Ruddy turnstone convention on the jetti.
This one was on the pier.
His feet were tangled up together. He was flying around pretty good so I’m not sure how you could catch him.
My first common loon sighting of the winter. There were two of them swimming around in a lagoon.
They are not common at all.
A cormorant was going after a fish on someone’s pole.
He’s thinking he has an easy meal.
He was giving it a good tug but in the end the fisherman was able to pull it up with the fish intact.
Although later, he did manage to steal a fish from someone who wasn’t paying attention.
Someone pulled up a starfish. Back he went into the water.
I checked on the old owl’s nest from last winter. There was an owl sitting there sleeping. Hopefully there’s an egg underneath it. Last year the owl couple had two babies but only one survived.
A great blue heron flying by.
We had a big late breakfast and wasn’t going to eat dinner until much later on Christmas day. We were tempted to spend the day on the couch in our pj’s watching old Christmas movies but it was just to gorgeous outside. Sunny and 70 degrees. My sister was visiting for the week from South Dakota and she wanted to get outside and walk around so we headed to Fort De Soto. It was a perfect afternoon. We walked around both piers and looked around at the North beach but it was too windy for any shorebirds. Perfect day off.
Check out more pictures at Our World Tuesday 
Also, check out more birds at Paying Ready Attention for 
What a beautiful way to spend Christmas day. I feel so bad for the birds that get tangled up in the fishing line.
Your series of photos are so amazing! So wunderful! Love all the birds …. GREAT!!!
Great photos and what a gorgeous owl.
Love the photos and the information is, as always, superb.
Incredible photos, the Ruddy turnstone is a poor victim of the plastic litter wasting the sea.
A perfect day!!! Well, except for the plastic crap…. dang. Beautiful pictures . We were at Fort DeSoto last Christmas.( year ago) ..great place to take your company.I bet she hated to go home.
Gorgeous shots!
Wonderful pictures but feel sorry for the bird with the crippled feet.
Hi Dina. Gorgeous photos. Sorry about the fishing line on the Turnstone and I love the Owl. Hope there are eggs below her.
Wonderful pictures, especially the owl and starfish ones. I love the napping owl!
So many beautiful animal sightings Dina. I feel so bad for the bird with the tangled feet. The owl is adorable, and the starfish details fantastic. Thanks for sharing the love up-close with I Heart Macro:-)
A great serie!
The owl is so cute!
Very nice series of pictures here. I looked for the Turnstones in January in California but no such luck:( That poor bird….that really gets me when I see things like that. Hope the bird will be able to function with that strong around its’ feet. The Great Horned Owls are awesome…..I love that they are nesting right now:)
A terrific series! Love the cormorant “fishing”. Beatiful heron in flight capture!
Great way to spend Christmas Day – at the Fort! Beautiful photographs, Dina!
The turnstone with his feet tied also seems to be missing one foot. I hope he manages to get around just by flying.
The fisherman versus the loon made for good pictures!
K
That is sad about the turnstone. Sooner or later that cormorant will end up swallowing a hook and become another casualty.
yikes – watching that cormorant try for the fish on a hook… and the turnstone, too.
Oh Dina, that owl is darling, and your photo is about as good as it gets!