The deer where feeding at my usual parking spot.
The squirrels being their usual cute self.
The usual birds hanging around the boardwalks.
A usual big fat gator on the bank of the pond. He was well camouflaged at first.
The usual wintering belted kingfisher up in a tree.
A quiet morning at Chesnut Park.
Even in January there is lots of color in central Florida. Found the above at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.
The usual birds. Carolina wrens have been singing away for weeks now.
This little squirrel was too cute, chowing on these pink seed pods over my head.
This young Carolina wren was hopping all over the place.
Usual birds: a sparrow, robin and baby mockingbird.
A rare bird for me, one that I don’t see in my area of Florida is the American Goldfinch. There were several in the back of the gardens eating the flowers.
I saw several hummingbirds buzzing around but I could only catch this one.
Lots of little critters at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens during my trip in August.
Chickadees were the most common bird in my sister’s backyard. There were several on the feeders the weekend I was visiting along with a few cardinals.
I saw one brown thrasher. I was sitting on the back porch and saw him land in the tree right in front of me.
Many other birds passed through while I was there. Brown headed cowbird (I don’t see these near my home in Tampa), carolina wrens, towhees and titmouse. I think the titmouse was working on a nest.
I don’t know what this. Might be a juvenile house sparrow.
I think these are all chipping sparrows. They were all over the yard.
My sister Debbie lives north of Birmingham on a small mountain in Odenville. It’s quiet there and they have woods that back up to their yard. Her and her husband have put in a lot of work making the backyard into a mini botanical gardens with beautiful bushes, flowers and trees. They have 2 fish ponds and several bird feeders which attracts a lot of birds. We spent the afternoon sitting outside chatting while I took pictures of the birds passing through. I was glad I brought my 300mm lens along so I could just sit there and take the pictures.
This little titmouse seemed to be showing me his snack.
So many little birds at Lettuce Lake Park in late March including that little spotted Hermit thrush in the last 2 pictures (or so I was told by the bird experts at the park that morning). This was a first sighting of a hermit for me.
A little blue heron posing for me.
Taken directly into the sun, this red shoulder hawk was right over my head on the boardwalk.
I was looking in the spoonbill exhibit and noticed a wild spoonbill on top of the exhibit looking in. I think he wanted to join the party inside for some treats.
Some wild birds at the zoo: a Carolina wren, 2 black vultures preening each other, a house sparrow working on a nest in the gift shop sign and a baby duck in one of the ponds.
Elephants playing in the first picture with the 3 legged impala watching.
Grumpy old bird (that was just born this spring). Marabou stork.
Making faces with Mom.
Showing off on a tree branch.
I was tempted to join these ladies who looked like they were having too much fun but I didn’t have the right color shirt or hat on.
The usual suspects at the lake.
There wasn’t many little birds there but I did catch the above northern parula and carolina wren.
A few wood ducks floating around.
Teeny tiny critters along the boardwalk.
Just a few things from a recent walk at Lettuce Lake Park in north Tampa.
Seen out in the marsh: black crowned night heron, pied grebe, American bittern, glossy ibis and an anhinga.
Saw the above Carolina wren hiding in a bush.
A great egret playing with his meal.
I saw this hawk on a branch right over the trail. I realized he was eating something. I think it was a praying mantis.
Lots of birds on the trails at Circle B Bar Reserve in early January.
A cat bird in the berry bushes.
A young little blue heron in the lake. There is water under there.
Tiny critters buzzing around.
A house wren hanging on a Christmas decoration.
This cute Carolina wren was giving me some attitude.
A few flying things at the Florida Botanical Gardens in late October.
The usual titmouse were all over the park.
Cardinal families were all over the park. Lots of very young ones born this spring. The young ones look scruffy with their adult feathers coming in.
There were also Carolina wrens everywhere.
The best find was the great crested flycatcher families. I saw two different ones at opposite ends of the park. Both had juveniles that didn’t quite have their adult feathers in. I don’t see these often. They stayed high up in the trees and don’t get close to look for a handout like the resident birds do.
