Florida Nature Photography

My New Sanibel Island Art Installation!

Earlier this year, I was contacted by the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society on Florida’s Sanibel Island about the possibility...

The Cuban Treefrog

The Cuban treefrog is my #1 hated invasive species for a number of reasons ranging from ecological damage to personally anger-inducing events and even...

Anhinga!

- One of America’s Most Overlooked Birds. When North America was split in half roughly 100 to 40 million years ago by a great inland sea...

We are extremely happy and proud to announce a new way of providing you with the very best professional prints for your office, home or gallery.

Now we are offering not only prints, but a whole new range of customized frames, mats, and other accessories! All prints are shipped within three business days and come with a no questions asked 30 day return policy.

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…Notes from the Field is our blog that will relate experiences and stories about photographing all that is wild in Florida. It has replaced our “New Photos” page, and all of our new images will be presented here - including stories of what was involved to get these shots - camera tips and tricks for other photographers who really enjoy nature and the outdoors and want to learn more. You might even get a chuckle or two out of it!

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Birds of Prey!

What's not to love about eagles, owls, hawks, falcons - and yes, the vultures and buzzards? They keep wild populations of other birds and animals strong and healthy by picking off the weak, while carrion birds eat the dead.

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Birds

Warblers migrate southward.
Peak of hurricane season - watch for unusual bird sightings following tropical storms.
Bald eagles return to nest sites and begin courtship.
Hawks begin migrating; watch for them along both coasts and in the Florida Keys.
Florida scrub-jay fledgelings have completely blue heads, having lost their brown juvenile plumage.

Mammals

In late September gray bats migrate to north Alabama for winter hibernation.
The rut begins for Key deer.
Start looking for manatees concentrated in rivers, bays, and near power plants.
White-tailed deer breeding begins in South Florida flatwoods.

Reptiles and Amphibians

Green sea turtles continue to nest; loggerhead leave Florida shores to begin their migrations.
Lights out! Sea turtles emerge from their nests and head for the ocean. Females may become confused by lights on the beach.
Start listening for spadefoot toads after heavy rains.

Invertebrates

Panhandle blue crabs migrate to deeper water for winter.
Lovebugs, or Bibionidae flies, mate in the middle of roadways.

Fish

Atlantic sturgeon begin fall migration from the Suwannee and Apalachicola Rivers to the Gulf of Mexico.

Wildflowers

First signs of leaves changing color, blazing star, rabbit tobacco and blue curls abloom.

Orchids

Peak blooming period for water-spider orchids in Central Florida.
The ribbon orchid begins to bloom in the Fakahatchee Strand.
The hairy shadow-witch orchid starts to flower and can be seen all throughout the fall in moist woodlands.

Data provided in part by UF Florida Wildlife Extension

FloridaNaturePhotography is a part of Leighton Photography & Imaging - our local photography business based in Tallahassee, Fl. Nature photography is a large part of what we do, but we are by no means limited to just that. Click HERE to find out more about our company.

Our photographs not related to nature photography can be seen HERE in our online gallery, or through Fine Art America.

If you are or represent a gallery, publisher/publication, exhibition, event, vendor/reseller, or any other group interested in our work, please contact Rich or Galina Leighton HERE for more information.

ALL SUBJECTS ARE PHOTOGRAPHED IN THEIR NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS. NO ANIMALS ARE IN CAPTIVITY OR POSED,
AND ALL PLANTS, INCLUDING ORCHIDS, ARE NATIVE AND NON-CULTIVATED.