WILD TALES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Owly days
An owl that eats crayfish and even wades in water if needed?!
And here in the Everglades?!
Wow, I need to film this creature! Show me somebody who doesn’t like owls, especially the lovely chicks?
So I decided to give a little side role to this strange bird species in the story. Specially that they live in the same cypress dome that our main character, the alligator mother calls home as well.
Only that we had to find them…
Well, with Garl it was not difficult at all! It sounded that he and these owls really knew each other on a kind of personal level, only that I had to be introduced too. I truly hoped the feathery guys were going to like me too…
As we entered into the cypress dome and started to wade in the cool water a strange loud voice filled up the air. Sounded like monkeys in the jungle but in fact it’s the sound of the Barred owl. Hair-rasingly beautiful.
So, they are here!
And we found them on the same place where they always used to be according to Garl.
I like reliable animals (and men, though quite rare species in these days), makes the life of a natural history filmmaker so much easier.
Even, I could get to them so close that I felt I could almost touch them! What a cool shot when you see yourself in the eye of a wild animal!
Quite unusual, but these winged folks really seemed to know Garl pretty well and finally it also seemed they trusted not only him but his pal who carried that strange thing on his shoulder.
Osprey nest
Florida Bay. Muddy, hot, full of mangrove and funky critters and plenty of mosquitoes… Still, I like the place.
So, I check the low tide: it’s in the right time, nice afternoon lights. I need shallow water as I am going to stand in it for 4-5 hours and I prefer it to be knee-deep than up to my hip (thanks god, that it’s not Siberia this time…).
I leave from home in time, had only a coffee, I thought to stop somewhere on the road to pick up some food and of course one more cup of black.
Stop: a gas station. Grrr, forgot my wallet… quick check if I can make it back and forth with the remaining fuel, yes I can.
Well, then this will be a tough day out in the sea without food and water…
I need to use a kayak to reach the location as there is no other way. Not a long paddle but it’s a bit windy out there. I don’t mind it only that the salt water is not a big friend of the camera…
I am on the way to film Ospreys in the extensive mangrove habitat around the Keys.
A couple of days ago we scouted the area and found some nice nests and this is the first time that I try my luck with them.
I decided just standing in the water, no blind. If they don’t like me they won’t come to the nest after all.
But they did a couple of times while I was there, standing in the 2ft/60cm water for hours. I am not sure whether they’re going to be the right ones for the film, they seem to be a bit undecided about the nest, but tomorrow I will give it a try once again.
Well, with proper supplies…
Vultures and iguana
Well, it’s shocking to see that my last post is dated February 2012… and soon the year is over! It has been a busy one with the usual ups and downs of wildlife fimmaking. Plus a family moving from Sweden to Florida to shoot the Everglades film that I am working on until 2014. I was thinking about restarting the blog a couple ot times but somehow I have been waiting for a big thing to post. But what the heck is a big thing?? Missed a couple of opportunities for sure…
So, instead of waiting and always postponing the next post I just start again right now. And I promise regular updates in the coming new year…
Here we go. Deer carcass story.
I heard from a biologist, who is a great photographer as well, that iguanas eat carcass. It was hard to beleive as they are herbivorous lizards, the kind of salad eating beasts. But he has even documented and published it!
Well, I immediately started to vision a scene with vultures and iguanas competing for the carrion… or at least the two species interacting. It’s always cool to have such behavior in a wildlife film.
Here are the preparations, remote camera, dead deer, blind.
I have spent two days in the tent and I was lucky enough to have an iguana already in the second hour! Well, then for one and a half day nothing, only vultures and of course the nice smell of the dead animal (I was under the wind) and warm beer. I have a feeling that I know the secret how to really enjoy holidays!
And here are some shots from the blind, raw footage. Turkey vultures and a Black spiny-tailed iguana at a Key deer carcass.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!