My first trip to Ding Darling.

On October 24, 2016October 25, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Vacation6 Comments

A cormorant and a green heron along the water.

A juvenile night heron filling up on fiddler crabs.

The fiddler crabs were out by the thousands since it was a low tide.

Pretty purple.

Mangroves at low tide. You can really see the oysters that have built up on the roots.

The water from the observation deck.

For years I have heard that Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge was the place to go to see birds. Half of Sanibel Island, just south of Fort Myers, is the refuge. It is on the east side of the island and runs along the water. There are lagoons and inlets all along the trail. It’s a paved driving trail over 4 miles long. We must have been there during the off season because we saw very few birds there. The winter snow birds hadn’t arrived yet, it was too early for fall migration and the summer birds had disappeared. It was still a beautiful place to visit. I walked most of the trail and Brett would drive ahead and then wait for me to catch up. It was too perfect outside to be in the car. I need to get back there in the winter.

Usual and unusual at the fishing pier.

On July 7, 2016July 7, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

Two baby osprey were peaking out over the nest in the parking lot and the nest on top of the smoke stack next to the bait store.

Dad was close by with lunch. I think he was going to eat some first before he took it over to the nest.

You can almost always find a reddish egret fishing somewhere on the beach.

It rare to see a common loon here in the spring. Especially in his summer breeding colors. When they hang out here during the winter, they are a drab gray color. This one stayed pretty far away from the fishing pier.

Big gulp. There are signs at the fish cleaning station to “Not feed or throw fish parts to the birds” They all do it anyway. In theory it seems okay but the cormorants hang around the pier and get too close and end up getting caught with fishing hooks.

The dolphins playing around the pier.

My Saturday morning walk at Fort Desoto in late May.

SkyWatch Friday

A walk after work

On June 6, 2016June 7, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

Cormorants taking a break at the pond. One has a friend with him.

Trying to share the same space.

The anhingas were drying off.

Side profile and front profile. These guys have funny faces.

A great blue heron with his “sword” beak.

Pretty colors in the fountain.

Another walk around the park after work.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing

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

Late afternoon at the fishing pier.

On January 28, 2016January 28, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

A snowy egret flyby.

Osprey on the light post.

Cormorant on the light post.

A great blue heron on the light post.

I saw two birds that were hooked on fishing lines. Both were pulled up and released. The top one was a cormorant with line wrapped around his foot. The 2nd was a snowy egret that got a hook caught in his feathers. Everyone helped out and both had the lines taken off and released. The birds were very calm while the people were taking the lines off.

View from the beach.

The sun was going down on the dolphins and birds.

A beautiful sunset walk at Fort Desoto.

SkyWatch Friday

Swimming under the water

On December 5, 2015December 5, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals4 Comments

There was a manatee right in front of the fishing pier. He stayed in the same spot for a while before moving on. They usually swim past quickly the few times I’ve seen one here. As I leaned over to take a picture, he stuck his nose up for air.

Dolphins were swimming all around the pier.

The water was full of little jellyfish. I haven’t seen the water filled with jellyfish here before like this. They were floating far out at the end of the fishing pier so I don’t think they were bothering the people swimming close to shore.

Someone caught a fish.

The cormorants were diving under and getting fish. They seemed to be catching more that the fishermen on the pier.

It was a busy morning under the water around the fishing pier at Fort Desoto.

Saturday's Critters

Quiet Saturday morning at Fort Desoto

On July 9, 2015July 3, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

Pretty pelican floating by.

A cormorant sleeping on the top of the light post.

Dolphins were cruising by the pier.

This osprey did not want to share his meal. After a closer look, I didn’t want it anyway.

Climbing a tree.

Great egret getting a snack.

It was a windy morning. The storm clouds had not moved in yet so the kiteboarders were out taking advantage of the wind. The park is pretty limited on wildlife sightings for the summer. Other than the usual laughing gull and reddish egret, there’s not much around the beach except tourists. When is summer over????

Skywatch Friday

Putting on the “Ritz”

On April 27, 2015April 28, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography19 Comments

Sexy anhinga ready for some fun.

Guarding the nest.

A very young little blue heron. Soon he will lose all of those white feathers and will be all blue.

During mating season, the snowy egrets have a pink beak and orange feet.

What a beautiful face.

Great egret’s gotta itch.

Showing off for the ladies.

A male anhinga showing off.

A cormorant sleeping on the nest. He was high in the tree next to the observation tower. On the top level, I was face to face with the nest.

Snowy egret fly by.

Cormorant nesting tree from across the park.

Faces from my trip to Gatorland in Orlando to see the baby birds. The adult birds all have their mating feathers on. Lots of colors during nesting season.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing

The Usual ‘Suspects”

On March 30, 2015March 31, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

High up in the tree, the eagle sits.

So does the turkey vulture but he was showing off.

“Let’s see who has the biggest wings.”

Evan the male anhinga was showing off.

The cormorant said “I’m outta here.”

“Maybe she can’t see me behind this big leaf.” said the limpkin.

The “pretty”pied grebe.

A young wood stork was basking in the sun.

“Funny face”

All of the usual birds were at Circle B Bar Reserve in early March.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing

Looking for a bird at Fort DeSoto – Skywatch Friday

On January 1, 2015December 27, 2014 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography14 Comments

Not the bird I was looking for. This osprey right next to the boat ramp did not want me to steal his fish.

This could have been the bird I was looking for but as he got closer I realized it wasn’t a great cormorant but just an ordinary double crested cormorant. This one flew over my head and was full of fishing wire.

Downtown St. Petersburg from the boat ramp.

Still not the bird I was looking for, this spotted sandpiper was trying to hide in the weeds that had floated up on the beach.

No great cormorant on this side of the park. Only shorebirds and gulls.

Maybe he hitched a ride on one of these boats.

Back in mid-December I had heard there was a rare great cormorant hanging around the boat ramp at Fort Desoto. This would have been a first for me so I finally made it down to the park after work on the night before Thanksgiving. It had been raining for days and it was nice to see blue skies again. This was my first of 3 trips looking for this silly bird with no luck. Hopefully he will show up when I least expect it.

Check out more sky pictures at Skywatch Friday