The Royal Tern – Sterna maxima is a large tern species locally common here on the beaches of South Florida.  At times they can be quite approachable but they are not that easy to photograph in flight. Today, just before the sun set, the light from the low sun, pure white sand and sparkling surf was just perfect. Frankly if you couldn't get just one nice photograph in these conditions then you would  be doing something completely wrong. So there I was, stood on the beach amongst the other people lucky enough to be there with me, photographing these beautiful birds as they gracefully cavorted past.

Earlier on, I had been almost lucky enough to photograph an Osprey hunt but the bird in question was unsuccessful and left empty "taloned" ! I watched it repeatedly dipping in and out and expected it to catch at least something but it gave up after a while and moved on to somewhere that would be more fruitful.

 It was quite a day for "in-flight" shots because this morning I had watched a pair of American Kestrel wheeling around, all the time the male was calling loudly. He settled on a bare tree and gave me really good views. This is an extremely attractive little bird of prey. The males are bluish on the back, females mostly terracotta brown, but they are much smaller than the Common European Kestrel.

   
 I don't spend the whole day wildlife watching incidentally. My usual routine is to go out at dawn when the light is not too intense and the birds are active before it gets too hot. Then a trip out in the late afternoon can also be fruitful.  If the weather is good, which it mainly is by the way, the heat and brightness of the sun is not ideal, in fact, can be unbearable even at this time of year. The expression "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun" could not be more appropriate.

These Red-bellied Woodpeckers are very smart, and common too, I see them most days. They are reasonably approachable and I have always taken good shots on every trip here. Today was no exception and I really love this one.

Cardinals are very active at the moment, Males can be heard singing most of the time. They choose a high branch and then sing loudly to outdo their neighbours. The seem to listen intently, or so it seems, to what the rival  has to offer. From time to time the female gets involved and today both male and female showed nicely for the camera, albeit a little bit too far away for a great photo.