Category: Florida

Nicobar pigeon at ZooTampa (Lowry Park Zoo)


 

The aviary at ZooTampa (formerly the Lowry Park Zoo) is a wonderful opportunity for photographers. It is large, has plenty of great birds and provides visitors with a chance to see interesting and colorful birds.  

This is the Nicobar pigeon. According to Wikipedia the Nicobar pigeon is founding on small islands and in the costal regions from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India, east through the Malay Archipelago, to the Solomons and Palau. It is the only living member of the genus Caloenas and the closest living relative of the extinct dodo.

Photographically, shooting in the aviary presents some challenges with areas of strong light and deeper shadows. This brightly colored bird was enjoying snacking at the bird feeder in the shadows and did not seem to be interested in moving to a brighter location.  Continue reading “Nicobar pigeon at ZooTampa (Lowry Park Zoo)”

The Sunshine Skyway story

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge spans Tampa Bay, connecting Pinellas County to the north and Manatee County on the south side of the bay.

The bridge is a remarkable feat of construction that builds on a legacy of Tampa Bay bridge construction. Of the 5,000 or so bridges in Florida, the Sunshine Skyway is one of the most recognizable.

Authors Nevin Sitler and Ric Sitler have penned a book about more than the most recent bridge crossing Tampa Bay.  The pair tackle the fascinating history of the challenges and construction of various bridges and transportation efforts around the Bay.

From ferry boats to the very first scheduled “airline” flight Tampa Bay has presented bridge builders with considerable challenges from raising money to engineering challenges.

This is a good book. The authors do an excellent job of telling the history of Tampa Bay’s bridges in a coherent fashion. The story is more than the bridges; it is the story of the dreamers who found a way to get the bridges build.

The book is available in most ebook formats and from most booksellers. Highly recommended especially for those in the Tampa Bay area and drive the bridges regularly.

Palm trees in the setting sun

I like photographing trees. It comes as no surprise that the trees in Florida are different than the trees in Ohio. Palm trees are particularly interesting. The variety, size and shapes are fascinating.

This paragraph from Wikipedia is particularly insightful: Palms are among the best known and most extensively cultivated plant families. They have been important to humans throughout much of history. Many common products and foods are derived from palms, and palms are also widely used in landscaping, making them one of the most economically important plants. In many historical cultures, palms were symbols for such ideas as victory, peace, and fertility. For inhabitants of cooler climates today, palms symbolize the tropics and vacations

Continue reading “Palm trees in the setting sun”