Rachelle Vance Nature Photography♥

Flamingos were either in Yucatan or on their way to Cuba when Hurricane Idalia hit them. The flamingos went with the winds instead of fighting them, as the eastern portion of the storm drove t...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2023/12/flamingos-were-either-in-yucatan-or-on.html

At one point, this Egret had three fish - but this image was the best of the series.  I found a little corner of the beach, right after sunrise, where there were so many species feeding on an ...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2013/10/at-one-point-this-egret-had-three-fish.html

I wish I could tell a fascinating story of how this Osprey came in for an elegant landing . . . . but as the sun was setting, I was looping around looking for foreground and this beautiful bird...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2013/10/dancing-osprey-on-snag-viera-wetlands.html

I wanted to see what birds I could find on the beach during the sunset hour, and to my surprise, there were two Black Bellied Plovers! Perhaps someone that knows more about migr...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/09/tigertail-beach-marco-island-sunset-in.html

 I saw quite a few Black-bellied Plovers in breeding colors - these birds at this time of year - are absolutely incredible to see!  I saw a colony of Black Skimmers near a colony of Ro...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/05/tigertail-beach-in-spring.html

Forgive me for my two week absence, I have just returned from two weeks in Europe, having spent one week in Paris and one week in Rome. The Flamingo - The bird mos...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/05/flamingo-camargue-france.html

I love love love the Black-bellied plover, one of the first I learned to identify . . . because we live in South Florida - we see the winter plumage - they are beginning to ...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/04/black-bellied-plover-59150.html

Uncommon and local on sandy beaches. Pale gray upperparts, drab gray legs, thin bill, and smudgy dark eye-line, and extremely adorable!!

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/04/snowy-plover-58150.html

I was able to walk into the lagoon during low tide and capture some images of the shorebirds up close. I love the way the light is hitting the bill here and his feathers are just beautiful~

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/04/short-billed-dowitcher-57150.html

I continue to have a little bit of a difficult time identifying the Dowitcher, Dunlin, Willet,  and Red Knot.  I posted this one on my FB page, and an expert identified it as a Red Knot.  I ...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/04/red-knot-56150.html

This is the same Plover, same day, same beach, Fort De Soto in January. Interesting Facts: Common and most numerous small plover. Most slender and darkest small plover. Note dark brown u...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/04/semipalmated-plover-55150.html

I spotted this Lesser Black-backed gull in January on my way back from Bear Cut Preserve in Miami.  I wanted to drive through the parking lot before I jumped on the Rickenbacker to scout out a...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/04/lesser-black-backed-gull54150.html

This beautiful Killdeer was posing for me @ Merritt Island a few months ago.  He was on the opposite site of all the Spoonie and Avocet action, and I barely spotted him, he was just finished f...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/04/killdeer-53150.html

After some research, this, I believe, is the offspring of a Reddish and a White Morph, a stray white morph feather, a Leucistic Reddish Egret. He was dancing and prancing and was extreme...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/04/reddish-egretwhite-morph.html

 North American kingfishers are fish-eating birds found on sheltered water. They hover over open water before plunge-diving headfirst to capture small fish.  When I drive across Alligator ...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/04/belted-kingfisher.html

I am learning my shorebirds, albeit, one by one. This is a Western Sandpiper, and I found him on Fort Meyers beach.  At first I thought he was a Black-bellied, then I looked again and notice...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/04/western-sandpiper-shorebirds.html

I recently went to the Bahamas for a weekend and wanted to share some of the birds I saw on my trip: Banaquit Bahama Woodstar  Yellow-rumped Warbler  Cuban Grassquit. . the ...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/03/bahama-birds.html

 Its alternate name, Thick-billed Plover, is appropriate, for his large broad, black bill. The male, below, sports a large, wide black breast-band. Female and male Wilson's Plover, pr...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/03/wilsons-plover-5050.html

 Both yellowlegs are tall elegant shore-birds.  Alert, noisy, and active, they walk briskly or even run in shallow water and bob the head and body emphatically when alarmed.  Although dif...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/03/greater-yellowlegs-4950.html

Similar to the Greater Yellowlegs, but considerably smaller. I enjoyed watching and waiting for this Yellowlegs to walk closer to me @ Eco Pond, Everglades National Park. Be caref...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/03/lesser-yellowlegs-4850.html

 I spotted this American Oystercatcher off the Dunedin Causeway on my way back from a hike through Honeymoon Island State Park. This was my first time ever seeing an Oystercatcher and I was so...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/03/american-oystercatcher-4750.html

The Ruddy Turnstone seems to be at almost every beach I go to, so I seem to be taking it's picture a lot! The Ruddy Turnstone uses it's short upturned bill to flip over rocks in search ...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/03/ruddy-turnstone-4650.html

The beautiful Marbled Godwit! This was taken from the Dunedin Causeway.  I love the pink base color on the bill~ I watched a Willet try to snatch her catch - but she ran away wit...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/03/marbled-godwit-4550.html

One of my favorites! I found this one @ Fort De Soto Park just this past weekend and the one below in Feb @ Bunche Beach, both locations on the Gulf Coast of Florida. The Long-billed Cu...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/03/long-billed-curlew-4450.html

This Willet was searching for food by the waters edge near Indian Shores.  I made another stop to the Seabird Sanctuary there and took a walk out back to enjoy the shorebirds that I may find...

http://rachellevance.blogspot.com/2012/03/willet-4350.html