Oprah coined the phrase “my ah ha moment.” We all know when we have those “ah ha moments” when the light bulb goes on in our head, that signal that says to us “I get it!” When I think back so many times while in school I would have that moment, that instant when I understood the teacher and got what she was teaching. It feels good to have those moments.

When out and about looking for birds to photograph there are what I call the “WOW” moments, when something unexpected happens.  You are walking along or standing still and out of the blue there it is, that moment that just makes you say “WOW.”  That is what went through my mind when I got these shots of the Indigo Bunting.  I had been looking for this bird for years visiting many parks and preserves in search of the Indigo Bunting.

This week while walking back to the car kind of disappointed that I didn’t get what I would call decent shots of the baby hawk chicks I have been following and out of the blue there they were.  There must have been 20 or more, male and female feeding on the seeds of the tall grass.  It was a sight that makes your heart lift up and say thank you God.  They continued to feed for 15 to 20 minutes.  They were so beautiful landing on the tall grass as it swayed in the wind. Getting good pictures was difficult, but as hard as it was to focus on each bird, it was even more challenging to keep looking through the lens.  A part of me wanted to stand watch them without taking their picture.

Being from Kentucky and a Wildcat basketball fan the color of these birds reminded me of the Big Blue, fast and nimble, dead-eye on the target.

I hope to see the Indigo Buntings again as they are moving through this area in April and going back north.

As I waited on bald eagles to come back to their nest one day just north of Anclote Park, this Florida grey fox popped out of the bush and took a stroll right out in the open.  I could not believe my eyes, he was only fifteen feet from me.  He took his time just bouncing along and didn’t seem to mind me being there.

I was standing behind a chain-link fence watching him.  When I took the first picture my camera then started to focus on the fence and then back to the fox.  My fear was that I would miss the shot while the camera was trying to re-focus.  I took many pictures but this was the only one that came out clear.

It was one of the most exciting experiences for me while doing photography so far! Rare moments such as this are few and far between, all I could do was to keep firing the shutter in hopes of capturing this special moment.  He was beautiful!

c Denise Wheatley - Photographer

The majestic American Bald Eagle is our symbol of freedom.  The eagle is at the top of the raptor world but yet other birds challenge the eagle.  I have witnessed osprey and hawks do a fly by with their talons extended, as to say, “I challenge you,” but I have not seen one make contact.

While on a birding adventure I was lucky enough to get this shot just after the mating act.  Afterwards the eagles communicate through calls to each other.  If we could only know what they are saying.  Maybe they are showing respect for one another. I wish people in the world could be more like the natural world in that aspect.  I think that is why I like the birding world, there is respect!  But then there is also the food chain!

Eagles mate for life, with exception; if one dies or cannot produce offspring, they will get a new mate. I have followed several pairs of eagles in the past few years.  They come back to the same area and usually to the same nest.  They make needed repairs to the nest to get ready for the new season.  In the off season, other birds take sticks and moss from the eagle nest to use in building their nest.

The eagles eye is always on the lookout to the sky and all around.  Their eyes are so intense, they always look angry. The calls they make to each other are very unique.  Their voices are distinct and very recognizable.

Eagles are considered mature when they get white head and tail feathers, at the fifth year.  Until then they are considered juveniles.

c Denise Wheatley - photographer

Welcome to my new, more simple website.  This website replaces my old one in that this site will focus on my photography.  Photography will be my main focus, but there may be other subjects.  The best thing about having your own blog or website is you can talk about what ever you want.

One of the great features I have included is the ability to purchase greeting cards, postcards and send a FREE e-card to your friends and family. You will notice the links to this feature under each photograph that has this enabled, such as the photo of my Red-shouldered hawk above bringing a fistful of Spanish moss to the newly built nest. Please share my photos with as many people as possible and get the word out about my website.

As some of you may know from my old site, I love good wine, my preference being Cabernet Sauvignon. When I come across a good wine I will share my review on this site.

My love of nature started as a kid growing up on a farm in Central Kentucky.  I could walk the fields and climb a tree, then just sit and listen to nature.  I felt so close to the birds and the wind.  I have always been fascinated with watching birds fly with ease as they ride the wind.  I don’t believe you can be closer to God then when you are listening to the wind, feeling the sun, and being present in nature.

Since my early twenty’s I have owned a 35mm single lens reflex camera.  Now that digital cameras have become popular it is much easier to see the photographs instantly and delete unwanted images.  In years past, shooting with film, I had to wait for my shots to be developed to see if I had quality photos.

For many years after I moved to Florida I got away from taking pictures until recently and I have upgraded my equipment so that I could rejoin nature and see what I had been missing in my life.  For the last eight years I have collected many digital images, some good and some not so good.  Here on this website I hope to show you the best of the best images and present nature at its best.

Enjoy