SNAIL KITES

We went to West Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant in Vero Beach to photograph Snail Kites.  Last year I went twice and only got a few females and immatures.  We arrive around 7:30 AM as the sun was just starting to come up.  There must have been 10-15 kites with a mix of males and females.  These are tropical birds that feed almost exclusively on apple snails.  They spot them hovering above the water and pluck them out with their talons by dipping their legs in.  This wastewater plant has a series of treatment ponds that must be great habitat for the snails.  Below is what we picked up in a couple of hours of shooting.  Males are slate gray and females brown and white.  Adults have orange/red legs and immatures have yellow legs.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Blue-winged Teal

Snail Kites

Sandhill Crane

River Otter mom with two youngsters

BEST OF 2016

These are the selected best of my 2016 collection.

Landscape

 1.  Eastport, Maine sunrise

2.  Adirondack fall colors

Mammals

 3.  Red Fox kit

4. Cow and calf Maine Moose

5.  White-tailed Deer

6.  Harbor Seal

7.  Canada Lynx

 8.  Maine Moose bull

 9.  Maine Moose bull

10.  Melanistic White-tailed Deer

Birds

11.  Painted Bunting male

12.  Sandhill Cranes

13.  White Pelican

14.  Snail Kite

15.  Displaying Great Egret

16.  Black-necked Stilt

17.  Black Skimmers

 18.  Black-bellied Whistling-Duck

 19.  Ruby-throated Hummingbird

20.  Great Egret landing

21.  Common Loon

22.  Ruby-throated Hummingbird

23.  Wild Turkey toms

 24.  Wood Ducks

25.  Pair of Wood Ducks

 26.  Pair of screaming Bald Eagles

27.  Bald Eagle

Insects

28.  Giant Swallowtail

29.  Palamedes Swallowtail

30.  Polka-dot Wasp Moth

Reptiles

31.  Alligator on attack

32.  Alligator with lunch