A quick walk at Chesnut Park

Posted on November 25, 2023 by dinajohnston

It was the end of August and I kept missing all of the fawns this summer. I finally found one with Mom at Chesnut Park. The baby was getting pretty big but still had spots. I only saw them for a minute and they took off deep in the woods.

I found the osprey eating a fish right off the parking lot. I snapped a few pictures and she looked over at me like “I knew I was being watched.”

A scruffy looking female cardinal was eating seed that someone had left on the boardwalk rail.

Reflection of a green heron.

The eagles were back for the winter. I found one hanging out near the restrooms.

The sun was coming up over the trees.

As I was leaving I saw a couple hanging just outside the fence. I pulled over and watched them for a few minutes from the car.

Backyard critters in August

Posted on November 20, 2023 by dinajohnston

It was early August and the hummingbirds were still coming to the backyard. There were at least two that I could see. They would buzz by each other on the way to the feeder. They were also both feeding on the shrimp plant hanging near the feeder. They would come to the plant early in the morning and then the feeder later in the day. The bottom picture is a young male. He was just getting a few red dots on his throat.

One morning I saw him fly up to the top of the oak tree. I ran upstairs and was surprised I could find him again up there. I could just barely see him sitting high up through the window.

A squirrel doing a sploot on the bird box and another one was eating what looked like an old pine cone.

A juvenile male cardinal was scratching around under the bird bath. Dad was close by and was feeding him. He was just starting to get that black mask around his eyes and beak like Dad.

I saw a lone doe across the fairway.

A little while later she was taking a break.

Since this is turkey week, I’m posting tons of turkey pictures. I was seeing them a lot in August. One morning they were on the golf tee out our back door.

I heard Harley, my cockatiel, screaming and looked outside and there was a hawk on the ground right in front of our door. He must have been hunting lizards. He saw me and took off.

We had an armadillo in the backyard one afternoon. The first shot I took with my camera through the window across the yard. A little later I saw him scratching around under the ferns near our door. I went out and took the 2nd one with my phone. He let me get pretty close, although I wouldn’t get tooooo close. I’ve read they don’t have great eyesight so he probably didn’t even see me.

I was taking the garbage out one morning and saw the above gulf fritillary caterpillar on the plant. Of course I went and grabbed my phone to take a picture.

The neighborhood eagles were back in late August. I stopped one morning and got a shot of one of them sitting on the nest tower. There was still some of the old nest left but they had their work cut out for them to get it ready for nesting season.

Late August brought some much needed rain although we are still in an extreme drought. We only had a few nights with summer skies. Both taken from the driveway.

A hot morning walk with the usual critters

Posted on October 30, 2023 by dinajohnston

All of the usual big birds were at Chesnut Park for my morning walk in late June (anhinga, yellow crowned night heron, limpkin).

The wood duck babies were almost fully grown.

Birds were flying overhead (royal tern, osprey, green heron).

Things were blooming in the swamp.

Deer and bunnies were easy to spot.

I don’t often see barred owls here but this one was very visible, taking a nap along the boardwalk.

A cardinal was eating the seed that someone had left on the boardwalk.

The usual visitors in July

Posted on October 21, 2023 by dinajohnston

I looked out the window and saw a Carolina wren sitting on the outdoor chair in the backyard. Later I saw one singing on the hanging plant holder. I wondered if it was the same one.

The cardinal was not happy when the dove flew in and got a drink of water while he was taking a bath. He stopped and moved over the the rim to let the dove drink.

I got another look at the molting cardinal. What a scruffy looking bird.

The ruby throated hummingbird was feeding on the flowers in the backyard. I still had the hummer feeder out but it was good to see her feeding on the plants.

We occasionally have white ibis coming through the backyard. They are usually in groups and pick through the bugs but one day I saw one picking around near our pavers alone. I realized it was missing a foot. I cracked open the back door to take the first shot above and it came up to the door. I broke my hard fast rule of never feeding the wildlife other than the smaller birds and ran in and got a few raw green beans and some of the Nutriberry balls I feed my cockatiels. I threw them on the pavers and closed the door and the ibis ate all of it. I always keep an eye out for it when the many ibis come through the area. I have yet to see it again.

A great egret eating a lizard in front of the window.

I heard Harley (my youngest cockatiel) screaming his “There’s something scary in the backyard” scream and I ran over and saw the above red shoulder hawk taking a bath in the bird bath. I grabbed my camera and started snapping. He saw me and took off quickly. I’m surprised he didn’t knock over the bath.

Other critters in the backyard, taken through the window. We haven’t had a lot of deer come through lately but I did see the lone doe stop by.

Late June in the backyard

Posted on October 12, 2023 by dinajohnston

The female hummingbird was still coming to visit in late June.

It’s not often a smaller bird will come to the feeder when a woodpecker is on it. This chickadee was brave.

Blue jays are regular visitors.

This was the first time I have seen a cardinal molting. This female had lost all of the feathers on her head. She was looking scruffy.

I went outside to get shots of the above downy woodpeckers. At first I thought they were a couple but after watching them for a while I realized they were parent and young. The parent was teaching the juvenile how to dig for bugs in the trees.

I took this through the window. A juvenile red bellied woodpecker was just getting his red feathers in.

We also had a pileated woodpecker stop by.

I looked out the window and saw the above swallow tail kite circling behind our house. I grabbed my camera and ran out the back door thinking he would be gone but I managed to get a few far away shots before he got lost over the woods.

Some of the usual non-flying critters in the backyard.

Lots of color at Bok Tower Gardens

Posted on September 11, 2023 by dinajohnston

Pretty flowers from my trip to Bok Tower Gardens in May.

Tiny critters on the flowers.

Butterflies were posing nicely for me.

The flower beds were bursting with color!

The birds were not plentiful this trip. The only thing I saw was some cardinals on the feeder. I was hoping to see some migrating birds but even the usual painted buntings had left.

A new cuisine in the backyard cafe

Posted on March 4, 2023 by dinajohnston

During a cold spell I added a suet feeder to the backyard. I was getting bird seed at the hardware store and saw them on the shelf. They were less than $2 for a block so I thought I would put it out while I had taken the seed feeder down to scrub out. I wasn’t sure what I would get because I’ve never used them before but boy, those pine warblers love it. For 2 days there were tons of them waiting their turn at the suet.

A chickadee also stopped by to check it out.

The cardinal sat on it but I didn’t see him eat it. He was probably wondering where the regular seed was.

The Carolina wrens like it as well.

When I put the seed feeder back out I moved it to the side of the bushes closer to the house. This catbird guarded it and wouldn’t let the little birds on it for a while. The pine warblers would sit on the hanging plant and wait for him to leave. I’m on my third block now which should be gone by the end of March if not much sooner. Then I’ll wait until after the hot summer months are over to put one back up.

Around the yard

Posted on February 11, 2023 by dinajohnston

Usual birds at the backyard feeder in early January. It’s rare to see another bird on the feeder when a woodpecker is on there. Most of the little birds scatter when a woodpecker flies towards it.

The bluebirds are now regular visitors and keep checking out the nest box.

Goldfinches show up about once a week.

A dove and a black and white warbler hiding in the bushes.

My husband asks why the hanging plant isn’t blooming. It’s because the squirrels keep eating the blooms. I’ll never buy another purslane plant again. They have stripped this one clean.

One of the many alligators in the neighborhood. I caught this guy on my bike ride.

Ibis were sleeping in the trees over the alligator.

This wood stork was sitting along the lake across the street from our house.

Two new birds in the backyard

Posted on January 30, 2023 by dinajohnston

Two new birds in the backyard (although I’ve seen them both before somewhere else). Two brown headed cowbirds stopped by but didn’t stay long. A hermit thrush has become a regular visitor since early December.

An eastern phoebe has stopped by a few times this winter. I caught him taking a bath one morning.

Regular visitors include a black and white warbler, cardinals (who are usually shy and don’t come out in the open but I caught this one on the bath) and bluebirds.

Every few weeks a yellow throated warbler stops by. He usually hunts for bugs in the small palm tree next to our house. I went outside to get these since he was hiding under the palms.

I heard her before I saw her. I heard the pileated woodpecker’s loud scream as she flew into our oak tree. I snapped this quickly through the window before she took off.

I went outside to get this shot. Actually, I went out to try and shoo him away from the window and took my camera out with me. He is not easily scared. I’m glad he hangs out in our corner of the neighborhood but I don’t want him too close to the window where Buddy and Harley stay (in the sunroom).

A young little blue heron that hasn’t lost his white baby feathers yet.

I’m glad I put that nest box up so the squirrels can nap on it.

Things blooming in the backyard in late December.

Fawn season had begun.

Posted on September 17, 2022 by dinajohnston

Someone has been feeding the deer at Chesnut Park. More than usual anyway. This is the first time I’ve gotten out of my car and the deer walk right up to me looking for a handout. I took the above with my phone as she was too close to get with my camera. I held out my hands and showed her I didn’t have anything and she started grazing in front of me.

This cardinal had a mangled leg but could still fly. He looked a little rough but he could be molting. He was eating some of the seed someone had left on the boardwalk.

I can’t resist a chickadee.

It was mid-August and this was the first migrating bird I had seen. I have not seen prothonotary warblers here at this park before so this was a treat. I know we call this “fall” migration but it won’t feel like fall here for several more months.

I briefly saw a Mom with her baby. They were heading into the woods as more people were coming into the park.

Leaving the park, I took a detour through a nearby neighborhood. I saw some deer in someone’s front yard. They were staring at the door. I’m assuming they are being fed there.

Dina's Wildlife Adventures

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