Please note -- since some of the species here are sensitive to intrusion, subject to collection or otherwise vulnurable to our actions as photographers -- I will not disclose locations. If I didn't put it in the text I won't put it in E-Mail or tell you over the phone. I'm truly sorry that things have to be this way but I've seen it happen that a tree snail or an orchid disappeared just after it's location was made known, heck just going and taking a photo of some of these species points them out to others who would never have noticed them in the first place.....
Welcome to a gallery of a few photos from my collection.
Please note that all the images here are protected by copyright and that they may not be downloaded, copied or reproduced in any way without my express written permission.
Thank You and Enjoy,
Grover Larkins
North American Flamingo -- Phoenicopterus ruber
These are members of the only flock of wild flamingos in the United States, at the time I took these photos there were twenty-eight members in the flock. The photo was taken in Florida Bay within Everglades National Park.
Nikon F4S, 400mm f3.5 EDIF-MF, Tripod
F5.6 @ 1/500 sec. 1 hr. after sunrise
Fuji Provia 100
Atala -- Eumaeus atala
Not listed as "Endangered" since they were thought EXTINCT in the 1970's the Atala has made a remarkable comeback largely due to the efforts of Roger Hammer who discovered a few caterpillars on a hammock and transplanted them to the Cycad collection of Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami and then re-released the resulting caterpillars into the wild. This is a representative species from the Dade-County Pine ridge which has been all but paved by developers in South Florida, the Atala's host plant is "Coontie," an endangered cycad.
Nikon F4S, 200mm f4 MF Micro-Nikkor, Sunpack DX-8R Ringlight
f8-11, Matrix Metering at -1 eV, 1/250 sec. and TTL flash.
Fuji Velvia rated at ISO 40
North American Crocodile -- Crocodylus acutus
Salt Water Crocodile, photo taken in the Buttonwood Canal in Everglades National Park near the Flamingo Marina. This is likely the best place to see a North American Crocodile in the wild.
Nikon FA, 80-200 f2.8 Tokiina MF ATX, Handheld
f4 @ 1/60 sec
Kodak PKR rated at ISO 80
Sissor-Tailed Flycatcher -- Muscivora forficata
A small number of Sissor-Tails reside in Florida, I'm not certain how many, but the number is really small as they don't even appear in some of the Field Guides' distribution maps. Hard to find and difficult to photograph!
F4S, 600 f4 EDIF-MF Nikkor, TC-14, HandHeld in a Car Window, 170 Watt-Sec. Flash (GN = 330' for ISO 100)
f8 @ 1/250 sec
Fuji Provia 100
Juvenile Snail Kite -- Rostrhamus sociabilis
Everglades National Park
F4S, 600mm f4 EDIF-MF, TC300, TC14, Gitzo 410 w/Wimberley Head, 2nd Tripod Under Camera
1/125 sec. @ f16 w/Mirror Locked UP!
Fuji Sensia 100
Adult Male Snail Kite -- Rostrhamus sociabilis
Everglades National Park
F4S, 600mm f4 EDIF-MF, TC300, Gitzo 410 w/Wimberley Head, 2nd Tripod Under Camera
1/250 sec. @ f11 w/Mirror Locked UP!
Fuji Sensia 100
Ligus Tree Snail
Everglades National Park
F4S, 200mm f4 MF Micro-Nikkor, Tripod, Photoflex Reflector and SB24 Flash
f16 @ 1/250 sec. w/TTL Flash
Fuji Sensia 100
White Crowned Pigeon -- Columba leucocephala
Found throughout the Keys and in the Everglades' Southern end, this is the bird which loves fruit, many a birder has come to grief trying for a "better" look at the White Crowned Pigeon while it was eating, little realizing at the time that the fruit that the bird was feasting on was Poisonwood!
F4S, 600mm f4 EDIF-MF, TC-14, Tripod
f5.6 @ 1/125 sec.
Fuji Provia 100
Wood Stork -- Mycteria americana
Mrazek Pond, Everglades National Park
Nikon FA, 80-200 f2.8 ATX Tokina, Handheld, Metz 402
f5.6 @ 1/250 sec., -1 stop fill flash
Kodak PKR rated at ISO 80
Roseate Spoonbill
Mrazek Pond, Everglades National Park
Nikon F4S, 400mm f3.5 EDIF-MF Nikkor, Tripod
Fuji Velvia rated at ISO 40
Vermillion Flycatcher -- Immature Male in South Florida
Canon EOS-1VHS, 500mm f4.5 EF-L, 1.4x and 2x Stacked Teleconverters
Gitzo 411 w/Wimberley Head
Fuji Sensia 100
More will come later!!!