeding at 10 Mile Creek Preserve, Fort Pierce, Florida

Behind those binocular and Nikon lenses, we are able to view a world usually not seen. Behind those lenses, there is a glimpse, in detail, of the life of a bird, the beauty of a bird with such luminous and colorful feathers you are sure they have been painted on, the mysteriousness of an owl and its pivoting head and large eyes, birds at work weaving pine straw or discarded fabric scraps into cozy nests and birds fighting birds twice their size in defense of territories or nests full of eggs and young ones. Behind those lenses, we see that there is a flourishing, engaging, alluring, magnificent slice of life going on around us that we barely see or acknowledge day to day - a slice of life that needs our attention, that needs our camera and binocular lenses turned towards them, as the habitat that supports this life is rapidly dwindling or in crisis. Behind those lenses, we can see the need for this:

and perhaps fight for the funding that supports it. I think that is one place my bird love is taking me - to the regular and dedicated support of habitat preservation. To live my life without this bird:

or these birds:

is a life I do not want to imagine.

To pick up the badge that says "birder" is a great moment in my life. I hope that I can inspire others to become equally smitten.

Wood Storks and Spoonbills savoring the Florida sunshine

I can’t begin to describe how much this summer has meant to me - my husband and I have hiked through wonderful parks and preserves and have discovered how much we really love nature. We’ve enjoyed it while hiking, appreciated it even more when we got home to see our photographs, and as we reminisce, we know that we have now found a new and exciting pastime.

The Beautiful Oak Hammock Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida

It seems a bit funny to think of ourselves - 10 to 12 years from now after our retirement begins - walking down trails with backpacks strapped on and bandannas tied around our necks - funny, but real. This is not the life I imagined...but upon reflection, it is the best life that I could have imagined - sharing the inspiration of nature, possums and armadillos, owls and ospreys, flowers, lichens, sunsets and moonscapes, ocean breezes and chirping crickets with the best of friends, my husband of 24 years.

Decaying tree stump in the lovely Walton Scrub, Port St. Lucie, Florida

Our life on the trail this summer has been so inspirational and has strengthened our relationship - we’ve truly found a common ground. My husband's a fisherman and I am a crafter/reader/dreamer - not many places in the middle of these 2 hobbies where we could meet, but with hiking, we both enjoy the elements of our personal passions - the great outdoors he has enjoyed his entire life and the reflective moments and inspiration that I look for in my hobbies.