The Wandering Disciple

A pair of brown pelicans buzz the coast at Manasota Beach, preparing to dive down and pick up dinner from the abundant waters of the Gulf of Mexico. People aren't the only people who enjoy fishing in the Gulf, fishing birds like these pelicans can be seen regularly enjoying their catch along the surf.  Manasota Beach is a public beach on the northern end of Manasota Key in Englewood. Located along Florida's Gulf Coast, this small beach lacks the commercial development of other beaches making it a great place to watch wildlife while enjoying a day at the beach.  Taken: March 10, 2013 at Manasota Beach (Englewood, FL)

The skies over Florida produces some of the most stunning sunsets in the world.  This is just one of the beautiful skies as the sun sets over the Gulf of Mexico at Manasota Beach on a December evening.  No too sunsets are alike and just because it may be cloudy, doesn't mean the sky with disappoint.  (Photo: December 17, 2018)

Lifeguards at Manasota Beach fly the red flag over their lifeguard stand due to dangerous water conditions at the beach.  The lifeguards use a flag system to report beach conditions at protected beaches.  Next time you are out at a beach with lifeguards, check the stand for the beach conditions before hitting the water. Green means normal, yellow means use caution, red means dangerous water conditions, double red flags mean the beach is closed to swimming and a purple flag mean dangerous marine life present.  But keep in mind, the flag is only displayed when the lifeguard stand is staffed.  (Photo: August 26, 2017)

When the double red flags are flying over the beaches, its a sign to stay out of the water because the beaches are closed due to unsafe conditions. Like those at Manasota Beach during Hurricane Hermine when the Gulf of Mexico was churned with hurricane sized waves. (Photo: September 1, 2006)

A Royal Tern has its feathers blowing in the wind on a windy winter day at Manasota Beach. The beach is a popular winter retreat for the terns as well as other shorebirds. Royal terns have a black crest and bright orange bill helping to distinguish them among other shorebirds. There are two species of Royal Terns, an Atlantic coast and Pacific coast species. They are typically found along the coast however hurricanes have been known to push them further inland. (Photo: December 22, 2015)

A laughing gull flies over the beach at Manasota Beach in Englewood, Florida. Any day of the week all year long, the beaches of Florida are visited by many species of seagulls including the laughing gull pictured here. Gulls are part of the Laridae family. Florida is home to over 30 different species of birds in the Laridae family. (Photo: March 12, 2015)

Wishin' I was knee deep in the water somewhere, got the blue sky, breeze and it don't seem fair. Zac Brown must have had Manasota Beach in mind when he got the inspiration for the song “Knee Deep”. If he hasn’t it sure makes me think of the cool clear waters of the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo: June 4, 2014)

A shorebird buzzes the shoreline at Manasota Beach.   Shorebirds like this Sanderling here can be seen all along the coastal beaches.   They can be found along the surf looking for their next meal or tending to a nest along the beach.   (Photo: April 6, 2014)

Mine, mine, mine, mine. A flock of seagulls lines the beach at Manasota Beach on a chilly January day. Much like the snowbird winter residents, these birds flock to the sunshine state in the winter to escape the cold of the north. (Photo: January 24, 2013)

Florida, the Sunshine State, is known for daily dose of vitamin D. And what comes with sunshine, amazing sunrises and sunsets. The Sunshine State is one of the best places to watch the sun rise and set. From sunrises on the Atlantic to sunsets on the Gulf, there isn't a bad spot in the state to watch Mother Nature paint a masterpiece in the sky. (Photo: December 17, 2018)

Thanks to a tropical disturbance off the coast of Florida, the usual tranquil Gulf of Mexico was turned into a surfer's paradise with waves around four feet.  While the tropical energy did not develop into a storm, it brought high waves and heavy rains to the Sunshine State and a reminder that we are heading into the peak of hurricane season.  (Photo: August 26, 2017)

The beaches in Southwest Florida are always crowded.  In the summer, the beaches are filled with sunbathers enjoying the sun and sea.  In the winter, its packed with shore birds escaping the winter chill up north.  Here is a scene from the winter of 2013 at Manasota Beach in which the shorebirds overtook the beach and shore making for a stunning visual of the birds and beach. (Photo: January 24, 2013)

A stray shower off the coast provides a stunning backdrop for the nightly sunset at Manasota Beach.  Some of the most spectacular sunsets are when there are clouds present when the sun begins to dip below the horizon.  The clouds help paint the sky in bright colorful hues that dazzle the crowds that gather to watch the sun set.  (Photo: July 12, 2012)

Tropical Storm Debbie churns up the Gulf of Mexico during the 2012 hurricane season.  With hurricane season fast approaching, now is the time to finalize storm season preps.  Consult with you local emergency management for guidance and be ready.  The Atlantic hurricane season starts June 1.  (Photo: June 25, 2012)

The Gulf of Mexico is churned up as Hurricane Hermine passes offshore of Manasota Beach. Hurricane Hermine is reached hurricane strength this afternoon and is expected to make landfall late tonight or early Friday morning along the Florida Panhandle. It will be the first hurricane landfall in Florida in eleven years. (Photo: September 1, 2016)

A willet plays in the surf along the shore of Manasota Beach in Englewood.  Shorebirds like this willet can be found along the surfline searching for food in the surf.  (Photo: March 14, 2016)

An osprey takes flight from its nest at Manasota Beach.  Ospreys can be found throughout the coastal areas of Florida making nests along the shore and diving for fish in the water.  (Photo: December

Englewood, Florida:  The unseasonable warm temperature saw us hitting the beach just a couple days before Christmas and no trip to the beach is complete without photographing the wildlife found at the beach. It was a very active day for shorebirds at the beach and they were found in large groups throughout the beachgoers.  Spotted during today’s trip to the beach were: Anhinga Laughing Gull Osprey Ring-billed Gull Ruddy Turnstone Royal Tern Sandwich Tern Snow Egret Willet The highlight of the day was the Osprey nest by the pavilion. The Osprey was actively working on the nest and we watched it for a little while as it perfected its nest. Check out the Into the Wild page of Donten Photography for photos of today's wildlife.

The skies over the Gulf of Mexico provide another picture perfect sunset. The west coast of Florida is known for its spectacular sunsets in which no two are alike. (Photo: July 12, 2012)

Englewood, Florida: Any day at the beach quickly turns into an opportunity to watch wildlife and airplanes, two of my favorite photography subjects. It was a very quiet day at the beach, despite the spectacular weather. The beach was only visited by the usual shorebirds. Today we saw: Brown Pelican  Laughing Gull  Osprey   Willet  It was pretty quiet on the aircraft as well, just a couple single engine planes flying the coast. Even without a lot of subjects to photograph, it was a great day for the beach. The water was clear and is starting to warm up while the beaches are starting to thin out as winter residents are starting to head home.