Florida Birds
The Best of the West

		Florida Photography Tour Details
		Dates	March 7–13, 2009
		Leader	Jeff Vanuga
		Fee	$2,695 from Tampa, Florida
		Deposit	$300
		Limit	10
			Terms and Conditions

Florida has always been regarded as America’s premier bird photography location. In this exciting week of photography we’ll concentrate on Florida’s fantastic west coast—exploring tidelands, beaches, islands and surprising "metropolitan" habitats where wildlife has become incredibly conditioned to close-range human activities.

Our trip is divided into three exciting segments that offer a great variety of photogenic bird species. We’ll photograph by boat as well as from several locations where birds are exceptionally accommodating and allow for full frame photography with large lenses on tripods. Our list of species reads like a Who’s Who of attractive waterbirds and will include brown pelicans, roseate spoonbills, white ibis; cattle, reddish, great and snowy egrets; great blue, tri-colored and little blue herons; black-crowned and yellow-crowned night herons; Caspian, royal, Sandwich and least terns; laughing gulls, magnificent frigatebirds, American oystercatchers and a throng of indigenous and overwintering shorebirds!

We’ll visit the fantastic Venice heronry where we’ll be able to shoot eye level nests of great blue herons, great egrets and other species as they commute from their feeding areas to their nest sites. Visiting a heronry is an impressive spectacle and, photographically, the Venice heronry ranks among the best. During the breeding season, the birds come together to produce an amazing repertoire of courtship displays, nest building and chick-rearing behaviors. To photograph this rich presentation of extravagant breeding plumage, along with the watchful care of the adults as they rear their chicks, is a peak experience in the life of any nature photographer.

In Pinellas County, we’ll explore superlative Ft. Desoto County Park. In what is considered by many to be one of Florida’s best bird photography locations, we’ll move in rhythm with the tides as we stroll along beach and dune, tide flat and sandbar, photographing the multitude of species that utilize this area throughout the year—supplemented in late winter by the many migrant species that come here to escape the wintry weather further north. In March, laughing gulls and royal and Sandwich terns are in peak breeding plumage and exhibit a variety of intense courtship displays. Their brilliant fresh colors and elaborate mating postures are wonderfully photogenic. During this time, the pair bonding is reinforced by presentations of small fish that provide us with even more photo action.

One full day will be devoted to a boat trip into Tampa Bay. From the boat or from shore we should be able to capture full-frame images of roseate spoonbills—the star of the cruise—plus ospreys, a variety of herons and magnificent frigatebirds at their nest colony.

This shoot requires a long telephoto lens (500mm or the equivalent length using a 1.4X converter) for distant subjects as we shoot from land, plus a shorter telephoto lens for flight shots from the boat. Each exceptional photo location provides easy, relatively short-distance walking access over flat terrain.

Join us to photograph the best of western Florida’s incredible birdlife. Great wildlife and exciting habitats combined with the wonderful climate in March make this an enjoyable and productive nature photography experience and a winter escape that you won’t want to miss.



Day 1 (Mar 7)
Participants arrive at the Tampa airport by mid-afternoon. Meet the leader at the airport and transfer to our hotel in Venice. (D)

Day 2
We’ll spend a full day (with a midday download break) photographing the fantastic Venice heronry. (BLD)

Day 3
We drive to St. Petersburg. Afternoon photography at Ft. DeSoto Park. (BLD)

Day 4
Full day photographing wildlife and landscapes at Ft. DeSoto Park. (BLD)

Day 5
We photograph roseate spoonbills and other species in Tampa Bay from small private boats. (BLD)

Day 6
Full day shooting at Ft. DeSoto Park and environs. (BLD)

Day 7 (Mar 13)
Transfer to the Tampa airport and depart on flights home.