Sunflowers on a cloudy day

On October 13, 2025November 9, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, flowers and plants4 Comments

I made another trip to a sunflower farm at the beginning of June. Jimmy Mc’s farm is closer to home and was a quick trip. They only have a small sunflower field and a few cows. Brett came as well since he had not been to this farm before. It had rained most of the night and I wasn’t sure if we would get rained out but at least it was cool.

One of the cows came over to the fence to see if we had sunflowers to feed him but it looked like he already had plenty to choose from on the ground. Maybe he remembered me from last year when I fed him some sunflowers and came over to say hello?

Just past the sunflower field I could see turkeys running for the woods.

This was the last day of picking season and many of the flowers were getting old but I still managed to find several handfuls to take home.

Some of the little critters out in the field.

As usual I try and check the ones I take home for hitchhikers but I had so many that I barely looked. When I got home and was getting them in vases I found one that had to go outside but not before taking a quick shot. The green lynx spider is good to have in the garden since they eat a lot of moth larvae that are pests.

Playing around with my phone camera. I used stage lighting on portrait mode to take the above.

As we walked to the car I noticed the great blue heron sitting along the edge of a small pond. It looked very peaceful.

Then I noticed these guys strolling around to my side of the pond. Sandhill cranes with 2 almost grown juveniles (with the orange beaks). They were just cruising around out on the farm. Two years ago I saw them here as well so I’m wondering if it’s the same parents.

A quick video of them yelling as they walked by.

Linking to A Stroll Thru Life.

The backyard in early August

On September 24, 2022September 22, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography1 Comment

On the back door after a storm. I couldn’t help but get out my macro lens and shoot this through the door. I’m not sure what it is but it was cool looking.

Every few days I see an armadillo in the backyard.

I was driving into the neighborhood right before dark and I saw the turkeys out on the golf course. I had my camera in the car so I pulled over to get a few shots. After a couple of shots they all started to fly over my car and up into the trees. I would have never thought of turkeys in trees but apparently they sleep in them. It makes sense since it can keep them away from the coyotes.

I had to take a few shots of the squirrels flirting in the backyard.

A few days after seeing the turkeys in the tree, I saw them crossing the fairway in the backyard. I snapped the above through the window before running outside.

I walked out on the golf course since there wasn’t anyone coming through late that day. I had my 400mm lens so I was still pretty far away but they kept their eye on me. This must be the same family with one adult and 6 babies. I think the adult might be the one with the gray head, always keeping her head up and an eye on the others.

In Our Yard.

On November 26, 2018June 28, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Late summer babies. Blondie came back in August with another new baby.

The usual critters in our yard during the past few months.

One day I came home from work and grabbed the mail from the mailbox that is on the side of our house next to the front door. This guy came out with the mail. I dropped the mail to the ground and was glad he didn’t land on me. I think I woke him up.

The muhly grass blooms pink in the fall. These started blooming in late October.

Different skies in the front and back yards.

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

Summer critters on summer flowers

On October 8, 2018October 9, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

Lots of little critters buzzing around at Lettuce Lake in August.

Not many birds but I did see a juvenile northern parula and a red-eyed vireo.

This was the last time I saw the swallow-tail kites, in mid-August. One was flying over the boardwalk. They all left town to head south for the winter.

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

A quiet moment in the woods

On December 10, 2016December 10, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals4 Comments

Critters at the park.

I was standing on the boardwalk looking for birds and heard a noise in the leaves. Thinking it was a squirrel, I didn’t look down right away. When I did, this was staring up at me. She was so close I had to pull out my phone to take a picture.

I stood there quietly and watched the deer roam around for a few minutes. The mom and older baby were having a bonding moment. They kept an eye on me but went about their day.

Chesnut Park on a Saturday morning in November.

Linking to Saturday’s Critters

Fun things at Chesnut Park

On November 16, 2015November 17, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography9 Comments

Showing off his snack.

An eagle was sitting high up in a pine tree right over my head.

It’s always fun to watch the birds swaying on the reeds.

Other things I found growing around the park including the pink lichen on the tree.

One of the resident gators.

Dark clouds started moving in as I was across the park. I was heading back to my car when it started sprinkling. Luckily, I had my little umbrella in my backpack so I pulled it out and headed back to the parking lot. Halfway back to my car the bottom fell out. When I came out of the trail and into the parking lot, people were sitting in their cars watching me as I walked across with my tiny umbrella. I completely soaked from the waist down. At least it cooled off.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing

In the backyard – Skywatch Friday

On October 16, 2014October 8, 2014 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography12 Comments

A great egret sitting on our dock. Taken through the bedroom window.

Our neighborhood osprey showed up in late August after being gone for 5 months. He must have had a late nest. He usually disappears in February or early March and is back visiting by end of June. I finally was able to get a shot of him trying to eat a fish on our neighbor’s dock. Taken through the bedroom window.

He would take a bite and then look around and take a bite and look around. He sure was paranoid.

Cool spider on my in-laws wall.

He was crawling close to the roof.

Palm tree in the backyard.

I got home right when it stopped raining one night after work. The sun was trying to peak out as the clouds moved through so I ran out in the backyard and snapped this with my phone.

Check out more sky pictures at Skywatch Friday