Fun things in Safety Harbor

On April 29, 2024May 12, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

It was a beautiful cool morning in February when I headed out to Folly Farm in Safety Harbor. I didn’t think there would be a lot of birds there but I can usually count on seeing little flying critters.

There was a red shoulder hawk sitting right out in the open in the middle of the butterfly garden. He was all fluffed up and looked a little chilly. A few minutes later I saw him fly over to a palm tree next to the nature center.

I could see a nest and another hawk sitting in the nest.

The other hawk kept flying back and forth with sticks, bringing them to the nest. He found a big one on the roof of the nature center and it took him a while to figure out how to fly it over to the nest. He first tried to pick it up with his beak but he couldn’t balance it so eventually he realized he could take it over in his talons.

After a bunch of trips with nesting material he took a nap in the top of the palm tree.

On my way home I stopped at the fishing pier in Safety Harbor for a walk.

There was a lone ring billed gull down in the muck under the pier.

The fountain in front of the marina.

The pink trumpet tree on Main Street was in full bloom.

Stopping to smell the flowers

On November 10, 2022October 14, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn flowers and plants, Tampa bay sights10 Comments

I had been having shoulder pain off and on through the summer but by early September it had really been bothering me. I haven’t been using my heavy camera much so I went for walk near the Safety Harbor pier with only my phone.

The fountain in front of the marina had been vandalized but was recently fixed. They caught the kids who did it.

Flowers around the fountain. I’m so use to looking at birds from far away so it’s harder for me to find things close up to take pictures of. There’s so much out there, especially near the water.

Walking in the drizzle

On February 8, 2022January 29, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Tampa bay sights6 Comments

It was cold and drizzly right after Christmas but I was determined to get out for a walk. I headed to the Safety Harbor fishing pier as the rain was slowing down. It was barely a drizzle when I got there. There were a few other people out, joggers and dog walkers, as well. I left my camera at home and only had my phone so I was traveling light.

People have started putting locks on the fairly new boardwalk nearby. I guess they are copying the Love Locks bridge in Paris where people write their names and loved ones on the lock, lock it on the bridge (to lock in your love) and throw away the key. There were over one million locks in bridges around Paris and it was starting to do damage to some of them. All of the locks were taken down and now it’s illegal to do so. I’m assuming these will eventually get taken down as well. Many were starting to rust.

The sites around the spa and downtown Safety Harbor.

A great blue heron walking along the dock at the marina and a night heron were a few of the birds hanging around the marina.

A hot late July walk

On September 6, 2021March 13, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

Pretty things at the Florida Botanical Gardens in late July.

A quiet place to ponder.

Nature’s chandalier.

Little critters

Some almost grown wood ducks preening in the shade.

A small town feeling.

On September 14, 2020March 2, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights5 Comments

Dunedin is a small town that sits on the intercoastal waterway just north of Clearwater. It’s an artistic town with cool shops and restaurants and doesn’t have any big hotels nor that touristy feeling. I went there for a Sunday night walk recently to get a cool breeze and change of scenery from my neighborhood. I stayed off main street though since the sidewalks can get crowded and now some of the sidewalk areas are being used for outdoor dining. I walked along the water and through some of the neighborhoods close by.