Blooming in the fog

On June 10, 2026May 25, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

It was another foggy morning in late February as I parked under this beautiful blooming tree near Crescent Lake Park. I was making a quick stop to see the white pelicans again and had to take some pictures of this before leaving.

This red silk cotton tree was on an empty lot across from the lake. They were building a new house on the lot and I was glad they didn’t cut down this tree.

After my quick stop at Crescent Lake Park I headed over to the waterfront at the St. Pete pier for a walk. There is a pier somewhere in that fog.

The sun was trying to peek through and I thought the fog would lift but it kept getting heavier as I walked past the marina and headed to the beach area.

Even though it was cold it still felt like I was walking through a shower.

I stopped to take a foggy picture of the 4 tall trees on the beach.

A cold morning bike ride

On June 8, 2026May 30, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Beautiful skies hovered over dead vegetation in cow pastures in mid-February. I went for a bike ride along the northern end of the Pinellas Trail that runs through cow pastures.

This is the deadest I have seen the fields here. This was a week after our big freeze where we had 3 nights in a row below 30 degrees here in central Florida. This is the first time it’s happened in the 24 years we’ve been living here. I’m thinking most of it will come back by the end of summer.

The invasive brazilian peppertrees were full of berries. The cardinals, blue jays, robins and cedar waxwings will eat these.

Another invasive plant, the toxic rosarypea vine was also popping with seeds so there was a lot of bright red along the trail.

Savannah sparrows were along the trail.

I wasn’t expecting to see pretty blue flowers on this trail on this cold morning. I don’t remember seeing this here before. It was on the other side of the fence. Native skyblue lupine blooms here in the winter.

I could barely make out two young eagle heads on the nest. Mom was sitting higher up on the left.

Wood storks along the trail.

I usually see meadowlarks near the eagle’s nest.

A horse was out in the pasture and it looked like he was eating spanish moss that he must have pulled out of the tree.

He had a tiny friend out with him.

I passed a gopher tortoise right before getting back to my car. He was out of his hole and must have been trying to stay warm in the sun.

Big floating marshmallows in the lake

On June 6, 2026May 22, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

When I got to Crescent Lake Park in mid-February it looked like giant marshmallows floating around. I had been here several times this winter but only a few were there. White pelicans are one of the original snow birds. They spend a few months in central Florida before heading back to spend the summer in Canada. If they aren’t here floating in this lake near downtown St. Pete, then they are somewhere on the bay (somewhere in the neighborhood channels north of the St. Pete pier).

There was a small fleet of them floating in front of me as I sat down on a bench.

As they dispersed I started looking around the lake and realized there were hundreds of them all around the lake. Most of them were in small pods in all of the corners of the lake.

These were resting and preening on a spit of grass.

These guys were feeding in the shade along a bumper (keeps the garbage out of the pipes)

This guy had caught a big fish in his pouch and his friends started ganging up on him to steal the fish. He eventually swallowed it.

This fleet was having a squabble over something before going back to feeding.

Occasionally some would take flight. Some would fly to the other side of the lake and some went up high and headed toward the bay.

These floating marshmallows are special to this lake. They spend a short time going back and forth between the bay and here. It’s a treat to catch a lot of them on the lake and watch them feeding and going about their day. People walking their dogs or jogging stop to watch them. There were several other photographers nearby watching them as well and we all chatted about how cool they were and what they were doing. I went back the next week so more on these guys later.

Visitors in in late January

On June 3, 2026June 3, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

There was another chance of seeing northern lights in late January in central Florida and of course I was out in the backyard. I didn’t see any northern lights but could see the stars.

One afternoon I was across the street at the pond looking for ducks and this anhinga popped up in front of me with a fish. She seemed proud of her catch and showed it off for a few minutes before throwing it in the air and swallowing it.

Across the pond, another anhinga was drying off in front of the blooming bottle brush tree.

A hawk flew over my head.

One morning I was on my way to the grocery store and down our street was a flock of Canadian geese. They migrate through the area but I don’t see them often. Luckily I had my camera in the car and pulled over to get the above. They were gone when I got back.

A few days later I went for a walk and when I got down to the other end of our street I saw sandhill cranes. I ran back and got my camera. One of them was trying to get a leaf off his beak.

As they passed by me I noticed one of them had a big scratch on his neck.

I was across the street and there wasn’t any car traffic but people are always walking their dogs here. I saw a couple coming with their dog and motioned for them to please go around me but no, they just walked along that side of the street and let the leash out so the dog could chase after the cranes. Off the cranes went. Up and over the trees and out of the neighborhood. Ugh!

In the backyard, a house finch was waiting for the bluebird to finish before he jumped in.

I don’t know what this squirrel was eating as he sat right in front of the window.

Camellias blooming in January

On June 1, 2026June 5, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn flowers and plants, Vacation2 Comments

While Brett and I were in Orlando for a long weekend to visit with friends we went for a quick walk at Mead Gardens. We had not been before and the first thing we noticed was all of the camellia bushes were blooming. There were a lot of them around the nature center.

There were so many new buds coming out.

The parking areas were pretty full and we realized there was a camellia flower show and contest going on inside. There were so many beautiful colors and patterns. How could you judge them? You would really have to have an eye for details in them. I wouldn’t be able to pick a winner. They would all be winners.

There were a few rose bushes as well.

We spent an hour walking the trails and looking for critters which were scarce. It was chilly this morning. On the trails it felt more like a park than actual gardens but it was still beautiful.

I did see several gopher tortoises along the trail. I was able to zoom in with my phone and catch the above while hiding behind a bush.

Watching floating potatoes go by

On May 30, 2026June 8, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals4 Comments

I was back out at the Manatee Viewing Center in February, a week after I had visited with my sister. I had a friend who had never been so we headed over while it was still cold and the canal had tons of manatees keeping warm from the warm water coming off the electric plant. We went straight out to the 2nd dock and there were tons of them in front of the dock. It was also busy with people for a weekday.

So many of them huddled in the warm water.

Watching them float by the dock. A lot of them had boat scratches on their backs.

Some had barnacles on their backs. The one above had algae growing on the barnacles.

It’s fun to watch them turn over and their snouts stick out.

Two floating potatoes passing each other.

The water is clear here and we could see the little fishies going by.

Cold morning walks in January

On May 27, 2026June 8, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Tampa bay sights5 Comments

An early January walk along the water at the Safety Harbor Waterfront Park. They still haven’t quite finished the fishing pier yet. It takes forever to get inspections and permits to do anything so I think they are waiting on an inspection before they can put the roof on the end. Then that has to be inspected so maybe it will be open by Christmas.

A few days later I went for a walk at the Dunedin marina area. It was cloudy and cool and when I got around to the jetti front I noticed an osprey nest in the light post. This osprey couple have a big nest in a tree right by the boat ramp that they have used for years but I assuming the construction from the sea wall rebuild right there had them move to this light post. The light sensor on the light post is covered up with nesting material and now that light stays on all day long.

There are several other osprey nests close by and I noticed a lot of them circling right over the marina.

Looking across the water I could see the Dunedin causeway to the right.

A week later I was out at the causeway for a sunny and cold walk. This guy had caught a small shark. He released the shark. This area of water is called “shark alley” and people with drones have recorded a lot of sharks here but everyone still gets in the water.

A ring billed gull was posing for me as I crossed the bridge.

A few days later I came back to the causeway much earlier in the morning and before I got to the bridge I noticed dolphins fishing close in. I was wishing I had my camera that morning.

A short video of them splashing around and then jumping in the air.

A week later I was walking in Dunedin and came across some some ibis and a great egret feeding in the low tide along the Weaver Park fishing pier. This pier is still closed due to damage from the hurricanes in late 2024 and is scheduled to be rebuilt in early 2027.

Watching the ibis bobbing for snacks in the muck.

It’s common to see stranded boats washed up here at the pier.

A road trip across the state.

On May 25, 2026June 8, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, flowers and plants, Vacation3 Comments

In mid-January Brett and I had a long weekend in Orlando. We were meeting up with some friends on Saturday night but came over early Friday afternoon and went to Disney Springs for a walk and had an early dinner there. We didn’t go to a theme park since we’ve done them so many times over the years. Disney Springs is free and a fun place to walk around and have dinner.

So many beautiful colors in January. This was before the big freeze in early February. We spent the morning at Leu Gardens. We have never been here before and it was a nice place to walk around and luckily a lot was still blooming.

This butterfly posed for me while I took this with my phone since I didn’t bring my camera on this trip.

The historic home at the gardens was built in 1888 and had 4 different owners. The last was Harry P Leu who gifted the house and gardens in 1960.

The statue shows a worker picking citrus. The 2nd owners grew citrus trees on the property after the land had been farmed for many years.

You can tour the house and it was cool to see the historic furniture. The bathrooms and kitchen had been somewhat updated and that yellow bathroom looked like it was stuck in the 60’s.

A cold winter morning at Chesnut Park

On May 23, 2026June 8, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals3 Comments

I briefly saw the 2 point buck when I got to Chesnut Park in early February.

There were lots of ladies in the back of the park.

I stood still waiting for these ladies to pass me. They were so close I took the above with my phone.

The only wintering birds I saw were yellow rumped warblers.

Titmouse are here all year long. They come close hoping for a handout.

It looked like winter when I looked up in the trees.

Ginger, the domesticated duck that was dumped at the lake a few months back, was still hanging around the dock and seemed to be doing well.

You can usually find purple gallinulles along the dock.

We only see coots in the winter. It’s funny to watch them eat the vegetation in the lake.

The sun was trying to peak out on this cold morning. The wind was blasting on the top of the observation tower and I could see ripples in the water.

A cold afternoon with some birds on the beach

On May 20, 2026June 8, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

While my sister was visiting in February we stopped by the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a hospital, rescue, rehab and release facility that admits around 3500+ injured birds a year. About 46% are successfully rehabilitated. You can always see a lot of wild birds hanging around the sanctuary, hoping for a free snack.

Checking out the resident pelicans. The residents all have permanent injuries and have a home here.

Wild great egrets nest in the tall trees over the sanctuary. I could hear some babies clacking high up in the tree that I couldn’t see and some adults were still building nests.

Great blue herons also nest here and this nest had a baby (follow the yellow arrow). He was still pretty small and I could just barely make out the fuzz on his head.

This couple was still flirting.

Wild pelicans also nest high up in the trees. They might be former rehabilitated patients or babies that were born here and released.

The wild pelicans are pretty docile and will walk right up to you (hoping for a handout). I took the above with my phone.

The sanctuary is right on the beach and they have a 2 story deck with a great view. The only reason this beach was not busy was because it was cold the afternoon we were there (high of 45 degrees).

A wild black vulture was trying to hide from me on the top deck.

The sanctuary had massive damage from the hurricanes in late 2024. They are still rebuilding enclosures and trying to catch up. You can read about the damage and see pictures here.