Florida Part Three - Lake Blue Cypress

Friday, we traveled before the sun rose down to Lake Blue Cypress which is about 20 miles west of Vero Beach. Our plan was to be there to photograph the sunrise and then meet two other photographers and take a pontoon boat out onto the lake to photograph Osprey.

Lake Blue Cypress is noted for its fishing and for Osprey. Lake Blue Cypress is supposedly the headwaters of the Saint John's River, which flows northward over 300 miles to Jacksonville Florida where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. Because of the shallow depth of the lake it allows the growths of Lily pads, Sawgrass and other vegetation which helped support the many species of fish that are present. The ospreys enjoy feeding on the supply of fish.

Because of the Osprey that are present there many photographers come down to photograph them and a number of photographic tours are held there.

We arrived prior to sunrise and hired our pontoon boat at Middleton's Fish Camp. However we were delayed in taking out the pontoon boat because of a possible the of a rainstorm coming our way. We were able to get some sunrise photographs and after the storm passed below us we took the pontoon boat out and spent the rest of the morning photographing the amazing Osprey. The Osprey put on a show for us including one Osprey that went down and grabbed at least a six-foot branch and flew around with it before bringing it to the nest.

sunrise

weather change

Osprey on nest with chick

Osprey leaving nest and check present

adult Osprey and chick

Osprey grabbing a a limb from the water

carrying them

bringing limped to nest

Osprey with nesting material

Osprey landing

If you are interested in viewing and photographing Osprey Lake Blue Cypress Is the Place to Be and I Recommend, Middleton's Fish Camp; http://www.middletonsfishcamp.com/; for obtaining a pontoon boat and if needed a guide

pontoon boat with a pair of photographers