🎵 “Baby, you’re a firework” 🎵

On July 1, 2026July 1, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sightsLeave a comment

These are all firework shots from my past. The two above were taken in 2020. Since we were all spending so much time at home I knew there would be a lot of people shooting off fireworks on the nearby Courtney Campbell Causeway. I got out on the causeway right before dark and was able to get a parking spot near the boat ramp. Luckily I was coated with 2 coats of OFF because the bugs were crazy along the water. People were shooting the fireworks right over my head in the parking lot.

I got a good spot on the water and set up my tripod and got shots of the fireworks going off all up and down the causeway.

Zooming out I could see the fireworks in my neighborhood to the left.

The next year I decided to go to the top open parking deck at the airport. I thought I would be able to see tons of fireworks from all over Tampa. Everyone seemed to have that same idea because the deck was packed. The football stadium was all lit up and I could see fireworks going off near there.

Most of the fireworks were very far away and you couldn’t hear the boom so that was a little disappointing but there was a nice breeze up there and not many bugs.

The next year I stayed home and stood in my driveway to see fireworks.

There were lots of parties in my old neighborhood in Tampa and everyone was shooting them off. Above is a quick video from my driveway.

In June of 2023 Brett and I were in Orlando staying near Disney. After dinner we got back to the hotel and could see fireworks going off (on the left) at one of the theme parks and nature’s fireworks (on the right) from our window.

This song by Rhianna will be one of the most played song this weekend:

“You just gotta ignite the lightAnd let it shineJust own the nightLike the Fourth of July

‘Cause baby, you’re a fireworkCome on, show ’em what you’re worthMake ’em go, “Oh, oh, oh”As you shoot across the skyBaby, you’re a fireworkCome on, let your colors burstMake ’em go, “Oh, oh, oh”You’re gonna leave ’em all in awe, awe, awe”

A short walk among the blooming

On June 29, 2026June 29, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn flowers and plants1 Comment

The butterfly garden at Folly Farms in Safety Harbor was exploding with color when I visited in early March. The big freeze a month earlier didn’t seem to harm most of these plants.

Cool artwork in the garden.

The garden is full of whimsical things including the bee house in the 2nd shot above.

A butterfly sitting still as I took the above with my phone. I think he was warming up in the sun.

There’s a short trail along the back area of the gardens and I took a quick lap before heading home.

Birds and babies at the zoo

On June 27, 2026June 13, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, zoo animals2 Comments

In early March I made a trip to Zoo Tampa hoping to see baby Marabou storks. I was a few weeks late. There was only one and he was pretty grown up but still that “baby” cute.

Shoebill storks were building a nest. These guys are difficult to breed and the only one born in the USA was here in 2009. Here’s to a hopeful nest.

Fun birds in the aviaries.

Yummy lettuce for breakfast.

A rare colobus monkey was born in early December.

The gibbons had 2 young ones. They are everyone’s favorite animals, watching them swing around and you can hear them hooting all over the zoo. Their pouch under the chin swells when they are hooting.

I took so many videos of them in action. Turn up the volume to hear their call.

A face only a Mom could love

On June 24, 2026June 10, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

In early March word got out that there was a barred owl nest at Largo Nature Preserve. I made it over there a week later and the nest was easy to find. It was sitting right on a main trail just off the parking lot. There were 2 babies but after standing there for over an hour I only saw one. These were all taken with my 600mm lens and cropped up so we were actually across a creek from the tree.

Sleepy baby was yawning.

Looking across the creek near the nest.

Mom was sitting in a nearby tree keeping an eye on the nest. We didn’t find Dad that morning. I’m sure he was sleeping somewhere nearby.

Scratching an itch on that big foot!

Something pretty was growing on the bottom of the nest tree.

A red maple tree was full of those “helicopter” seeds.

Lantana growing nearby.

I had to go back to see both babies so more on this nest later.

Another “As the Eagle World Turns” chapter

On June 22, 2026June 23, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals2 Comments

In early February the baby eagles in my neighborhood were getting big enough to get some great views of them. One was down in the nest sleeping on this morning.

Mom was leaving the nest several times a day to get food. I think there was something stuck in that straw because she dropped it off and the baby started eating something.

Mom keeping an eye out and taking a much needed break.

This was Mom’s new boyfriend, Mickey, coming in with a stick. Her mate was hit by a car in January and this guy moved in quickly. The babies would not let him land on the nest and he didn’t seem to push it. One morning he started bringing in sticks and then taking them to the other side of the utility tower. I think he was working on a new nest.

The kids are wondering what this new guy was doing.

Mom landed on the that side of the tower and was helping him place the sticks. I was wondering if they would actually start a new family while those kids were still over on the other side.

Mickey was bringing in food for Mom and after a few bites she would take the rest over to the kids.

Then they mated! I guess this means they are now an official couple. They didn’t finish the new nest and eventually Mom and the babies let Mickey land on the original nest. More to come on these babies growing up.

There’s always a squirrel on this feeder nearby. The owner has it hanging on a tree close to the branch. I wonder if they think the birds are eating all of the seeds.

A crow landed in front of me with a snack.

The kestrels are always around when I visit the eagle nest.

The cardinal’s color pops out in the dead reeds.

One morning a bluebird couple was hanging out on the bat box in front of the eagle nest. He had a snack and did not share it with his girlfriend.

As I stood there waiting for the baby eagles to wake up I looked over towards the reeds and saw the above in front of me. There was only a short 2 rail fence in between us but I didn’t think they would come over the fence. I had my monopod and big heavy camera in front of me.

That black coyote is beautiful. This couple has been seen a lot early in the morning in this area.

They both looked over at me. I heard something right behind me. I turned around and a guy was walking his 2 little dogs. I said to him ‘Do you see those 2 coyotes over there?” He said “I do now” as he picked up both dogs and walked backwards towards his condo. The coyotes trotted off and into the reeds.

Yard critters in early February

On June 20, 2026June 7, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

We had a big freeze in early February for central Florida. We had 3 nights below 30 degrees. My bird bath was frozen solid. The first night it was just a thin layer of ice on top. By the 2nd night it was frozen. This was a first in our 24 years in Florida.

Our blushing philodendron looked like this a few days later. I covered all of my hanging plants and most of my smaller bushes but did not cover these. The one on the left is completely dead and rotten so we’ll pull that up eventually. The one on the right has come back and already had new leaves.

A few days later it started to warm up a little. A dove was taking a bath and then sitting on the leaves in the sun to warm up.

Yellow throated warblers only come through for a short time in the winter to feed on the suet.

Pine warblers, yellow throated warblers, catbirds and downy woodpeckers were fighting over space on the suet.

A hermit thrush stopped by for a quick drink several late afternoons in a row.

Bluebirds and robins were regular visitors to the bath.

The black bellied whistling ducks were still hanging out in the pond across the street in big numbers. I think that great blue heron was trying to take back his space.

Sometimes they were sleeping peacefully and sometimes they would have squabbles with ibis and amongst themselves. It’s been such a treat to have them across the street and hear them whistling as they come and go.

Birds along the causeway

On June 17, 2026June 1, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

I was out for a walk on the Dunedin causeway in late February.

It was clear and cool when I first started walking but the clouds started to move in.

When I got back to my car I pulled my camera out to get some shots of the shorebirds along the rocky side of the causeway. The same ole bird where there including the sanderling and ruddy turnstones with those bright orange legs.

I noticed an oystercatcher couple a little farther down the causeway. They were spread out and were busy feeding.

They were pulling up something gunky. Shrimp? Sand fleas? Slugs?

I watched them for a while and they started making their way down the causeway.

A little blue heron was creeping along the water.

A cold foggy walk on the waterfront

On June 15, 2026June 15, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights1 Comment

I was out for a wet foggy walk at the Safety Harbor waterfront in late February. It had stopped raining before daylight but the boardwalk was still full of puddles.

I couldn’t see very far out in the bay and I certainly couldn’t see Tampa across the bay. It was a kind of spooky and I passed very few people, only the diehard joggers.

The grass in the park didn’t look well after the freeze but it came back by spring.

I stopped at nearby Philippe Park to walk the stairs to the top of the Indian mound.

If was foggy looking south in the bay but the sun was trying to peek out when I was leaving.

When you walk along the sea wall you can look up and see the top of the mound. This park is named after Odet Philippe, who is credited with introducing grapefruit to Florida. Grapefruit was grown in this park in the late 1800’s. The mound was built by Tocobaga Indians in the late 1500’s. There are several mounds in the area but this one is the largest one remaining.

Other fowl on the lake

On June 13, 2026June 7, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

While I was at Crescent Lake Park watching the white pelicans I couldn’t ignore the other ducks in the lake. There were a lot of lesser scaup on the lake. They are also snow birds and only spend the winter here.

This guy had a snack in his beak. I don’t know if they swallow these clams shells whole? The sun really brings out the purple in the male scaup’s head.

This cormorant kept diving for fish but he kept coming up with sticks.

Two great egrets were near the bank. One still had his green breeding feathers around his beak.

A muscovy duck showing off for me.

I thought this osprey had a fish in his talons but it looks like a some vegetation.

Blooming in the fog

On June 10, 2026May 25, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 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.