A portent of new beginnings in an ongoing journey for the last day of February, 2022
Rosy Fingers of Dawn
Iliad and Odyssey reference for Monday
Category: Florida
Lady Feeding Gulls, Cocoa Beach Dawn
unflappable lady hand feeds seagulls
When Pam read my post “Black Skimmers Feeding” she asked, “Where is the photo of resting Skimmers?”
To answer her question, I looked through Cocoa Beach photographs and discovered I did NOT capture the Skimmers resting. Instead, here are a related species, the Royal Tern (scientific name: Thalasseus maximus), whose behavior is similar in that it exclusively feeds from the water. There was a wind that morning and these individuals face into it. These birds are, from a human point of view, well behaved, unlike the opportunistic gull.
I searched around the web for identification of this gull without success.
It dines on a dead fish washed up by the surf. In my previous posting I used the word “grifting” to describe gull behavior, again this is from the human point of view. Gulls are notorious for stealing food from unwary beach goers, brazening walking over to unguarded chips (any kind), for instance, grabbing them and flying off. If the chip stash is large, this sets off a nasty feeding frenzy when tens of gulls swoop in and grab.
Here is a series of photographs, demonstrating this behavior.
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The dawn flowed over Cocoa Beach as a lady attracted a crowd of hungry gulls, reminiscent of scenes from Hitchcock’s “The Birds.”
She is obviously an experienced gull feeder, unflappable with a steady hand
She had come to the shore at dawn for a photo shoot. Her male companion (husband?) was there with a camera.
Pam and I were there for the dawn, me with the Sony camera.
At first, I stood there amazed at the spectacle. She was in such control of the situation, not a victim, more like a lion tamer.
Then, Pam said, “You have to get this.” And I did.
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Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved Michael Stephen Wills
Newlyweds and the Cruise Ship
Images of Newlyweds on the beach
With grandchildren in the Miami Area and a sister in Daytona Beach, Florida was on my mind this morning and memories of this beautiful experience on Cocoa Beach came to mind. After an eventful day touring the NASA launch control center, Pam and I took an evening walk during the golden hour, me with camera in hand.
Full in expectation of catching the passing scene with lots of shot I set to full size jpeg mode using a Sony Alpha 700 dslr with a DT 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 lens. The light was exceptional, so I did not expect much post production work.
My first impression was of the line of cruise ships heading south from Port Canaveral, the starboard side lit perfectly behind human denizens of the Cocoa Beach shore, in full enjoyment mode. A synergy of the images struck me. I took a few experimental shots then, as we progressed down the beach front this unusual tableau came into view.
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Pulling back the focal length a bit the reason for the bride and groom on the beach is clear.
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The session proceeded smoothly and professionally, it was a pleasure to watch. I felt no compunction for capturing these private moments on a public beach, the transcendence of the images reflect well on all participants.
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Pull back to capture the entire environment.
Enjoy!!!
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Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Ulumay Wildlife Sanctuary
Brevard County Park on Merrit Island
Ulumay is the name of the Native American settlement of the Ais people decimated by disease after the arrival of Europeans. The park is a natural lagoon and bird rookery linked with canals created for mosquito control and surrounded by a manmade dike. A trail on the dike provides access to the waterways for the fisherman, birdwatchers, and paddlers.
This informative placard, placed at the entrance. Note the 600 park acres is surrounded by residential properties.
I left Pam at the entrance, seen below at the words “Ulumay Wildlife”; she had a reasonable concern about alligators. It is quite possible to find a large specimen blocking the one and only trail. “What? Me Worry?” When pursued by an alligator, remember to zig-zag.
“Flora and Fauna”
Waterways, sightings
Second Stand
Third Stand
No sightings of alligators or manatees.
Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Venus at dawn
Planet Thoughts
Since 1500 B.C. until today…..
The planet we call Venus has ancient associations with fertility goddesses. The link has persisted at least from the 1600 century B.C. inscribed on Sumerian cuneiform tablets. Three thousand years later the Italian artist Botticelli created in tempura paint on canvas the image of Venus rising from the sea, as the planet Venus does today.
Venus Rising
Here is Venus rising from the sea at dawn January 2022, at its brightest and most beautiful. Some mistake this new light in the east for airplane lights; the bright disk of Venus is 25 times brighter than Sirius, enough to cast shadows at night. As Venus proceeds in its orbit, the planet alternately sets after the sun and rises before it, seemingly appearing new each time.
This February I caught a newly risen Venus in this IPhone 7 video, reflected in the waves. It seemed to be a flashing headlight on the beach, the Venus reflection came and went with the passing waves. Venus is the upper, the reflection is beneath. Use the lower right control for the full view.
Looking from his window June 1889, Vincent VanGogh included Venus in his “Starry Night” painting, seen to the right of the Cypress tree.
Here is a closer view of Venus last January, the planet disk is apparent, unlike even the closest stars, Venus is seen as a whole object. Click on image for a full view.
Venus and Mars
Venus and Mars shared 2022’s pre-dawn winter sky. Click on the first image for a full-size view. Mars is seen above the palm tree stump, on the right. In this photograph, from early February, Venus and Mar apparently moved closer. The closeness is an illusion, the planets are millions of miles apart, on either side of Earth’s orbit. Click on the photograph for a full-size view, Mars can just be made out to the right and above Venus.
This crop clearly shows the brightness of Venus compared to Mars.
Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Launch!
Another day, Cocoa Beach, Florida
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beachcomber who told us of a rocket launch scheduled for just before sunset. Sure enough, here it is.
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Sunrise and More
Another day, Cocoa Beach, Florida
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Canon dslr photographs
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First Day
Cocoa Beach, Florida
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IPhone 7 photographs and videos
Copyright 2022 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Offering of Black Skimmer Photographs
Looking for the perfect photo for your web site and blog?
Looking for the perfect photo for your web site and blog?
Browse my reasonably priced stock photography.
License the photo, download and use it.
Click this link for my recently published Black Skimmers Feeding photographs. This link will open a new page to display my Black Skimmer photographs on Getty IStock.
These are different and higher quality images from my posting of earlier this week.
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Copyright 2018 Michael Stephen Wills All Rights Reserved
Katrina Sunrise, August 28, 2005
The effects of the category 5 hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina approached the Gulf Coast and New Orleans as the sun rose on the West End of Jones Beach on Long Island, August 28, 2005. This amazing sunrise was an element of the unusual atmospheric effects that are evidence of the power of this storm.
The featured image (heading this blog) is my print, “Katrina Sunrise”. This work is enjoyed by hundreds of my clients. Use the link, below, to acquire your own. Custom framing is available.
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The following images are the rough drafts taken in the early morning hours. The beach was literally deserted as I mounted the camera and framed the view for this series. Many image captions include the file time stamp, for example 6:07:13 is 6 am and 7 minutes 13 seconds.
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Michael Stephen Wills Photography 