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Golden Mist<\/p>\n
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\n \n Breakfast<\/p>\n \n \n \n Nest Building<\/p>\n \n \n Coming In For A Landing<\/p>\n \n \n The Adult with Its Two Chicks<\/p>\n \n
The magical place I speak of is called Blue Cypress Lake. 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. I thought I would share just a few of my images from several trips I made there this season.<\/p>\n
First Light On Blue Cypress Lake<\/p>\n
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\n Golden Mist<\/p>\n \n \n \n Breakfast<\/p>\n \n \n \n Nest Building<\/p>\n \n \n Coming In For A Landing<\/p>\n \n \n The Adult with Its Two Chicks<\/p>\n \n