Birds of Florida's Gulf Coast: Caught in Action

There is no shortage of birds along Florida's Gulf Coast. The following is just a sample of the many water birds find in and around the Gulf of Mexico. Predatory in nature, they lie in wait and swoop upon their prey without mercy.

As fish dive up in the water, the birds are quick to grab them with beaks made for the purpose of grasping their prey. Swoop and soar - that was the pattern of many of these birds. A major virtue is their patience as they wait for the right moment before nabbing their meal.

Gulls

Florida's Gulf Coast: The Cycle of Life

Today is the first day of fall, but the heat of the day won't release itself from the final throes of summer. The rains come and go, mostly during the night, but they leave behind a path of destruction. Many jellyfish line the beaches, offering themselves unwillingly to the numerous species of birds, such as the American Oystercatcher or the Sandwich Tern. 

SANDWICH TERN

AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER

CRAB SCURRYING AWAY FROM THE WAVES

VARIETIES OF JELLYFISH

Ursula Handleigh

Based around a residency in Syracuse, NY at SPARK Contemporary, Adrienne Crossman and Ursula Handleigh created work responding to their surroundings.

See this exhibition September 14th at 7 p.m. at XPACE Cultural Centre, 58 Ossington Avenue, Toronto.