Critters on the causeway

On November 12, 2025November 17, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Another summer walk along the Dunedin causeway.

I saw a spotted eagle ray as I walked over the bridge. I don’t see them often.

As I crossed under the bridge to get to the other side (safer than crossing this busy road) I paused to watch boats go by and clouds start to form.

Birds are always keeping an eye on the fishermen hoping for a lost bait fish.

It’s common to see a reddish egret here. This one was just walking around and I didn’t have my camera with me so I quickly snapped the above with my phone and kept walking.

I was wishing I had my camera as I noticed the oystercatcher family at the bottom of the bridge. The two in the far left of the bottom picture are juveniles, probably born a few months earlier and the parent was on the far right. A young little blue heron was walking across the seaweed at the bottom of the picture.

I took several videos of them looking for little sea creatures to eat for breakfast.

Hanging out on the causeway

On October 19, 2023October 10, 2023 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

My relaxing spot on the causeway. After my short walk on the bridge near the beach I pulled off my tennis shoes and put on my (orthopedic) flops. I brought a chair and a book but it’s hard to concentrate with this view. I kept looking for dolphins.

I looked down over the sea wall and saw a green heron dunking for bait fish so I pulled my camera out of the car and started shooting. After catching a few fish he took off.

A little later I looked up from my book and there he was again, or at least it might have been the same one.

He started looking for fish again but didn’t seem to have any luck in that grassy area.

Far across the water I could see the tower at the Duke energy plant.

Another sunny hot morning.

Before leaving I stopped at the other bridge close to the mainland and did a quick walk on that one as well.

Now it was time to go home and eat lunch.

PS. Happy Birthday to my sister Debbie!

A walk across a bridge

On March 26, 2020March 4, 2020 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights3 Comments

A beautiful walk on the bridge across Tampa Bay on a chilly morning in February.

The next day I went for a sunset walk. The people on the right in the bottom shot were pointing at dolphins out in the bay.

Typical sunset scene on Tampa Bay.

Time to go home.

SkyWatch Friday

More from the Boston harbor

On November 30, 2019November 6, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn VacationLeave a comment

Built in 1936, this historic lighthouse boat was renovated and was up for sale earlier this year for only $5M. We didn’t hear if it sold.

Views from the northern end of the harbor include the USS Constitution ship build in 1797. It’s docked at the former Charlestown Navy Yard and you can tour it but we never made it over there (gotta save something for the next trip). It’s exactly what I pictured would be sitting in the harbor here.

Bright yellow leaves in front of the North End.

Another view from the back of the boat.

A view heading into Charlestown from our trolley tour.

Sunset on the bridge

On October 10, 2019October 4, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Tampa bay sights5 Comments

In late August I went for a walk on the pedestrian bridge across Tampa bay. At 7pm it was still sunny and hot.

In late September, the sun was going down at 7pm. It was still hot though.

It was a fairly quiet walk. Usually the bridge is packed at sunset.

A lone pelican flies by when the sun had gone down.

Pano taken with my phone. The view across the bay.

SkyWatch Friday

Sand Key Park

On August 15, 2019July 16, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

Least terns were just starting to mate on the beach at Sand Key Park in late June.

A crazed looking juvenile mockingbird was also on the beach.

On osprey was guarding the jetti with his fish.

A small storm was moving in across the beach. The tourist pirate ship started to head out into the gulf but then turned around and came back into the bay. That trip must have gotten cut short. It started to sprinkle as I walked back down the beach to my car but then the sun came out just as fast.

I think it was going to end up being a perfect day after the morning storms moved through. I had stopped by the park to see if the least terns were nesting yet. They were there but none of them were sitting on eggs yet. People were starting to come out to the beach once the sun came out. It was time for me to go home and have lunch.

SkyWatch Friday

Fort Desoto in early January

On March 14, 2019February 15, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

Little birds along the shore at Fort Desoto Park.

Weird sea slugs that were on the sand at low tide. The muck was full of these.

The tide would be coming in soon to wash this guy back into the water.

A very large raft of ducks far out in the water near the Sunshine Skyway bridge. I think these were mostly ring neck ducks.

Scenes from the beach.

In early January I was walking the trails and noticed an owl sitting in an old osprey nest.

Not a bad way to be stuck in traffic. On my way home I got stuck on the bridge for a few minutes while the bridge was up waiting for some tall boats to pass underneath.

The “rapids” of Tampa

On February 28, 2019February 15, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights2 Comments

After several days of rain in late December, we had a break in the weather so I decided to go to the Hillsborough River State Park for a walk. The water was coming through pretty heavy and this is the only place in the Tampa bay area to see “rapids”. Not too bad considering the area is almost completely flat.

Fall was just starting to hit. The cypress trees had all turned colors and were starting to lose their leaves.

The trees along the trail have a lot of personality.

The bridge over the river. Down at this end the river is calm.

Colors on the ground.

Rapids in Tampa??

On September 13, 2018August 21, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights4 Comments

Yes, if you can call the above rapids, then we do have them in Tampa. At Hillsborough River State Park. According to the Florida State Park website, these are Class II rapids. I visited for the first time in mid-June after several days of heavy rain.

The elevated bridge that crosses the river.

The water in some of the swampier areas of the park looked like tea.

Lots of beautiful old trees along the trails.

The park’s purpose it to preserve the “real Florida”. It was hot, muggy and buggy in June and that’s exactly the real Florida. I had 2 layers of DEET on and still came home with lots of bug bites. I didn’t see a lot of wildlife the morning I was there. Not like all of the other parks I frequent close by. Very few birds but I’m sure there were lots of snakes hiding. It’s about 45 minutes away from my house so not a long drive but I don’t think I’ll go back until winter (which around here means January).

SkyWatch Friday

Missed the moon but caught a sunset

On April 5, 2018February 28, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights6 Comments

From my driveway in late January. Saw this when I got home and thought it would be cool to try and get the moon coming up over Tampa the next night.

Tampa across the bridge. No moon coming up so I headed into Tampa.

I was hoping to get a shot of the big super blue blood moon rising above the Tampa skyline in late January so I brought my camera and headed over to a tall parking garage just off the bridge after work. On the moon side there was a cloud bank so i wasn’t going to get a shot of the moon just over the city.

I turned around and walked over to the other side of the parking garage and saw the above. A plane coming in for a landing near the Tampa airport just as the sun was going down. I stood for a while watching the planes come in. It was a beautiful cool night.