The sun and pink birds on the causeway

At the end of October I was at the Dunedin causeway for a walk under the clouds. The tide was really low and you could see the different colors of the seaweed and muck that is usually under water.

The sun was trying to peek out and it finally did as I made my way back to the car.

As I was getting in the car I saw some interesting birds in the exposed seaweed so I pulled out my camera and got some shots of the above red knots. I don’t see them often as they usually only pass through the area during migration.

Two roseate spoonbills were also feeding in the seaweed and I spent some time watching them.

I occasionally see spoonbills on the causeway but they don’t stick around long. These guys showed up at the end of my walk and they are usually gone by 8:30am.

A 20 second video of a spoonbill using his funny shaped beak to dig through the muck to find stuff to eat.

SkyWatch Friday

Critters and storms in the yard in late August

Skies in the back and front yard in late August. We were getting rain almost every afternoon.

The juvenile bluebirds were still hanging around. We had at least 8 from 2 different families coming to the feeder and bath.

A lizard was molting.

Fred, my regular visitor to the back window, was also molting and I ran outside with my phone and was able to get a video of him trying to get his molt off his face. He let me get really close and I was tempted to try and pull it off his face but thought I would spook him so I let him do it himself.

More tiny frogs and a beautiful yellow moth.

When I see pileated woodpeckers fly into our oak trees I run outside with my camera. They are usually too high up for me to get shots through the window. This guy was sticking his tongue into a hole looking for bugs.

This is either a young juvenile blue jay or an adult that is molting.

Doves soaking in the bath.

A tiny rainbow at the end of our street.

More red after a storm.

We had some dead fish floating in the neighborhood ponds from all of the chemicals used on the golf course that run into the ponds after repeated heavy storms. The great blue heron wouldn’t even eat the dead fish.

Saturday's Critters

 

 

Another “this never gets old” treat.

A sliver of sunrise was peeking through the clouds at the end of August on my walk at the Safety Harbor waterfront. After a short walk I headed to nearby Philippe Park to walk the stone stairs on the back side of the Indian mound (I was prepping for all of that walking and stairs on the Italy trip coming up).

Right as I walked out on the walkway on the waterfront this dolphin popped up in front of me.  There were 2 feeding along the seawall and I spent half an hour watching them swim back and forth in front of me.

It was high tide this morning so they were herding the fish into the sea wall.

I took so many short videos with my phone and these were the best ones. At this point there was a small crowd also watching.

This was one of those “it never gets old” treats that we see here in the area.

The dolphins finally moved down the sea wall and towards the open bay so I started my stair climbing while it was still cloudy.

Saturday's Critters

Critters on the causeway

Another summer walk along the Dunedin causeway.

I saw a spotted eagle ray as I walked over the bridge. I don’t see them often.

As I crossed under the bridge to get to the other side (safer than crossing this busy road) I paused to watch boats go by and clouds start to form.

Birds are always keeping an eye on the fishermen hoping for a lost bait fish.

It’s common to see a reddish egret here. This one was just walking around and I didn’t have my camera with me so I quickly snapped the above with my phone and kept walking.

I was wishing I had my camera as I noticed the oystercatcher family at the bottom of the bridge. The two in the far left of the bottom picture are juveniles, probably born a few months earlier and the parent was on the far right. A young little blue heron was walking across the seaweed at the bottom of the picture.

I took several videos of them looking for little sea creatures to eat for breakfast.

SkyWatch Friday

Summer skies in the yard

The best thing about the quick late day summer showers are the rainbows that follow. I saw the sun peeking out after a storm and ran out the back door to catch the above.

The clouds were swirling over our driveway one afternoon in late June.

 I was able to catch lightning through the upstairs bathroom window.

Sunset over the pond across the street.

The juvenile bluebirds (with the white spots on their wings) were growing up fast. There were two families that were feeding at the dried mealworm feeder most of the summer.

Bunnies were still coming by to eat the grass late in the day. One day I saw a one near the patio and then later I looked out the window for him and didn’t see him. At first I thought he left and then I saw movement right below the window. He ate through most of that spider plant.

The hummingbird was feeding on the shrimp plant.

I was keeping my eye on her as she left the shrimp plant and flew up near the top of the oak tree. I was able to run upstairs and catch her through the bedroom window. She sat up there several days in a row after feeding.

This young Carolina wren was taking a break on the patio (which has since been cleaned) and was eating bugs from the patio but I think he thought that leaf was something yummy to eat as well.

Someone in the neighborhood is feeding the ibis. This one saw me standing in the door and walked right up to it looking for a snack. I took the above with my phone.

I was out doing yardwork at the end of June and heard what I thought was a swallow tail kite calling. I ran inside and grabbed my camera and was back out right as this one was sailing overhead along the golf course. Luckily there wasn’t anyone on the course and I was standing on the tee getting shots. There were 3 of them cruising over the trees and circling back over the back yard.

I realized that one of them had a frog in his talons.

A juvenile landed in the pine tree in our backyard and was screaming at the parent. He wanted the parent to bring him the frog and the parent wanted him to come after the frog and learn to feed himself. The parent with the frog made several passes over the pine tree, yelling at the young one. The juvenile finally flew off and followed the parents over the trees and they were gone.

Storms moving through the front yard as the sun peeks out right before sunset.

an image of a red sports car with a lady caricature going at Vroom Vroom high speed, Senior Salon Pit Stop Vroom Vroom LinkupOpen every Tuesday! Get those posts seen and make others happy! Come join the #happynowlinkup #bloggers

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) at Image-In-Ing.

 

Watching the storms roll in and out

It was mid-June and the summer rains were in full swing. I love to walk on mornings like these unless the rain keeps me indoors. I could see the rain far south of me as I started my walk at the Safety Harbor waterfront. I walked around the area in short circles and stayed close to the car in case the weather turned quickly, always keeping an eye out for lightning. I did not see any this morning and the rain had already passed my area and was moving farther south.

When I looked north the sun was already out and had a halo around it.

The storm looked like it was getting bigger as it got farther away.

A week later I was back out there walking and the storm was moving in.

The shelf cloud took over the entire waterfront.

The crab trapper came back into the marina quickly and got his boat on the trailer. It started to drizzle after this and I headed to my car right as it started to pour.

SkyWatch Friday

Dark skies and a rainbow

I love stormy mornings in the summer. It makes my walk so much cooler although I still get soaked because the humidity is over 90% on mornings like these. When I got to the Dunedin causeway  in mid-June I could see a faint rainbow.

The rainbow stayed through the beginning of my walk.

Heading over the bridge I could see rain far off towards Clearwater Beach. I didn’t hear any thunder and kept my eye on the skies for any sign of lightning. I walked back and forth near my car instead of walking all the way across the causeway.

The sun was trying to peek out as I made my way back over the bridge.

More rain on the other side. I was surrounded by storms but it was not raining over me and the sun was peeking out.

The sun was still out as I got back to my car.

I saw the reddish egret in the low tide but I had left my camera at home so I quickly snapped the above with my phone.

More storms coming in as I headed home.

SkyWatch Friday

Watching the storms roll in

We were expecting rain before lunch in mid-January so I went out for a late walk on the Dunedin causeway hoping to see the storm coming in. Looking back towards land I could see the sunlight peeking out underneath the cloud cover.

Looking north I could see the rain. I was hoping to get some lightning shots but didn’t see any and was on the lookout for it. I would have to make a mad dash back to the car.

Rain was coming from the south side as well as I walked back over the bridge.

I noticed a sailboat that had sunk right underneath the bridge. I could barely make out the boat underneath the water and could see the broken masts stuck on the bridge bumpers. That boat was probably abandoned and the city will have to get it towed and pulled out. As of this post date, it’s still there.

Crossing under the bridge to get to the other side.

The storms were moving in quickly so I headed back to the car.

I noticed all of the moss (or is it algae?) growing on the exposed rocks at low tide. It looked pretty but I’m sure it’s slippery.

A great blue heron was keeping watch over this fisherman’s stuff, hoping he turns his back on his bait fish.

Open every Tuesday! Get those posts seen and make others happy! Come join the #happynowlinkup #bloggersan image of a red sports car with a lady caricature going at Vroom Vroom high speed, Senior Salon Pit Stop Vroom Vroom Linkup

Linking to A Stroll Thru Life.

Foggy walks

In mid-December I was out for a walk at the Safety Harbor waterfront. The sun was trying to come out but it never did fully appear. My first stop is always the remains of what’s left of the fishing pier. I miss walking out on the pier and seeing the manatees but they are going to rebuild so one day…

The birds love having the pier to themselves.

Later in my walk I could see a dolphin far out in the water (top left corner of the water).

The sun was still trying to break through.

Sites on Main Street include the 300+ year old Baranoff tree (bottom picture), named after the original owner of the Safety Harbor Spa Hotel. Everyone was glad the tree survived the 2 hurricanes.

A few days later I went out for a foggy walk on the Dunedin causeway. The tide was low and you could see the different colors of the seaweed that was left on the sand.

The sun was trying to break through here as well.

SkyWatch Friday

linkup party