A morning hike around the Indrio Savannahs Preserve in St. Lucie County turned out to be a bust. Not only were there few to no birds, but what birds there were kept to the deep shadows or were silhouetted against the Sun. Florida heating up into summer never portends well for bird sightings or photography.

I did not have to work at finding any Florida Scrub-Jays. They found me. But they coyly kept out of the light.

Lots of Red-bellied Woodpeckers around.

An Osprey drying its feathers in the Sun.

A Sandhill Crane between me and the Sun. You can see why the lighting is so frustrating.

The Sandhill Crane landed near this late season nest where another Crane looks to be incubating eggs.

A wider angle view of where the Sandhill Crane’s nest is located. If you look carefully you can see one of the Crane’s walking around in the water in the distance.

An upside-down Red-bellied Woodpecker. This technique is helpful in finding insects 360-degrees around the branch.

A male Northern Cardinal.

The Cardinal scurried through the foliage to catch an insect seen here in the bird’s bill.

Pines killed by a forest fire.

Blue Jay

Blue Jay

Dragonfly

Bee collecting pollen.

Another Dragonfly.

The lake at the Indrio Savannahs Preserve.