Flying flashes of green

There are now so many wild parakeets in the St. Pete area that I can hear them screaming as they fly overhead at just about any park in the area. We have a small flock of monk parakeets living in Tampa near our neighborhood. I hear them screaming when I’m sitting at the red light before getting on the highway. On a recent Saturday I was at Crescent Lake Park walking around (hoping to see the otters there) when they came flying in right into the trees in front of me. They nest near the baseball field at the park so you can almost always see them here. It looked like they were chewing on sticks up in the tree. Many of them were eating the acorns on the ground as well. They spent quite a while feeding before all taking off.

I looked down at the lake and the baby ducks on the drain cover were looking at me like “why are you watching those crazy loud birds?”

A hot walk around the lake in August.

Critters I saw on my walk around Crescent Lake Park.

This big beautiful old banyan tree is fenced off since it is starting to fall apart. It’s still blooming though.

Across the lake. You can barely make out downtown St. Pete behind the painted water tower.

SkyWatch Friday

A walk around Crescent Lake

Moorhens were all around the lake. Lots of juveniles from early spring.

Other interesting ducks including the pied grebe in the last picture.

Other critters at the lake. The otter was a surprise. I’ve never seen one there before.

The water tower next to the lake and a hawk hanging underneath it. Probably looking for a slow flying monk parakeet. The parakeets nest under the water tower.

Looking across the lake near downtown St. Petersburg. I hadn’t been in a while so I stopped for a quick walk. There were people in the lake in kayaks doing a cleanup. I know there are alligators in there so you wouldn’t want to be in there without a kayak and a paddle to hit one over the head with.

SkyWatch Friday

Duck, Duck, Goose……

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Grumpy ole muscovy duck.

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Different pretty ducks at the lake.

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The lesser scaup stayed in the middle of the lake.

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Friends hanging out together.

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The geese stick together.

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Interesting pigeon.

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There’s always a green heron at one end of the lake.

I hadn’t been to Crescent Lake Park in downtown St. Pete in a long time. I had to run some errands near there right before Christmas so I brought my camera along and walked around the lake early that morning before my errands. Nothing new there but it was a nice morning out.

Saturday's Critters

Things around a local lake.

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The usual ducks and geese around the lake.

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Big footed baby moorhens growing up around the lake.

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Pretty pigeon with pink feet.

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Checking me out.

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Cool trees.

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Crescent Lake Park is close to downtown St. Petersburg. It’s a small lake surrounded by houses with a dog park and baseball fields. The Saturday morning I was there was a busy one. Many people out jogging and walking their dogs. No unusual wildlife but lots of ducks and geese, the later I say far away from. If you get close to them and don’t have food they get mean.

Skywatch Friday