Rainbow beaks and pink legs

On June 1, 2021May 11, 2021 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

I love seeing the cattle egrets during mating season. Their beaks change colors and the feathers on their back turn tan. The one above was only slightly changed. During non-breeding season all of his feathers would be white. These are all from my annual trip to the bird rookery in north Tampa in April.

This one was ready to nest. HIs beak is in bright orange and yellow colors with that touch of purple at his face and his legs have turned pink. He was busy bring sticks to the nest deep in the bushes.

After many trips to the nest with sticks, he stood on a branch and took a break. It’s hard to believe this is the same type of bird as the one in the first picture.

You could just make out the mate in the bushes. She was busy putting the sticks in the right place on that tiny nest. Soon they’ll be starting a family.

Baby birds growing up

On July 28, 2020July 28, 2020 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

I made it to the rookery in north Tampa in early June for my last trip of the nesting season. I wasn’t sure if there would still be any babies at this point or would they all be grown up by now. The first thing I saw at the edge of the pond was this tiny gator trying to hide in the vegetation. Even though he was small I still kept my eye on him while I was there.

This cattle egret looks like he has a boo boo on his face. Hopefully it’s just superficial and heals. Maybe he got it in a fight with another egret?

The baby anhingas were already fully grown.

There were still a few little blue herons flirting so there may still be some babies later.

A baby night heron emerged from deep in the bushes.

These flowers were growing all over the rookery as well as along the woods next to street. The ants seemed to be enjoying them.

My Corner of the World

Showing off.

On June 6, 2020June 6, 2020 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

Cattle egrets at the bird rookery in north Tampa. They look so pretty this time of year when they are nesting with those yellow, orange and pink beaks. They were busy building nests and flirting.

Linking to Saturday’s Critters.

Whooping it up!

On April 16, 2020March 31, 2020 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

I’ve only heard of two whooping cranes in central Florida although they supposedly migrate to an area farther north of Tampa in the winter. I think the ones I went looking for don’t migrate and live here all year. People have seen them in the area most of the year. I had an idea of the area they were in and drove a while down dirt roads lined with cow pastures and orange groves. I was thinking “needle in a haystack” and was ready to go home empty handed when I saw two white spots far away in a cow pasture. Excited, I pulled over and got out and snapped a few shots. Using my 300mm lens with an extender, the above were extremely cropped

Uncropped, they were in a small pond in the middle of a cow pasture.

Taken with my phone, you could really see how far away they were. See those two tiny white dots right in the middle?

There were a lot of other birds out in the pasture that you could only see with a long lens, including several kildeer in the first shot and lots of cattle egrets in the bottom two shots. It was a perfect day to be out, even if it was standing on a dirt road with the smell of cow pasture blowing in my direction.

SkyWatch Friday

Mellow yellow on the trail

On January 6, 2020January 6, 2020 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

The usual herons along the trail.

A green heron sneaking around looking for food.

A house wren singing.

A coot getting friendly.

The yellow flowers always make the preserve look pretty in the fall.

The view from the blind.

Our World Tuesday Graphic

Wild and frisky

On May 28, 2019May 28, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

The wild cattle egrets at Gatorland had come in to the mangrove bushes along the alligator exhibit to nest. They were sporting their breeding bright colors around their face and beaks. They were busy flirting and chasing each other and were very comical to watch.

Many were bringing sticks back to the nest that they had secured.

This couple had been flirting all morning.

This couple had already built a nest in the bushes and were ready to get busy. Nesting season was in full swing in mid-April when I spent the morning at the park in Orlando.

I just recently noticed this sign that was posted at the entrance to the bird rookery.

Photographing New Zealand

A walk at Largo Nature Park

On March 19, 2019March 19, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Northern shovelers aren’t extremely rare in the Tampa bay area but I haven’t seen any in a long time. There were 2 couples close the edge of the water at Largo Nature Preserve in late January and they didn’t seem to mind me watching them. They look a lot like mallards but have that goofy big square bill.

A snowy egret was looking for food.

A wood stork was taking a break.

A cattle egret with a bright orange bill.

Two ring billed ducks.

Linking to My Corner of the World.

Birds at the “Bar”

On February 19, 2019February 19, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

Anhingas are like clowns. They have the funniest personalities, that is when they are not half asleep drying their wings out. They sway their head back and forth and honk when you walk by. The males have a black neck and the females have a brown or beige neck. I think that last one was yawning.

Egrets along the trail. A snowy, cattle and a great egret in the last one above.

Other birds along the trail at Circle B Bar Reserve in early January were a limpkin looking for food, a grebe doing his yoga stretch, a glossy ibis glowing in the sun and a hawk looking out over his domain.

And one of the hundreds of blue-gray gnatcatchers.

This little moorhen was walking along the trail with someone.

Linking to My Corner of the World.

Flying in to sleep

On June 8, 2016May 27, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

I found a killdeer across the pond.

Some of the cattle egrets were sporting their bright “breeding” colors. You can see the difference with the younger cattle egrets that have the drab faces and the ones ready to mate with their bright pink and yellow beaks. Their legs are also bright pink.

An ibis doing a balancing act.

Across the street from the Pinellas county waste plant, there’s a small pond with a mangrove island in it. Before dark, a lot of the birds come here to sleep for the night. I stopped by there recently after work and birds were flying in to spend the night on the little island.

Typical things on a Florida trail.

On March 14, 2016March 15, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

A typical Florida swamp scene (cattle egret looking at a great egret).

A limpkin posing in the moss.

A Carolina wren stops by.

A cormorant flapping his wings.

Another limpkin in the moss. Looks like he was grabbing moss for his nest.

This guy was just cruising down the trail, not caring that he was heading right for me. He kept getting closer and I finally got up and moved back (was sitting on the trail to take his picture). I don’t want this guy to get too close. They are cute but still creepy.

All from Circle B Bar Reserve in early February.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing