State of the Island

My affinity for shore and sea birds came about under auspicious circumstances. My friend who is  a bird aficionado had been tapped by the Choctawhatchee Audubon group to take part in a post BP disaster bird count along Santa Rosa Island. Her count area included Navarre Sound and after several weeks of the surveys she contacted me and told me stories about the winged wonders she was observing. Nelda knew of my passion for wildlife photography and I was compelled to join the dawn beach patrol. 

A Black Skimmer

 

 

 

Birds at the Sound at Dawn

The Sandpiper Shelter-Navarre Park,FL

The research continued for two years every Saturday at dawn from spring until late fall, but I became fascinated with the birds and made weekly trips to not only Navarre, but expanded my photo safaris through the National Seashore west of Navarre and also throughout Fort Pickens. It’s now year 3 and I am still out there, albeit not every Saturday. Many weekdays I have the park nearly to myself.

Watching Reddish Egrets do their fishing dance in tidal ponds at Navarre has been nothing short of mesmerizing. I’ve concluded they do it as much for fun as for shadowing bait fish for breakfast. Watching birds like Ruddy Turnstones, Dunlins and Plovers play seasonal change artists and beleaguered my interest in the already hard to identify little avians. My photography has been the tool that lets me put a proper name to that littleblackandwhitebirdwithayellowbillandgreylegs.

Reddish Egrets -Territory Dispute

Reddish Egret -Herding Bait Fish

The greatest wonder I have followed is the ever increasing Osprey population in Fort Pickens. Hurricane Ivan decimated the forests in the park leaving it rather forlorn looking and peppered with hundreds of tall barren trees. Apparently it took several years for the `tweet’ to circulate that Osprey nesting heaven was plentiful in the Pensacola bay area.

Osprey Nest Building-Fort Pickens, FL

2010 saw a good number of successful nesting Ospreys and that population increased into 2011. I had been photographing and following a number of the birds, but did not try to make a close count of the actual nests.

Starting a New Osprey Nest

In 2012 I noted a website entitled Ospreywatch.org where fans of the bird from around the world were urged to follow and report on local nesting pairs. “Why not do Pickens?” I exclaimed. So starting in February when a group of about 10-12 Ospreys returned to the Park, I started my nest counting.

Mating and Nest Building

Several Nests in Progress

Between the NPS provided platforms and the previous and newly constructed nests, I initially counted about 12 nests.  In each subsequent visit there were more and more new birds and also more new nests. The last count I could confirm was 22 active nests with two adult Ospreys in attendance. I believe there actually are more, but some are in areas that are difficult to access.

It is now June and the most senior nests have fledglings that are learning to fly. They can be spotted in their nests and in trees near their nests flapping and ogling at their big feathery wings as if to say “Is this how it’s supposed to work?”

Fledgling Learning the Ropes

Youngsters in Nest

The other nests sport chicks of various ages, but if I am patient, I can catch a glimpse of the youngsters as either Mom or Pop brings home a big tasty fish. It will be one busy air space when all the young Ospreys and their parents start to soar the skies at Pickens. The Blue Angels will have some competition for their aerobatic shows!

I was saddened to see that the tropical storms that came through our area in June had a devastating effect on the nesting Least Terns and Black Skimmers all along my island route. The numbers of both species this year was low to begin with and the wash overs took out all the existing eggs and nests. Two of the newer Osprey nests went down and one of the Great Blue Heron nests was gone as well.

I keep good thoughts that we will not have a continuing season of tropical storms-or worse. It will be a wonder to see flocks of Osprey as they soar across our sparkling emerald coast!

You can follow my observation images here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cathy_hennessy/

Bringing Home the Bacon

                              A Trip to Remember

I had the pleasure of organizing a trip for six women wildlife photographers to the Wakulla/Leon Counties areas of Florida the weekend of April 13-15, 2012. We rented a fabulous townhouse right on the Ochlockonee Bay and had the entire “M” group of birding and wildlife sites to choose to visit from the GFBWT Panhandle Guidebook. We met early Friday morning at Wakulla Springs State Park for the first boat tour out on the river. I along with photographer Phyllis Freels of Elberta, AL had been to the springs previously, but for the rest it was a first adventure. The springs never fail to amaze!

                                                   Wakulla Cypress by Cathy Hennessy





 It was a glorious sunny day with mild temperatures and a plethora of birds and wildlife. Jumping mullets, Longnose Gar and Manatees greeted us even before we boarded the electric motored tour boat. Black Vultures soared and roosted in the newly greened cypress trees while a Great Egret preened itself on the island just out from the docks. We quietly motored down river and were delighted to see Little Blue Herons, ‘Slider’ turtles, Anhingas, Cormorants, nesting Osprey and the ever present alligators. Moorhens scolded us if we got too close and since we knew the old Tarzan movies had been filmed at Wakulla and that the Moorhen call had been used for Cheetah the Chimpanzee’s ‘voice,’ we couldn’t help but laugh at old memories while making new.




 We had three exceptional sightings; a Barred Owl, a Yellow-crowned Night-Heron and a Least Bittern.

Barred Owl by Sherry Frost

Yellow-crowned Night –Heron By Cathy Hennessy

                                                       

Least Bittern by Cathy Hennessy

We lunched at the Wakulla Springs Lodge before heading to Panacea and our lovely townhouse for the weekend. Our group included Phyllis Freels, Debbie Goddard, Kathy Hicks, Sherry Frost, Georgia Simms and Cathy Hennessy. Later we ventured to Otter Lake in Panacea to capture the sunset but realized the sun was going to set to the south of us. We caught the reflecting sun on the cypress trees in the boat launch bay and watched a pair of nesting Osprey as they hunted fish on the glossy smooth water. Great Blue Herons were also roosting in the trees and flying overhead.

 Otter Lake Cypress at Sunset by Cathy Hennessy

Osprey in Nest-Otter Lake

We thought we had closed our day and headed for the Ochlockonee Bay house when I realized the sun had not quite said goodbye. I lead our two car caravan onto the Ochlockonee Bay Bridge where we pulled to the side and watched the great red and gold orb slip behind the multi-hued bay waters. We had a fabulous day and still had two more ahead of us!

Sunset on Ochlockonee Bay By Cathy Hennessy

I have been driving myself to seek all things outdoors and capturing images of the creatures that inhabit Northwest Florida. I find the pursuit to be innocent and deliberate. There is no malice in my pursuit. My love of animals is reflecteded in how not only how I perceive them, but how they perceive me.

My Encounter with Wild Bobcats at St Marks FL NWR

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cathy_hennessy/sets/72157628628720915/

I grew up finding ways to be with and around all kinds of creatures. As a kid, salamanders, frogs and snakes were my delights. The animals just got bigger, and horses overwhelmed everything.

I bought my own first horse by babysitting the neighbor's kids. .50 cents an hour and I saved $300 before I turned 12 years old!!

My first horse - Candy

I seem to have the ability to create environments where animals thrive. My 31 year old Paint stallion that I became a partner with when he was 18 months old, died just a few weeks before Christmas 2011.

Preacher's Jet Bar - 4th Level Dressage

Many human relationships could envy the time and wonder we had together. I hope there is a heaven where we can be together again and fly across the clouds as one. I miss you and love you PJ!

I retired in 2004 and moved to Florida after 30 years in law enforcement. A respectable career which offered me a way to retire at a younger age and then pursue a secondary life. Believe me, you do NOT want cops on the beat or in investigation after 25 or 30 years!!

I worked against all odds a good part of my life, and when I found law enforcement to be a career of choice in the '70's - you can imagine nearly everyone's reaction - "Well - you have to be a man!"

NOT really!

 After a chapter of my life that may be revealed, that involves running away from Augsburg College in Mpls and landing in LA, CA  where I received an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from Los Angeles Valley College (while working at Universal Studios); I ended up back in Minnesota.

I dunno. Most times our decisions are based on money or love as to where we eventually end up. At that time I couldn't get hired by LAPD because I was too short! You had to be 5'10" and have 20/25 vision.

LA Sheriff's Office offered me a job, when I turned 21 (about 11 months) and guaranteed I would serve a minimun of 4 years in the LA Jail before ever getting a chance to move to a subdivision or patrol.

I had broken up with a boy friend, had the insight of a 20 yr old, and packed my faltering car, 2 cats and moved back to Minnesota.

Part of this reminiscence tonight  has to do with an encounter I had with what we in LE call DOT.cops. You know here in FL - the uniformed guys out there catching the over- weight and under slept truckers??

Well, apparently now since I am sure our goof- ball, screw State- worker Governor Scott has thrown a scare at the lazy DOT.cops, they have decided to be the new freeway speed enforcers!!

Just what we need - more revenuers!

I was moving with traffic on a rural section of a divided freeway, rather imperatively trying to get a to a medical supply that was only available in Fort Walton, from Milton, FL. After days of hauling camera gear on miles of trails .my pinched nerves in my back were leading me to another round of bed rest and I found a traction device that alleged it would help to alleviate some of the back pressure.

DOT cop was in the median. I guess the car on my bumper was the smart driver since he was tail- gating me. DOT cop must have been in ticket heaven. Even though I did let him know I was retired LE after 28+ years, it appears that DOT cops really don't share the same concerns and camaraderie that real blue cops hold.

I worked way too many nights with only two or three other single officer cars on patrol when serious trouble could happen. There were a number of times in my 28 years where off-duty or retired police or firefighters bailed my ass out of a jam or at least helped me manage a situation.

I'll never beg a cop to be given a break for speeding on a freeway. It's a God Damned  FREEWAY! Let's get the revenuing off the rural freeways!! However I do sometimes find it hard to justify the fact that  these single, out there on their own LE people, might just need my trained, (licensed) armed  help in the future. They too will be retired one day and will find that their driving behavior which  they were tirelessly trained to perform and were allowed to perform nearly without discretion, will become an unforgiving liability that the new street  uniforms will  make criminal.

The sad part of being a retired cop is that basically you are nobody.

Cathy

A Day at Gulf Breeze Zoo

Sunday, January 15, 2012.
I have been out and about the past several days searching for all things outdoors to photograph. On Saturday I stopped by Navarre Park and found an extreme low tide and literally 3 birds that seemed to be stuck in place. I didn't wander out since there really was nothing to shoot.

I decided that I hadn't been to the Gulf Breeze Zoo in quite some time and maybe it would be worth checking out. Last fall the new owners had been making headway at improving and expanding the zoo and after yesterday's visit, it appears they are doing a pretty good job.

 They have an expanded farm-type children's area, but even I found the llamas and water buffalo quite charming and amusing.

All the semi-domestic animals could be hand fed and were quite amiable, albeit the llamas took offense if they thought a patron was holding out on the feed and tended to spit at a few of the fathers in family groups.

I found it interesting that they have a lot of pretty chickens running freely throughout the zoo. I know from my own farms that they are great for cleaning up everything from spills to manure so maybe they are part of the maintenance team.

The zoo has three giraffes now. I was saddened when they inexplicably lost one a while back.

Again patrons are allowed to freely feed these big blue tongued creatures. It really is astounding to walk up and stand nearly next to them and see just how enormous they really are. My visions of being a zookeeper got a reality check.

One of the Chimpanzees on Chimp Island has taken over the role of viewer vs viewee. He parked himself on the grass at the end of his island and propped himself against a branch as if it was a pillow, and then proceeded to wave, smile, make faces and laugh at  the people on the upper boardwalk that thought they were there to watch him. It was absolutely hilarious!

They had a lot of new animals and the grounds were well kept. I even peaked at their hay and it received a big pass for clean and green. The only grievance I have is that nearly every animal is behind either chain link or tightly woven metal fencing - a photographer's nightmare. I got great shots of the tigers and panthers, but they have that grey stripping on them that takes forever in Photoshop to remove.

When I acquire some patience I will fix them....

All in all it was a very nice day. There were quite a few visitors even with the somewhat chilly temps. It didn't seem to faze the kids one bit.

                                   A few new critters that I did not remember from the past;

Muntjac Deer

A group of Scarlet Ibis in a new display area

A herd of Thompson's Gazelles

And finally, a few fun shots from the peanut gallery.....

But they have FOOD over there!! Let me out!

Ohhhh that feels sooo good!

It's pink and it's sticky. hmmmm...

Hoe- dee -doh-dee- doh!

Me Tarzan!

Finally a use for all those fallen pine cones!

A herd of Dama Gazelles

If you are in the neighborhood or have some out of town guests, a trip to the Gulf Breeze Zoo is fun for both young and old. Don't forget your camera!