Around the yard in late June

On November 11, 2026October 30, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals4 Comments

Blooming in the backyard at the end of June includes the leopard plant, my neighbor’s siam tulip plant and the soap aloe. The soap aloe was already here when we moved in almost 5 years ago and had not bloomed at all until this summer. After some searching I learned it takes 3-4 years to mature and bloom. We’ve been letting it spread since it’s in a big dirt area in the back. We had 2 plants bloom this summer. The hummingbirds have loved them.

The hummers were also enjoying the vinca and shrimp plants as well as the feeder.

I was mostly at home after my knee surgery and spent some of that time watching the hummingbirds out the window. I was so glad the aloe was blooming during those weeks. These are all taken through the window.

A male ruby throated hummingbird (with the red showing in the sun) was sitting high up in the oak tree just over the feeder. I would never have seen him but I was able to follow him from the feeder up to his favorite spot where he would rest in between feedings.

A brown thrasher stopped by.

A young little blue heron was losing his baby white feathers and getting more blue. They are pretty when they are mottled like this. He was out on the fairway.

The usual squirrels being cute in the backyard.

I went outside to get a package one night and could see the frog in our porch light. He looked creepy in there with the light.

Dark skies from the front yard.

Fish for breakfast

On November 9, 2026November 10, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography1 Comment

I hurt my knee (again) near the end of May. In early June I was waiting for a follow up with the orthopedic surgeon after my MRI. It was a torn meniscus which is what we thought it was months earlier. I did physical therapy but it just kept getting worse until I could barely stand on it (I also had a cyst that had busted inside my knee). At this point I was wearing a brace to walk on it. I was assuming surgery was going to happen. I had to get out of the house so I drove over to the Dunedin causeway with my beach chair. The causeway was pretty empty since rain was moving in a little later. I found a good spot in front of some guys fishing.

This guy was getting bait fish and when he pulled the net up to get the bait fish in his bucket the wild birds flew in for a handout.

The snowy egrets starting fighting to get the best spot.

The fisherman was cutting up some fish to use and a snowy egret grabbed a piece. Then all of his friends started chasing him for it. I had my camera and long lens so I didn’t have to get up to get the shots.

A great blue heron also got a piece of fish.

Zooming in I could see the jet skiers and some people walking around the tip of Honeymoon Island. I really wanted to be out there walking with them but at least it was a nice morning just sitting out watching on the causeway.

The dark clouds started to move in and the fisherman left so I headed out.

I drove back on the access road on the north side of the causeway.

Not many other birds out but I did find a dowitcher and shot the above from the car window.

All grown up

On November 7, 2026November 7, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

My last 2 visits to the great horned owl nest was in early June. The baby owl was almost fully grown but still had a lot of fuzz on him. He had already branched and was moving all over the big tree. This morning he was sitting high up with Mom next to him.

Dad was in a nearby tree keeping an eye on things.

I’m not sure if he was trying to get Mom to feed him or give him a kiss.

A week later was my last trip. I found Dad easily, sleeping in a tree nearby.

Baby was a little harder to find. He was now moving from tree to tree and was 2 trees over and high up by himself.

This was my last look at him but many people were keeping track of him and he’s all grown up and still at the park but even harder to find.

The graduating flying class of 2026

On November 4, 2026October 22, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

Eagle nesting season was winding down near the end of March. I was out early trying to catch the babies flying. Some mornings there was a little bit of fog on the ground as the sun was coming up.

The bottlebrush trees were blooming and the birds were eating the seed pods including the above red bellied woodpecker and monk parakeets.

A red bellied woodpecker was grabbing seed out of the bird feeder hanging in one of the trees. You can really see his red belly here.

Wood thrashers were stopping by.

I caught one of the adults bringing a squirrel to the nest.

The youngest one was flapping hard and getting lift.

Mom was letting the boyfriend land on the nest but the young one still didn’t like it.

One morning I caught the oldest one flying to the tower next to the nest tower. I’m not sure if this was his first flight or maybe one of his firsts.

He was still a little unsteady with the landing.

A few days later I saw the youngest one taking off. He missed the landing up on the top of the tower and landed a little farther down. They were both flying back and forth from the one nearby tower to the nest tower when Mom brought food.

Both babies together on a nearby tower. They were flying around after Mom at this point and eventually they disappeared, flying off on their own. It was great seeing them do so well this year.

The adults are now back again. They showed back up in late August and have recently started adding to the nest. Here’s to another hopeful successful year.

Around the yard in early June

On November 2, 2026November 2, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography1 Comment

It was early June and the hummingbirds were coming regularly to the feeder.

A dragonfly on the hanging pot post. I don’t see orange ones often.

Squirrels being cute and annoying me constantly trying to get up on the feeder.

Another turtle trying to lay eggs in the backyard. Or this might be the same one who tried to lay eggs here last month. There’s a pond behind us but it’s 2 buildings down from our townhouse building and there is one across the fairway. Either way she has come a long way. She ended up not laying any eggs.

I took this with my phone through the kitchen window. A bunny was on the front sidewalk.

The house finch family was still coming to the feeder.

A cardinal looking pretty.

One morning I looked out the window and saw this. A red shoulder hawk was getting a drink from the bird bath. All of the little birds had disappeared. He didn’t stay long.

Things blooming in the yard included a tahitian gardenia, the fingernail plants and the sunflower plant (before the squirrel destroyed it).

I inherited the above bird house from a neighbor that recently moved and I hung it outside on the back wall. I haven’t seen any birds go in (not expecting to) but one morning I saw the frog sticking his head out. I guess it’s his house now.

We had several days of rain and one day I was outside cleaning up the front courtyard and noticed this frog on the front door. He was in between the glass door and the wood door (there is a small gap if you don’t shut the glass door hard). I propped open the door and later I came back out and he was gone so I closed the glass door tight.

Fawn season was starting

On October 31, 2026November 4, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals3 Comments

By the end of July I had heard there were several baby deer at Chesnut Park. They usually stay pretty hidden at first so I wasn’t sure if I would see them this morning. I got to the park when it opened at 7am and saw some deer on the baseball field so I pulled over for a few minutes. I didn’t see any young ones but there were two bucks mixed in with the ladies.

One of the bucks approached the other one. They both looked close to the same age. The one on the right had a big bump under his chin and on his left front leg. I think they are deer warts and are common in deer under 2 years old. They usually shrink up and fall off.

They started bumping heads but were they really fighting or just play fighting? This went on for a minute or two and then they both just started feeding again.

A little later they all started to head towards the woods and I left to drive to the back of the park.

I found one fawn and Mom near the back parking area. Baby followed Mom into the woods and I left and headed back to the baseball field.

The bucks were still on the field.

Zooming in I could see all of the bugs buzzing around him.

Waiting for the traffic to clear before crossing the bridge.

This summer there were many babies here including a set of triplets. I spent a few mornings driving through and was able to get lots of shots so more to come.

Around the yard in late May

On October 28, 2026November 4, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Things blooming around the yard in late May include a shrimp plant, a sunflower trying to bloom in the front yard and my neighbor’s Siam tulip plant.

The leopard plant under the window blooms yellow and then turns into a seed pod that reminds me of those dandelion plants we used to blow.

Titmouse at the worm feeder.

A juvenile red bellied woodpecker was watching Mom get a worm from the feeder. This young one still hadn’t gotten his (or her) red on the back of the neck.

Blue jays can be annoying but they are pretty when they take a bath.

Black bellied whistling ducks were hanging around the newly formed rain puddle. I snuck out the back door to get these since they were across the fairway.

My neighbor got a new hummingbird feeder for Mother’s Day and a male ruby throated hummingbird was a constant visitor. I took this from my driveway.

A bunny stopping by the backyard for a bite to eat.

A moth taken through the window.

A male and female juvenile cardinal looking around the patio for bugs. They still have that scruffy look as their adult feathers grow in.

It was funny to watch them hop around under the patio chairs.

Squirrels being cute in the backyard. Although one keeps trying to climb up the bird feeder pole. Luckily that baffle stops him.

The sun shining on a storm moving out of the neighborhood.

Cheery bright colors

On October 26, 2026November 4, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn flowers and plants2 Comments

It’s always a treat having a house full of sunflowers and zinnias. I picked handfuls at Sweetfields Farm in May to bring home. I dusted off my macro lens and started snapping pictures. So here are some bright colors to enjoy instead of the ole orange “everything” for Halloween coming up.

I love the bright colors and I’m thinking next spring I may try and grow these from seed. I’ll have to use pots since I don’t have a good spot in full sun in the ground.

Then I used my phone on different settings to try and get something different. I mostly used portrait studio lighting setting to get the black background.

Cute babies with loud parents

On October 24, 2026November 4, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

At the end of May I had my camera in the car and was running errands and decided to drive through the nearby neighborhood with one of the the largest wild peacock populations. I wasn’t sure if it was too early for babies. There are several hundred peacocks roaming this neighborhood. The urban legend states the peacocks are descendants of the original Seville Peacock Farm that was located in the same area back in the 1930’s. The farm became a tourist attraction until it was closed in the late 60’s. Many of the peacocks were let loose or “escaped” when the farm closed.

On one street there were 2 families. One Mom had 3 babies and one had 4. They were busy watching Mom teach them how to scratch the dirt for bugs.

Some of the adults were passing through.

These babies were acting all brave, moving away from Mom, until a squirrel got close. They were curious and then went running back to Mom.

I found another Mom with one baby a few streets over.

These babies were crawling under Mom to settle down for a nap before the juvenile male was showing off.

The babies were learning to look for their own bugs.

Is this guy showing off? Doesn’t he realize she’s already got her hands full???

There was still a lot of flirting going on.

Fuzzy baby is getting big

On October 21, 2026November 4, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

Yes, I made many visits to the great horned owl’s nest in May since it’s so close to were I live. It was so great seeing the little baby grow up. One morning I got there a little later and he was fully awake and making so many funny faces. He was very curious looking around at the birds going by and people walking their dogs nearby.

Mom was just a little higher in the tree and she was showing off her big talons while scratching an itch.

Big baby’s talons were getting big.

Mom was watching all of the joggers and dog walkers go by as she kept an eye on baby below.

Dad was high up in a tree nearby.

Taken with my phone and zooming in from across the grass, you could barely see the baby (yellow arrow). The tree curves over the parking lot and the rangers had that part roped off.