Too many go off trail - and partially because they know it is safe to do so. adding Hunters to a reserve is not a great idea - I know they have a list of WMA Wildlife management areas throughout the state - were hunting is allowed (some without a specific permit I believe but its best to do your research on that for sure)
The wild hogs management is allowed under some provision for the preserve to do on their own. They will put down the hogs that get trapped and then take them to specific areas for the Vultures to do what they do.... which I got some photos of as well But although it was interesting- I know that those images would not be considered very palatable by many. I had a few really nice close ups of the Black Vultures especially but ended with cleaning up certain areas on the birds before posting because they are not clean in their feeding habits certainly.

Hunting with Camera only in Myakka I am sure.

Initially hoping for some different birds (or Alligators) to shoot than I normally get at local spots - I was worried I would not get anything interesting and that this would just be some well needed exercise and mental health break after being cooped up so long. But then a saw a bird silhouette in the woods near the edge of a meadow, so off I went to see what I could find. Nikon D3400 - Nikkor 70-300mm

On the last shot - the chick I had been following came up and had lost the little bug-snack it had been chasing - it wasn't until I reviewed the shot that I saw were the bug had ended up.

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Circle B-Bar Reserve is in Lakeland Florida - lots of interesting shots in that area of the state. One area is called Alligator Alley - closed off part of the year because mating and nesting Gators are more territorial and the trail is a bit less safe because they often cross the trail which separates the swamp from the lake.

I used to live right around the corner from there, I loved Old Town! Great shot

Lovely shots!

It's been a while since I posted anything.
Initially Cloudy and Rainy - Sun eventually came out high and harsh - Its a great walk and lots to see along the way most times.
All shots from my Nikon D3400 with Nikkor 70-300mm

Sand Hill Crane

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Sand Hill Crane Adolescent

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Swallowtail

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Metallic Green Sweat Bees

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Tricolor Heron

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Osprey before the Storm

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Softshell on the side of the trail nest building

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Turkey Vulture keeping an eye on me

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Black Vulture waiting in line at the buffet let me get pretty close

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Roseate Spoonbill resting

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I'm right there with you - always looking to get some upgrades to my cameras or my Glass - but being "poor" living on disability it's hard to justify many purchases let alone afford most. But I do realize I need to up my quality if I want to do more about making some income from my Photography.

I Love my D3400 it was my step back into Photography after years away and I have been able to achieve some very solid stuff - and I find them used pretty frequently - so when I burnt out the shutter on my first one after 150k +clicks - my 2nd one is over 100k and the shutter is.... becoming temperamental - so I bought another Used one with less than 60 actuations on it for 325 for the kits that came with 2 lenses, the case, charger, and battery etc. So now I have a solid body with a Camera I am used to using - I can take out the older unit that is on its last legs when I am off kayaking or biking and not as worried about damage, sand water or weather etc...
I want to upgrade certainly but for the money it is really hard to beat the d3300, 3400, 3500's until you figure out how much you want to really invest in camera equipment - which is what I do now since I am cash poor - I watch the auction sites for people getting rid of camera equipment and lenses who lost interest or impulse bought and now just want to get something back.

I see them all the time in the day, although I think they are more active than most in the evenings and nights. They definitely seem to prefer shaded/covered shorelines if about during the day.

Apologies, I looked to see if I could edit the earlier post to add downloadable photos - no luck so if there is a way to go in after posting to edit the images let me know!

We often get some decent sunsets here in Gulfport Florida. Not directly on the Gulfcoast but the town does have some eclectic charm. The other Night the Colors were unusually vibrant. Grabbed a few a couple I really liked quite a bit. Ran out to get to the waterfront before it passed so handheld shots.

I normally take nature/wildlife photos, but a spectacular sunset is always a gift. ~ This is my first posting so comments are welcome as I am always looking to improve.

Using a Nikon D3400, with some post-processing in Photoshop.
Gulfport Shore Blvd - Feb 7th

Boca Ciega Bay at Gulfport shore from the pier

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Sunset at The Historic Peninsula Inn Gulfport FL

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Sunset on Shore Blvd Gulfport Fl

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I will repost shortly with the higher resolution images and try to set them up to download. Should I update this post or will I need to create a new one?

How do I set the attached image as a downloadable? Is it a particular file format or image size. I did not notice the option as I posted these on a whim. They had been sized for me to post on a social media page.
I don't shoot in RAW but high-resolution JPEG since that is what I am currently used to doing especially since any editing and adding of watermarks etc I do in Photoshop.

We often get some decent sunsets here in Gulfport Florida. Not directly on the Gulfcoast but the town does have some eclectic charm. The other Night the Colors were unusually vibrant. Grabbed a few a couple I really liked quite a bit. Ran out to get to the waterfront before it passed so handheld shots.

I normally take nature/wildlife photos, but a spectacular sunset is always a gift. ~ This is my first posting so comments are welcome as I am always looking to improve.

Using a Nikon D3400, with some post-processing in Photoshop.

Gulfport Shore Blvd - Feb 7th




Boca Ciega Bay at the Gulfport Shor taken from the pier

Clermont is not all that far from me (over by St Petersburg)
What are some of the best areas or parks to get some nice Raptor shots (or lots of critters in general)

thanks! & Great shots!