Roadside Attractions: Birding at 60 miles per hour

It was a cloudy morning as we traveled the Tamiami Trail. Our van, packed with gear and memories, hummed towards the Fort Myers Airport. That Friday morning bore the bittersweet taste of farewell — it was the final act of our week-long photography adventure in the sun-drenched expanses of The Florida Everglades.

Suddenly, a sharp-eyed companion's call to action pierced the morning calm. "Pink! Over there!" he exclaimed, pointing to a distant flash of rose against the green tapestry of Ochopee's marshlands. With hearts racing, we persuaded our guide to pull over, and we found ourselves disembarking with the urgency of a fire drill.

Camera in hand, I felt the adrenaline rush as we navigated the roadside terrain, the distant hum of traffic a stark contrast to the stillness of our focus. The moment was upon us — two magnificent spoonbills burst forth from their reedy concealment, their wings unfurling like silken banners in the wind.

As they ascended, the sun caught their feathers, turning them into living flames against the calm sky. My finger found the shutter instinctively, and through the viewfinder, I tracked the grace of its flight, every frame a prayer to capture their untamed elegance.

The world reduced to a viewfinder's square; the shutter's click became my heartbeat, each rapid burst a step closer to immortalizing the bird that had, until now, danced just beyond our reach. The Rosetta Spoonbill, in its splendor and freedom, was no longer a wish whispered into the capricious winds of chance — it was real, it was here, and it was finally within our grasp.

And so, as the marshland fell away beneath their mighty wings, the spoonbills carried with them the essence of wild Florida — a testament to the beauty that thrives at the intersection of earth and sky, a fleeting treasure for those who seek it at 60 miles per hour.