I took my third and final trip to Blue Cypress Lake in April, so I thought I would share a few of my favorites from this season. For those who do not know of Blue Cypress Lake a little background. Blue Cypress Lake is located 18 miles west of Vero Beach, Florida, in Indian River County.
The lake is 6,500 acres and has an average depth of 8 feet. It gets its name from the blue appearance of the cypress trees as the morning sun’s rays reflect off the water. Now, of course, what draws me and most other wildlife photographers to this place is the 300-400 nesting ospreys that gather around February each year to the lake. It is also a major bass fishing location, which makes for fine food for the ospreys and great photo ops!
The osprey is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a wing span of 180cm or 71 inches. The sexes look very similar, but the male has a slimmer body and narrower wings, plus the breast band of the male is weaker that that of the female. The chicks have orange eyes, instead of the yellowish ones of the adults.
The best way to view the lake and all its wonders is by pontoon boat. Joe and Jean Middleton, at Middleton’s Fish Camp, which is on the lake, have boat rentals. One can even have Joe take you on a guided tour of the lake. They have been on the lake for over 48 years, so have some very interesting stories to tell.
Along with the ospreys, there are also quite a few barred owls that nest in the woods surrounding this lovely lake.
Nancy Elwood
Nancy Elwood is a Florida based professional nature and wildlife photographer. Her interest in the natural world started as a child reading and watching National Geographic. After graduating from Florida State University School of Nursing, she developed her interest in photography travelling with several National Geographic photographers to Africa, Antarctica and the Falkland Islands. With them she started to hone her skills in capturing natures wonders through a camera lens. Nancy now, when not in the field, shows her work in juried art shows and runs photography workshops.
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