Possum Branch Preserve

Posted on May 9, 2022 by dinajohnston

Since Possum Branch Preserve is close to my house now I’ve been stopping by there for a quick walk pretty regularly before it gets to hot. Most of the time I only see the usual birds and the red winged blackbirds are the most common. Above is a female.

There was an American bittern that spent the winter here. Most of the time he was hidden in the reeds but I managed to catch him coming out to feed one morning.

There was a blue winged teal here for a short time.

Little blue herons are everywhere but I thought he looked pretty against the green.

A sora rail also spent the winter here but I only caught hime once. He also hides in the reeds most of the time and blends in well.

I saw this big guy napping from across the pond.

By the time I got around to the other side he had turned around. These are super cropped up.

This one is also cropped up. This guy was a little smaller.

On the trail at Circle B Bar Reserve

Posted on May 8, 2017 by dinajohnston

Great egrets and spoonbills were in the air and in the muck.

Bittern, limpkin, anhinga and wood stork on the trail.

A house wren hiding in the bushes.

Coot with cool feet.

A kingfisher actually sitting still.

Purple gallinule eating something yucky.

Lots of activity in late March at Circle B Bar Reserve but nothing unusual.

A foggy morning at Circle B Bar Reserve

Posted on April 27, 2017 by dinajohnston

The reserve was covered in fog when I first walked out on the trails in early March. I could hear the sandhill cranes calling out but could not see them very well.

After the fog lifted, I saw several on my walk.

Spider webs blanketed the trails.

The usual residents.

A bittern close to the trail.

It can look dark and foggy early in the morning but it doesn’t stay that way long in early spring in central Florida.

More people than birds.

Posted on April 2, 2015 by dinajohnston

A common yellowthroat hiding in the bushes.

A Carolina wren singing away in the morning.

A bittern hiding in the swamp. Shout out to Peter and Capt. Jake for finding this guy. Don, where were you? You missed out on this one.

A black vulture and a turkey vulture hanging out together.

One of the many “Osprey” trees along Alligator Alley trail.

The baby great blue heron is almost grown up.

The parent was still watching over him.

The baby was still getting excited when the parents came to visit. He was still getting fed by them.

I’m starting to see dragonflies everywhere.

A quick visit to Circle B Bar Reserve in mid-March. I think there were more people than birds on the trails. It’s that time of the year when big groups of bird watchers descend on the park. They move a lot slower and I’m sure they see a lot more birds than I do. Most of the time they are seeing they with binoculars or scopes so I usually can’t get a shot of what they are looking at. I usually try to keep moving. It all started with getting exercise so I try to get in a good long walk on the weekends.Seeing the wildlife is a bonus.

My first 2015 baby bird.

Posted on February 12, 2015 by dinajohnston

Birds look so different from a front view. This great blue heron looks like he wants to give me a kiss.

This is how we usually see them.

Peak a boo under mom. My first baby of the year. He’s probably a week old here. He only peaked out for a second. I have since heard there are two babies.