Tiny rare babies growing up on the beach

On August 16, 2025September 6, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

It was May 1st and I was back at Fort Desoto Park early. The sun was already up when I drove over the bridge into the park. I had a feeling the oystercatcher eggs might have hatched earlier this week so I wanted to get out on the beach early.

I had a short hike out to the oystercatcher nest but I got distracted by the spoonbills feeding in the tidal pool just off the parking lot. There were also several tricolored herons feeding.

I don’t see yellowlegs here often so I had to stop for a shot of it as well.

I made it out to the nesting area and the babies were already on the move. The area had been roped off so people wouldn’t trample through the nesting area and the parents were feeding the babies inside the roped area. There were three eggs but only two hatched. One hatched late Tuesday, one hatched Wednesday and I was there early Thursday morning.

They were so tiny and hard to spot across the roped off area. They stayed close to the parents as one parent would take off and then come back 5-10 minutes later with food. I was taking these with my 180-600mm zoom lens and they are cropped so they were really far away.

As we waited for the parents to bring in food to the babies we got distracted by the reddish egrets coming by including the white morph one.

Skimmers flying by.

Mom had a juicy piece of food in her beak, maybe a piece of clam.

After a while the babies got tired and plopped down for a long nap so I headed out. There were a handful of photographers there and several bird stewards watching the area so people don’t get too close. The bird stewards are all volunteers and keep watch over the nest and these rare babies while they grow up making sure they are safe from the tourist crowds.

There was an osprey nest in between the beach and the parking lot so I stopped for a few minutes and caught both babies looking at Mom.

Almost the end of spring migration

On July 13, 2024July 4, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

I made another trip to Fort Desoto Park near the end of April to look for migrating birds. This one was easy to find. I heard the Chuck-will’s-widow was near the bay pier. She had been there for several days and people thought she was nesting since she spent most of her time on the ground. They are not rare for the area but they are hardly ever seen. You can see how she blends into the ground. The area where she was hanging out was all roped off so you could see her from a distance. This was my 2nd sighting of one. The first was at the Dry Tortugas on a trip to Key West several years ago. I zoomed in on the 2nd picture because she had the most amazing whiskers across her face. She disappeared after about 2 weeks. She probably thought the area was too busy.

The nearby osprey nest was busy. I walked up right as Mom was feeding the babies.

I saw a lot of juvenile indigo buntings near the fountain. I think the 2nd shot is a female.

More Cape May warblers. They were everywhere this spring. The top 2 are males and the bottom 2 are females.

This was my first time this spring seeing a blackpoll warbler. They usually come through here in the spring but I didn’t see this one until almost the end of migration.

A catbird sits on top of the fountain.

The nanday parakeets were in their usual spots along the east beach trails. This one was eating the mangrove grapes.

I don’t often see pileated woodpeckers here although I hear them along the trails. This one was digging something juicy out of the soft wood.

Amost grown up at work

On July 27, 2017July 27, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

We thought we had lost the baby osprey early on. We could barely see the tops of their heads and then one day we noticed both parents were off the nest that morning and then when I was leaving work that day. One of the parents was taking a bath in the retention pond and the crows were driving her crazy. The next day we saw the tiny heads peek out so they were both fine.

By mid-April, the babies were getting much bigger and easier to see.

By the end of April, the oldest was testing his wings.

Still getting dinner from the parent.

By early May they were fully grown but still had their orange eyes and spots on the tips of their wings. Not long after this picture was taken, they were flying circles around the parking lot area. By early June they were spending most of their time off the nest but close by. They were still coming to nest to be fed only then the parents were dropping off the fish for the kids to eat on their own. And now, we are all empty nesters.

SkyWatch Friday

Growing up at work

On July 20, 2017July 20, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

For several years we’ve had osprey babies growing up in the parking lot at work. The nest is on a light post that no one parks under anymore. No one wants to clean up big baby bird poo off their car. The parents continued to bring in new sticks, straw and moss while they were growing up. It was fun watching them grow up. They would be screaming for food in the morning when I drove in and screaming for food after work when I was leaving. They were usually sleeping if I made it out to lunch. The best was watching them start to fly close around the nest. More pictures to come.

SkyWatch Friday

Usual and unusual at the fishing pier.

On July 7, 2016July 7, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

Two baby osprey were peaking out over the nest in the parking lot and the nest on top of the smoke stack next to the bait store.

Dad was close by with lunch. I think he was going to eat some first before he took it over to the nest.

You can almost always find a reddish egret fishing somewhere on the beach.

It rare to see a common loon here in the spring. Especially in his summer breeding colors. When they hang out here during the winter, they are a drab gray color. This one stayed pretty far away from the fishing pier.

Big gulp. There are signs at the fish cleaning station to “Not feed or throw fish parts to the birds” They all do it anyway. In theory it seems okay but the cormorants hang around the pier and get too close and end up getting caught with fishing hooks.

The dolphins playing around the pier.

My Saturday morning walk at Fort Desoto in late May.

SkyWatch Friday

At the fishing pier

On June 20, 2016June 21, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography14 Comments

These two female red breasted mergansers are still hanging around the fishing pier. They should be north for the summer by now.

A ruddy turnstone on the rocks.

A royal tern brings her a fish. Since she’s eating it, I guess they are an official couple.

The laughing gulls are pretty this time of year.

Having a conversation about something. All of the gulls are pairing up.

The juvenile reddish egret is still hanging around the pier.

Two baby osprey on the smokestack tower nest.

Someone got their snack stolen. Or maybe, the bird is being paid to advertise.

Saturday morning at Fort Desoto.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing

In the parking lot at work

On July 6, 2015July 7, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography9 Comments

Last year, an osprey couple built a nest in one of the lights in the parking lot at work. They did not have any babies that year. The nest did not seem well built and people are walking by all day long. This spring they started working on the nest and I didn’t get my hopes up. My doubts were not necessary this year. One night I walked out to my car and saw a little head sticking up. The next night I brought my camera to work and got the above shots.

It gets better. A week later I realized there were two babies.

After a heavy rain had filled the grassy area next to the parking lot, one of the parents flew down and was drinking some of the water. The ducks seemed baffled by their new friend.

Also in the parking lot was a night heron nest. High up in a pine tree, two babies were looking down at me.

One night while I was taking pictures of the osprey, this crow flew past me and landed in a nearby pine tree. I hate to think it but it looks like he has a small duck in his beak. This was the only shot I got before he flew off.

A kildeer was watching me from the side of the parking lot.

Last week the babies were fully grown. They were flying from light pole to light pole but still getting their food from the parents. Soon they will be gone for good. It looks like he’s got some fish guts on the nest.

Since it’s rare these days that I can get to a park after work, it’s nice to have the wildlife come to work.

Our World Tuesday Graphic