Sharon Avila Photography

09/30/2026

"The Moon and Stars to rule by night, for His mercy endures forever." - Psalm 136.9
Here is our beautiful moon, taken a few nights ago.

09/28/2026

As adults and juveniles move off Arctic feeding grounds, Semipalmated plovers migrate to Florida beginning in early July and peaking in August. They remain through the winter along Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coastlines and return North to live and breed in the Arctic and sub-Arctic tundra regions of Alaska and northern Canada.

Semipalmated plovers can often be seen running quickly along beaches or mudflats where they hunt for small invertebrates like insects, crustaceans, and marine worms. They are amusing to watch as they run quickly then stop abruptly and shake or tap their feet in shallow mud to trick hidden bugs into coming to the top.

Semipalmated plovers weigh between 0.8 and 1.8 ounces (22 to 50 grams).
To put that into perspective, an adult plover weighs roughly the same as a single slice of bread or a standard AA battery. They are remarkably light, which helps them undertake their long migratory journeys every year.

09/26/2026

"Each species is a masterpiece; a creation assembled with extreme care and genius."
-E. O. Wilson

09/20/2026

This young Red-shouldered hawk visits our yard frequently. Here he is moving the mulch around. LOL! I love that full crop and how healthy he always looks.

09/18/2026

09/15/2026

Not the best sunrise as the sun never really came out that day but a peaceful way to start the day, nonetheless.

09/11/2026

Generating a composite from two photos can often make an image more compelling. At a minimum, it allows for creativity.

09/06/2026

My peace comes from time spent outdoors, surrounded only by nature. It is always good to "unplug" from life's noise.
“But the old Lakota was wise. He knew that man's heart, away from nature, becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans, too. So he kept his children close to nature's softening influence."
~ Chief Luther Standing Bear

09/03/2026

Captured this image today as a Loggerhead Shrike with a frog already impaled for breakfast eyeballed a dragon fly. Initially, I saw the Shrike but didn't realize what else was in the photo until it was downloaded this afternoon. Nothing like getting a little bit more out of a snapped shot. :-) Here is some interesting info about this tiny but mighty bird:

The Loggerhead Shrike is a permanent breeding resident in Florida, famously known as the "butcher bird" for its unique habit of impaling prey on thorns or barbed wire.

A songbird with a raptor’s habits the Loggerhead Shrikes skewer their kills on thorns or barbed wire or wedge them into tight places for easy eating. A Loggerhead Shrike can kill and carry an animal as massive as itself. It transports large prey in its feet and smaller victims in its beak.

Their numbers have dropped sharply in the last half-century, and they are now listed as threatened or endangered.

09/02/2026

Just a little Red Panda munching on some "cookies." Smile!