Florida March 2015 - One Week and my first Visit only for Bird Photography, so wich Lenses ????

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Hey Fabio,
I live in ft. Lauderdale which is about an hour south of the lake. If you want we can meet on the morning of April 10th (Friday) and rent a boat from Middleton and split the cost. Let me know if you're interested. I believe they open at around 7 or 8 am. Depending on the weather and the conditions we can make it a half day or a full day. What do you think??

Andres
 
Andres, I'm in ! It would be interesting to meet other photographers.
By the way I'll visit Fort Lauderdale on the week of April 20.
Actually right now I have nothing for sure as of my itinerary, only the first few days arriving in Orlando.
My plan was to go down on the West coast, crossing the Everglades and arriving in Miami. Stopping at the major hotspots.
This week I'm selecting some hotspots (Fort de Soto, Cape Coal,...) and trying to find hotels at some middle point so I can stay in the same hotel for 3 or 4 days and drive (the least) to those places.

If you have suggestions of places to visit in Fort. Lauderdale (restaurants, beaches, attractions) let me know. The only thing for sure there is the Waterplay store (I used to windsurf for more than 10 years, and now I have some injury on both shoulders, that I'm working to heal).

Thank you.
 
Hello Eric,
Sorry for the late reply. I live in Ft. Lauderdale. Though I have not visited many of the places you plant to see in your list, I am very familiar with driving around the state. In my humble opinion I think you are underestimating the distances between places and the time it takes to get to them. Though doable, this will be a very ambitions itinerary. You will spend more time driving than you would like. Another consideration is weather: Giving yourself just one day to visit a single place may present a problem if you get rained out, and Florida's weather is very unpredictable.

I would recommend that you select just one or two spots and spend more time there. For example, Ft DeSoto is truly incredible; I would spend at least a couple of days there just in case you get bad weather. You can spend the morning shooting shorebirds and the afternoon catching the sunset (or more birds if you want). If it rains one day there is a really good chance the next day will be fine. If you want to visit Blue Cypress Lake I would recommend spending more than one day there too. If the weather doesn't cooperate then you can visit it again. If you're flying back home from Orlando then you can always stop by Gatorland.

Driving in Florida is easy but the fact that it is so flat and the roads are so straight, just make sure you don't fall asleep :)

Good luck!
 
Hello Friends, and for all andreslon..thank you again.
Robert you too: thx, great picture.. thats the way i want to get it !!

Yes i think, i have to recalculate my places to go.
I will reduce it, my 7day plan now is like this

1. the first five days i stay in Ft. Myers Beach, so these are the places to go:

a. ft. myers Beach and nearby of course, the lagoons, depending on the tides and light as often as i can
b. cape corral for the owl, more than one time
c. sanibal island (ding darling etc..)
d. miromar shopping when the daylight is to hard ;)

2. the last two days i am in a motel nearby the vero beach outlets
a. blue cypress lake
b. perhaps shopping again or flexible time nearby ?


And I want to ask the same like fabio:
If somebody like to rent a boat at the blue cypress lake ( best day for me: March 27. ), i would be lucky to share the costs AND of course the experiences !


Eric !!

PS: Just one other Question:
when you see my places to go, i would like to ask for the right bag to carry my equipment:

1. think tank airport security 2.0 , a big trolley with backpacking mode, not perfect but backpacking works. Ok, i didn`t tested it yet with much sunlight in the beachsand
@ ft. myers beach i have to carry it on my back i know and that`s the reason for this question and what is with the other places ;)

2. think tank streetwalker HD, a real backback with good comfort to carry, but it will be very narrow for my equipment
(it still works, please see the pictures from my equipment above in this thread )

Either is possible, but i can`t take both with me from germany... so what is your suggestion ?

Thank you very much, again !!!!
 
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Fabio: Thx, but i dont want to buy me another backpack now. :))

I own the two thinktanks, the streetwalker HardDrive and the thinktank airport security 2, both should fit the airline regulations (for me Lufthansa)

The ThinkTank HardDRive also fits the 600mm, its no Problem, just a little bin more narrow than the trolley airport security
My Question is more about comfort. ;)
If i have to walk long distances, the backpack do have an advantage, but i think the only place where i have to do longer walks is Ft Myers Beach.
The other places (cape corral, ding darling etc..) are by car or only short walks, i think.
And therefore its my question: has the real backpacker (the harddrive) an advantage over the trolley with backpackerfunctionallity or not ?
 
Eric,
I agree with you that the backpack will be more practical and manageable. Most areas you will visit don't really require a whole lot of walking. You'll be standing most of the time in reality. If you're going to visit Ft. DeSoto then you definitively don't want wheels on the beach. In fact, you'll probably end up on your knees shooting shore birds and get your legs wet as you wade through the shallow water. The wheels won't like that!

I have the thintank hard drive and I can even fit my 800mm with the 1dx body and the 100-400 L. It's a little tighter than I'd like, but I've done 5 to 8 mile hikes with this and my induro CT314 and gimbal head. I'm pretty much dead at the end of the trip, but it is possible, and I definitively don't consider myself to be in great shape :)

Though I am sure many have done it and suffered no major issues, I would recommend against leaving valuable equipment in your car when you park. I've done it many times, but if you can carry your stuff you'll know where it is at all times.
 
Andres: Thank you for your opinion and suggestions !

In your mind the streetwalker harddrive is the best (ok the better) choice for good comfort, better than the trolley thinktank ?
Even if i do not come to Fort de Soto (perhaps to far away for my 7day trip ?)and take my whole time at fort myers beach, cape corral and ding darling, later than blue cypress lake ?
 
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Andres: Thank you for your opinion and suggestions !

In your mind the streetwalker harddrive is the best (ok the better) choice for good comfort, better than the trolley thinktank ?
Even if i do not come to Fort de Soto (perhaps to far away for my 7day trip ?)and take my whole time at fort myers beach, cape corral and ding darling, later than blue cypress lake ?

In my opinion, I prefer a backpack than a wheeled bag. I hate having to pull it, but that's just me. It really depends on your comfort, fitness level, how your back can handle it, etc.

Now, keep in mind that while you are shooting most of the weight will be attached to your tripod. you'll be moving around probably have your tripod and camera on one of your shoulders, so you have to think about that too. I prefer having my backpack on as it will help me cushion the weight of the tripod and camera on my shoulder, but that is really a person decision.
 
Thx.. and yes i dont want to make a triatlon, i want to make good pictures and have a good time :c3:
Now i have changed my gear in the backpack and tried it on..it`s simply better to wear it on my shoulders and move, than the trolley is.

PS:
And i have tested the last days my new 100-400 II, a really fantastic lens:
quick, wide open very sharp and a stunning stabilisation.
NO, absolutly no comparism to the old Version. The Old Version is also sharp, but all the other things are another world...
ok the Version II is expensive enough for a 5.6 Zoom Lens :e3
 
Just one more day and then:

Hello Florida :wave:


For that reason, one Question:
Does anybody has actual and fresh informations about the birds @ft. myers beach (lagoon/lovers key and so on) and perhaps about the owls in cape corral ??

Thx again.

Eric
 
:Whoa!:
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Your whole trip was cancelled ? Or just postponed for 1, 2 or more days ?

Good luck !!!
 
Your whole trip was cancelled ? Or just postponed for 1, 2 or more days ?

Good luck !!!

Hello Fabio and Thank You,

yes i have stopped the whole trip:

My flight is cancelled because of the pilot strike here (4th day of strike, they change every day short flights, then long flights...and so on nobody knows how long...)
Lufthansa made me an offer for next monday (that means not a 7 but a 5 day trip, i have no time bucket after the 28. of march)
but the strike could goes on, so that there is another risk of cancellation possible, ok 50/50 Chance !!!
i had to cancel my car anyway (no flight for me at saturday) and the new offer from national or alamo was for less days but more expensive.

so i decided to cancel all, it does not makes sense for only five days with the risk of another cancellation in my thoughts. :c3:
and in this case i only loose the costs for the first hotel night, nothing else, financially not so hard.

I wish you a very pleasant trip with many many good pictures.. i will now start planning for 2016 (perhaps than WITH my family to Ft Myers Beach)
 
If you'd like to join me and share the costs, my birding trip goes from April 9 until 20. But I understand all the logistics involved (vacation days, family, etc).
At least I can give you the tips ... :bg3:
If you have tips around Ft. Meyers area let me know. One last hotel missing. Not sure if it would be the best to stay at Sanibel island. I will publish a post here with more details.

Best regards,
 
Hello Fabio and Thank You,

yes i have stopped the whole trip:

My flight is cancelled because of the pilot strike here (4th day of strike, they change every day short flights, then long flights...and so on nobody knows how long...)
Lufthansa made me an offer for next monday (that means not a 7 but a 5 day trip, i have no time bucket after the 28. of march)
but the strike could goes on, so that there is another risk of cancellation possible, ok 50/50 Chance !!!
i had to cancel my car anyway (no flight for me at saturday) and the new offer from national or alamo was for less days but more expensive.

so i decided to cancel all, it does not makes sense for only five days with the risk of another cancellation in my thoughts. :c3:
and in this case i only loose the costs for the first hotel night, nothing else, financially not so hard.

I wish you a very pleasant trip with many many good pictures.. i will now start planning for 2016 (perhaps than WITH my family to Ft Myers Beach)


So sorry to hear about your trip, Eric! Let me know when you plan to reschedule and I'll do my best to join you at the Lake.
 
Hello, thank you very much.

i do not worry (me) anymore..
its over now for 2015.. but i will start with planning for Early March in 2016 (on photofriend wants to come wtih me, so it could be nicer)
 
So once again.. next year, next try..

In 5 Weeks i will come to Florida... hey i am happy !!! :wave:

Starting February, 26. landing in Tampa; i will then drive to Ft. Myers Beach for my Hotel.
Then 1 Week to get the results i ve missed last year because of the flight strike.
This Year it will be good. The strike problem is actually not present. :bg3:

What is about the burrowing owls nearby and ospreys or other birds of prey ??
These species are my main reason for the trip.
Does it makes sense to make a stopover in the afternoon
Can anybody give me a 2016`s Note ?



Thank You !!
 

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