We utilise two locations for our osprey adventure. Blue Cypress Lake, named so because of the blue appearance of the cypress trees as the morning sun’s rays reflect off the water; & the Gainesville area, where the Ospreys are to be found with Bald Eagles. If you are lucky, you may even see the two species interacting.
You will enjoy three early morning boat trips on Blue Cypress Lake. As the sun rises over the lake, the reflected light illuminates the Cypress trees which dot the surface & perimeter of the lake; giving it its name. Over 200 pairs of ospreys reside in the area in the trees which trace the lake’s shoreline & you will have plenty of opportunities to photograph them as they fish, feed their young & bring back nesting material. Afternoons offer chances of more osprey photography on the lake, or you can visit a local rookery to photograph additional wildlife such as snowy egrets, wood storks, roseate spoonbills & obtain magnificent landscape images. It is truly a keen bird photographer’s paradise.
We have incorporated a day at Cape Coral, photographing another much sort after native species, the burrowing owl. These pint-sized raptors are one of the smallest of all the owls, & of the 171 species of owls worldwide, the only owl that lives underground.
You will also have the opportunity to photograph snail kites, the 3rd rarest bird in North America, as they fly slowly along the shorelines seeking their primary food item, the apple snail. While you are on the boat, you may even see a kite perched on a clump of cattail or in a willow tree.
At Gainesville, you will enjoy three boat trips to photograph ospreys & bald eagles. If you are lucky, you may even see a bald eagle snatching fish from an osprey!
The schedule for this trip has been designed to allow you to make the most of the photography opportunities available in the area. You will return with a stunning portfolio of some of the most impressive bird species that Florida has to offer.
Accommodation is offered on a half board basis, & your photography leader will provide guidance where necessary to ensure that you capture remarkable wildlife shots, as well as beautiful Cypress tree ‘lake-scapes’.
Group sizes are limited, so book now to become part of the lucky few!
Photographable Species:
bald eagle,
egret,
little egret,
osprey,
spoonbill
Ospreys of Blue Cypress Lake Photography Holiday Itinerary