They get no respect

On March 31, 2018February 27, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals1 Comment

There was a small fish kill on the lake due to the freeze we had for several nights in January. Even thought it got just below freezing here, the fish aren’t use to the cold and there was a small amount of fish floating near the trail per the last picture. The clean up crew (vultures) at Circle B Bar Reserve moved in quickly and were dragging the dead fish up on the trail and feasting away the weekend I was there. They didn’t even bother to move as we walked down the trail. Just kept eating.

The trees were full of fat and happy vultures.

Several alligators were up on the trail. The vultures didn’t move away when the alligators came up.

This was Momma pig right before she had her babies when she was hanging around the nature center. She walked by so close I could only get her face in. She has since had a litter. More on that to come.

The barred owls were still hiding under the palm tree in mid January. They have since moved to the nest in the hole in the tree.

Vultures are usually plentiful at Circle B Bar Reserve but in mid January the place was covered in them. They were in the trees all along Marsh Rabbit Run Trail and along the trail feasting on the dead fish. The smell was a little ripe in some places but they were busy cleaning up the place. I went back several weeks later and there was no sign of any dead fish.

Getting there early

On March 29, 2018March 1, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn flowers and plants5 Comments

I got to Circle B Bar Reserve just after the sun came up but it was hiding behind the fog. There were a few people already there but the crowds don’t usually come until closer to lunchtime. I love it when it’s so quiet. Only the birds and ducks were making noise.

The fog was really thick this particular morning in early January. It did not burn off until I was leaving.

Bald cypress trees in the middle of the lake. All of these were taken with my phone.

SkyWatch Friday

Checking on the nests at Honeymoon Island

On March 27, 2018March 27, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

True to its name, the Osprey Trail on Honeymoon Island is known for having a lot of Osprey along the trail. There are many nests along the trail and when I was there in late January, the osprey were working on refreshing the old ones.

Both eagles were sitting in a tree near the nest which was a bad sign. They were sitting on eggs earlier so something must have happened to cause them to abandon the nest. They might try again. It was still early.

Towhees, catbirds and yellow rumped warblers were all along the trail.

Lots of vultures here.

New growth in some of the prescribed burn areas.

This guy walked right in front of me on the trail.

I hadn’t been to Honeymoon Island since last spring. I wanted to see if the osprey were nesting yet. Honeymoon Island is a barrier island north of Clearwater Beach. In the 1940’s the island was a place known for people to spend their honeymoon in the cottages on the island. Once World War 2 started people stopped coming to the island and later the cottages were torn down.

Linking to Wednesday Around the World

In the backyard in January

On March 26, 2018March 27, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

Birds in our backyard, They are all regular visitor’s. A great blue heron, an anhinga drying his wings with some seaweed on his beak and a red bellied woodpecker.

Arriving home one day I saw a Cooper’s hawk eating something in my neighbor’s yard. Then later we had a red shoulder hawk on my neighbor’s sailboat mast.

We have a hooded merganser couple that hangs our in our channel during the winter. Every so often he comes close to our dock.

Plants in the backyard.

The sea fog had rolled in one Sunday morning.

One of the big moon events recently. Taken in the driveway.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing: weekly photo linkup

Looking for eagles and owls

On March 24, 2018March 8, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

I found the owls in the same spot they were last year. The park is not too far from work so I stopped by one night before dark. Found one of the adults on a branch just above the nest. “My, what big feet you have!”

Found a baby sitting on the nest. A little fluff ball.

I looked for eagles along the utility towers across the bay where they usually hang out. I couldn’t find any mixed in with all of the cormorants.

The eagles are not nesting in the middle of the horse farm this year. There was a lot of new construction going on nearby so I was afraid they wouldn’t come back this year. I found them nearby in a utility tower. I think they took over an osprey nest high up in the tower.

Ibis flying by right before dark.

I found a lone robin near the owl nest.

Looking for an owl

On March 22, 2018March 1, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

I stopped by the park not to far from my house on the way home from Chesnut Park. I hadn’t been in a while but was wondering if the owls were nesting again this year. It was too early for babies but I did see an adult sleeping in the tree. This was a good sign.

I would nest here too if I was a bird. The old trees are beautiful.

Nearby in the utility tower are the brown boobies. It’s always been rare to see them here but in the last year, a handful of them have been living in the area. Most days they can be seen on the tower. These were taken with my 300mm lens and extender and I cropped these up so they are pretty far out. You can tell the boobies by the white stomachs vs. the many cormorants or anhingas on the tower.

Lots of birds in along the shoreline at the park.

SkyWatch Friday

I can still see you

On March 21, 2018March 21, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

Lots of birds hiding in the fog at Circle B Bar Reserve in early February.

Linking to Wednesday Around The World

Up close with some crazy animals

On March 19, 2018March 20, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals5 Comments

It’s not often you can get up close to a bald eagle. Especially a juvenile one (the all brown one in the last shot). These eagles are all missing a wing and now live at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park. They are in an open enclosure and just love to pose.

Pelicans were just starting to nest.

A night heron in the first shot. He crept up pretty close to me. The wild great blue herons were working on nests in the top of the trees over the alligator exhibit.

A burrowing owl trying to sleep.

Other animals were all just chilling out the morning I was there in early January. Lots of fun animals at the park. Unfortunately most are injured but have a home here at the park.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing: weekly photo linkup

Big rocks in the water

On March 17, 2018February 7, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animalsLeave a comment

From far away it looks like big rocks out there in the water. They were really manatees.

It’s not often you can get this close to manatees. At Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park you can see them up close on a bridge that crosses over Homosassa River where the wild manatees congregate in the winter. The water is crystal clear so you can really see the details on these big sea cows.

They were staying close together keeping warm. It had been cold for a few days but the water in the springs stays much warmer.

When they come up for air you can really see their faces.

There are tour guides that take you down the river and swim in the area that the manatees are hanging out. The tours are heavily monitored by volunteers to make sure the people don’t bother the manatees if they are in the no-swim zone. I’d rather just let the manatees stay wild and admire them from the bridge. There were over 20 boats by lunch time.

“Fishies” swimming by the underwater observation window.

From my annual winter road trip in January.

One last look at Colorado for now

On March 15, 2018January 25, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Vacation3 Comments

We only saw a few bison during our drive through Rocky Mountain Arsenal Park.

The view of downtown Denver from the park.

I did not want to leave. Even though we had cold rainy weather the entire trip out here I could so live here. Maybe I’m just tired of the beach and heat after living in Florida for almost 16 years.