The Florida Scrub Jay - Nemesis Bird No More

It's got to be close to 8 years since I got hooked on photographing birds.  For many years I had what I called my three nemesis birds: bald eagles, roseate spoonbills, and scrub jays.  I photographed my first scrub jays this year after trying to find them for nearly six years.  It seems that everytime I went to the scrubs, they weren't there.  Well they finally cooperated.  I now have my fill of images of these friendly and rare bird endemic to our state.

I wish they would change the Florida state bird from the Northern Mockingbird to the Scrub Jay. The mockers are all over the place, but this guy is truly a native Floridian, found only in a few scrub areas in Florida such as Brevard County, where I found this guy and his buddies.

So do I have any new nemesis birds to photograph? Hell yeah!  Need to find me some wild screech owls, or any other owls (other than Burrowing Owls, Horned Owls, and Barred Owls) .... but I'll likely have to leave the state for some of them ...

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Tybee Light Station

One of my must stops whenever I'm driving up I-95 through Georgia is the historic town of Savannah. And when there, besides stopping by Paula Dean's for a hearty meal,  I always head out early in the morning to the Tybee Light Station before all the tourists are there. The lighthouse traces its roots to the colonial days.  It poses a challenge to photograph given the powerlines and houses in the area. But I found that early morning is best.  You can find more information on the light at the Tybee Light Historical Society.  

I have a collection of lighthouse photos from Florida and the Atlantic coast on my website. Please visit www.michaelpancierphotography.com and check it out.

Revisiting The Big Crater

Meteor Crater in Winslow Arizona is kind of a tourist stop off of I-40,  but it is worth a visit as it is one of the few pristine impact craters one can see here in the USA.  It's difficult to photograph as it is so damn wide.  A pano is usually suggested in my opinion.  The photo I took there a few years ago was taken with my 15mm Fisheye on a full frame camera and you can see how you barely capture the entire scene. But just so you can get an idea of how large this crater is,  take a look below at the image from space (yes it can be seen from space).....

As the space image shows,  probably the best way to get a cool image of meteor crater would be by taking an aerial image.  I think I'm adding that to my bucket list.  Now time to charge my batteries and head out to the field.

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Tribute to MLK

A little photo and video montage I made from images I took at the King Center in Atlanta, Georgia.

A New Year in the Smokies

One of the New Year Celebrants in the Smoky Mountains I encountered last week in the Cades Cove section of the park.  A smiling white tailed deer.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy new year and are ready for a fantastic 2012.

Feliz Navidad, Carajo!

Happy Christmas to All from Michael Pancier Photography and may Santa bring you new camera gear during this Holiday season.

Fowey Rocks Lighthouse

An image I took a few months ago while flying with local pilot Robert Buschel.  You usually never see this lighthouse unless you have a boat as the Fowey Rocks Light is located seven miles southeast of Cape Florida on Key Biscayne, Florida. It's an old structure having been completed in 1878.  The light has withstood a plethora of hurricanes and storms throughout the years, but it still stands and is in operation today.  The light is 110 feet above the water.

Fowey Rocks are named for the Royal Navy frigate HMS Fowey which was wrecked on a different reef to the south in 1748.  The deadly Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 washed away the first deck of the lighthouse, 15 feet above the water, but the tower survived. The lighthouse is currently inside the boundaries of Biscayne National Park.