Adventures in Southwest Florida

Monday, October 20, 2025

🦅 An Unexpected Hunter at Rotary Park

Saturday’s visit to Rotary Park Environmental Center turned into one of those unforgettable wildlife moments that remind me why I love nature photography. I was quietly focused on a small warbler fluttering through the bushes — a lively little bird I hadn’t yet identified — when, out of nowhere, movement caught my eye.

Out from my peripheral view, a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk glided in and landed right on a limb in front of me. It was so close I could see every feather, the soft barring on its chest, and the intense yellow of its eyes. Suddenly, I realized — I wasn’t the only one watching that warbler.

The hawk perched silently, studying the same bushes where the warbler had darted for cover. Minutes passed in tense stillness — both hunter and hunted hidden in plain sight. Then, breaking the quiet, the hawk let out a sharp, piercing scream before launching itself into the air and disappearing into the trees.

A few moments later, the warbler emerged from the bushes, unharmed but certainly startled — and I exhaled without realizing I’d been holding my breath. I managed to capture several good photos of the Cooper’s Hawk during those few incredible moments, a reminder of how raw and unpredictable the wild can be.

It’s encounters like this that make every early morning and long walk with the camera worth it — when nature suddenly pulls you into its own story.

📸 What about you? What’s the most exciting wildlife encounter you’ve ever had? Share your story in the comments — I’d love to hear about it!

🌴 Florida’s Originals: Exploring the Endemic Species of the Sunshine State

When most people think of Florida’s wildlife, they picture alligators gliding through cypress swamps or herons wading in the shallows. But beneath the surface of those familiar sights lives a quieter story — one of species found nowhere else on Earth. These are Florida’s endemic species, uniquely adapted to the subtropical climate, coastal habitats, and ancient geology that make this peninsula unlike any other place in North America.

🐦 1. Florida Scrub-Jay – The Blue Jewel of the Scrublands

Meet the only bird species found exclusively in Florida. The Florida Scrub-Jay thrives in dry, sandy scrub habitats dominated by low-growing oaks. It’s incredibly social — living in family groups that cooperate to defend their territories.
Sadly, the same scrubland they depend on is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the state, making this curious, bold bird a living symbol of Florida’s fragile wild spaces.
📍 Best places to spot one: Oscar Scherer State Park, Merritt Island NWR, and Jonathan Dickinson State Park.

🐍 2. Florida Pine Snake – The Hidden Hunter

This large, non-venomous snake spends much of its life underground, hunting rodents in gopher tortoise burrows. With its pale tan body and dark blotches, the Florida Pine Snake blends perfectly into sandy soils.
It’s rare to see one in the wild — not because it’s aggressive or dangerous, but because it prefers a life of quiet seclusion beneath the surface.

🐢 3. Florida Red-Bellied Cooter – The Sunshine Swimmer

You might’ve seen this turtle basking on logs in freshwater ponds across the peninsula. The Florida Red-Bellied Cooter is often mistaken for other turtles, but its reddish plastron (belly) gives it away.
Uniquely, females sometimes nest in the mounds of alligator nests — a risky move that often works out, as mama gator keeps predators away from both her own eggs and the cooter’s.

🐦 4. Everglades Snail Kite – A Specialist in Survival

This raptor is a true Everglades specialist. The Snail Kite feeds almost entirely on apple snails, using its sharply curved beak to pry them from their shells. Its population rises and falls with water levels, making it a barometer for the health of Florida’s wetlands.
Watching one glide over a marsh at sunrise is a moment that stays with you — graceful, purposeful, and perfectly adapted.

🦎 5. Florida Sand Skink – The Subterranean Slider

Tiny, secretive, and nearly invisible, the Florida Sand Skink “swims” beneath the sand of central Florida’s ridges. Its limbs are so small they look vestigial, and its motion leaves S-shaped tracks across dunes.
It’s a living reminder of Florida’s ancient past, when this region was a chain of islands above a prehistoric sea.

📸 Tips for Photographers

Use patience and distance. Many endemic species are threatened; respect their space.
Go early or late. Cooler temperatures make animals more active and light more dramatic.
Document habitats. Capture not just the subject, but the ecosystem that sustains it.

🌿 In Closing

Florida’s endemic species remind us that this state is more than beaches and palm trees — it’s an ecological crossroads, home to creatures shaped by millennia of isolation and adaptation. The next time you explore a scrub ridge, a freshwater pond, or the edge of the Everglades, remember: you might be standing among Florida’s true originals.

Monday, October 13, 2025

8 Essential Tools and Apps for Planning Wildlife Photography Adventures in Southwest Florida

Planning a day of wildlife photography in Southwest Florida can feel like part art, part detective work. The birds, trails, and light are always changing — and that’s exactly what makes it exciting.

I’ve found that a little digital help goes a long way. One of my favorite new tools, eBird.org, makes trip planning so much easier. It shows me local hotspots, recent bird sightings, and seasonal trends so I know what species to watch for before I even lace up my hiking boots.

But eBird is just the beginning. Here are eight other tools and apps I use (or recommend) to help plan the perfect day of exploring, photographing, and connecting with nature across Southwest Florida.

🐦 1. Merlin Bird ID

Created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Merlin Bird ID helps you identify birds by photo, sound, or description. You can even download “bird packs” for Florida, so it works offline — perfect for quiet mornings at CREW or Six Mile Cypress Slough.

💡 Pro tip: Record calls in the field. Merlin can often recognize them instantly.

📗 2. Audubon Bird Guide App

A great all-around field guide for identifying species. It includes images, calls, and range maps, plus connects directly with eBird for recent sightings nearby. A must-have companion for any birder or photographer.

📍 3. BirdsEye Bird Finding App

This app pairs beautifully with eBird. It shows recent bird sightings, hotspots, and even alerts for rare birds in your area. I love using it to decide which preserve might be most active that week — especially during migration.

🌱 4. iNaturalist (Seek)

Not everything that catches my eye has feathers. iNaturalist helps identify plants, insects, reptiles, and just about anything else in nature. It’s community-powered, so you’ll learn from naturalists and photographers all over Florida.

🪶 5. BirdLasser

If you love logging sightings, BirdLasser makes it quick and flexible. You can export your lists to eBird and track your own “life list” right from your phone. It’s a lighter option for those who like simple, clean data entry.

🌎 6. Birda

A social-style birding app that adds a fun twist — you can track your sightings, join challenges, and see what’s being spotted nearby. It’s great for motivation and connecting with other local birders.

🌅 7. PhotoPills / The Photographer’s Ephemeris / Planit!

These apps aren’t for birding, but they’re indispensable for photographers.

PhotoPills helps you plan lighting, sun paths, and even star positions.
The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE) lets you visualize how sunlight and shadows move over a landscape.
Planit! simulates your exact camera position and angle — great for sunrise shots at the J.N. “Ding” Darling drive or sunset silhouettes at Bunche Beach.

🗺️ 8. Gaia GPS

A must-have for trail lovers. It lets you map routes, download offline maps, and mark waypoints. It’s especially useful when exploring more remote areas like Hickey Creek Mitigation Park or the north end of Six Mile Cypress Slough.

🌿 How I Use These Tools Together

When I’m planning an outing, here’s my workflow:

Check eBird for recent sightings at local hotspots.
Use Merlin or Audubon to study target species — calls, behavior, and habitats.
Cross-check iNaturalist for non-bird subjects like butterflies, turtles, or native plants.
Plan lighting with PhotoPills or The Photographer’s Ephemeris.

It sounds like a lot, but once you get the rhythm, these tools help you spend less time guessing and more time shooting.

☀️ Final Thoughts

Southwest Florida is full of life — but knowing when and where to look makes all the difference. These tools don’t replace your instincts, they sharpen them.

Whether you’re chasing Ospreys along the coast or exploring hidden trails deep in the sloughs, technology can be your quiet guide to better photos, safer hikes, and unforgettable moments.