Baby bluebirds

Posted on November 17, 2020 by dinajohnston

I was lucky to catch these two juvenile bluebirds hanging around the playground area at Chesnut Park in early September. I know they nest there every year but I never see bluebirds at this park. They were flying around from the tree to the ground. They’re really pretty with those bright blue feathers.

Chickadees are usual birds at this park. Yellow throated warblers are as well during migration season but the pine warbler on the bottom is a little more rare to see.

After a quiet morning at Chesnut Park I stopped by Philippe Park on the way home. The park was busy with dog walkers and joggers and lots of families hanging out but I found a quiet spot along the water and hung out for a while.

Bright colors and cool metals

Posted on April 20, 2020 by dinajohnston

Flowers blooming at the end of February. Spring was already here.

There were a lot of inchworms at the botanical gardens as well so they seem to have invaded the Tampa Bay area. I don’t ever remember seeing so many at one time.

I found this chickadee gathering nest material.

New metal sculptures made from recycled materials. The fish was my favorite.

It’s starting to look like fall in mid- December.

Posted on January 25, 2020 by dinajohnston

The usual birds at Chesnut Park in mid-December.

A sleepy alligator.

Color from across the lake. It finally looks like fall as the cypress trees start to turn.

The sun peaking through along the trail. These were taken with my phone.

It’s not often I see two pileated woodpeckers on the same tree. I took this with my phone since I couldn’t fit both of them in with my 300mm lens and I couldn’t back up into the swamp.

Late November walk at Lettuce Lake.

Posted on December 30, 2019 by dinajohnston

Color along the boardwalk at Lettuce Lake Park.

This squirrel was chowing down on what looked like a nut from the cypress tree.

The usual birds at the feeder near the nature center.

Along the lake and in the swamp.

Birds at the botanical gardens

Posted on September 28, 2019 by dinajohnston

Young brown thrashers were chasing after Mom in the bushes.

Chickadees were everywhere.

Wood ducks were hiding in the back pond.

The usual downy woodpecker.

I think this parakeet was laughing at me.

Some of the local birds at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.

Little birds at the boardwalk.

Posted on March 5, 2019 by dinajohnston

I’m thinking this is a pine warbler. Fairly common but confusing. Looks like a lot of other female yellow birds.

A very common but pretty white-eyed vireo.

I think this is an immature pine warbler in the 2 above.

Blue headed vireos are becoming common this time of year.

This little chickadee was being too cute. He came down close to the boardwalk looking to see if I had a handout. All of the above were taken at Chesnut Park on a Saturday morning in early January. Someone had left seed on the boardwalk before I had gotten there and the birds were very active.

On the way home I stopped by another park to see if the owls were nesting again this year. She was up in the nest still on eggs, taking a nap. This couple gets a little later start than most owls in the area.

Linking to My Corner of the World.

The usual suspects at Chesnut Park.

Posted on February 25, 2019 by dinajohnston

Lots of different birds at Chesnut Park in early January but nothing new.

Bigger birds flying overhead.

I was trying to get some shots of the deer on the baseball field, She looked at me for a second and then took off to join her friends who were heading into the woods. Oh wait, that’s why they call them “white-tailed deer”.

Little things at Lettuce Lake Park

Posted on January 22, 2019 by dinajohnston

Little critters at Lettuce Lake Park in late October.

Little birdies.

A quiet morning at Lettuce Lake Park in October.

Linking to My Corner of the World.

Birds on a mountain

Posted on June 11, 2018 by dinajohnston

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.