Dolphins in the fog

On May 7, 2025June 6, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals7 Comments

I love foggy walks in the winter on the Dunedin causeway. In early February I thought the sun was going to break through when I started my walk.

The sun went back into hiding as I walked over to the south side of the causeway.

I was taking pictures of the dowitchers as they fed on the shoreline and I saw the dolphins coming up for air a little farther out.

Even through the fog I could see them. There wasn’t a ripple in the water.

I stood there for a while taking videos, hoping they would come even closer but they stayed pretty far out. It was low tide so they probably couldn’t get much closer to the shoreline.

The egrets were creeping along the shallow edge looking for food.

One last look at the dolphins before finishing my walk. They were heading towards the pass and out into the gulf at this point.

Walking over the bridge in the fog.

A ring billed gull taking a break.

Time to go home.

The yard and neighborhood in late January

On April 21, 2025May 11, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

There hadn’t been a lot of different birds coming to the feeder in the backyard in late January. The usual tufted titmouse were always there.

It had been drizzling all day when I looked out the window late in the afternoon. I saw tons of robins on the golf course. They were too far away to try and take pictures through the window so I grabbed my big umbrella and camera and went out the back door. Yes, I was that neighbor standing on the edge of the golf course taking pictures of birds in the rain.

The robins had the entire fairway to themselves and they were taking baths (even while it was raining) in the puddles that had formed.

Looking around I realized they were all over the fairway. They stayed all afternoon and were gone by dark.

I noticed the little soaked pine warbler in the backyard as I headed back in.

Squirrels being cute. I think these are both young ones born this past late fall. They were half the size of the adult Mom that was also hanging around.

We had a bunny in the backyard for 13 days. It came late in the afternoon or right before dark. We had some dirt spots in the back near the patio so Brett threw some rye seed out so it would be green through the winter and not get muddy if it rained. Once the seed sprouted this bunny showed up and ate through most of the rye grass. He was having a feast so Brett through some more seed out to replace what he ate. These were taken through the window. He was very skittish.

Taken through the window, this great egret was hunting around the bushes and came up with a lizard.

My Christmas cactus didn’t start blooming until late in January.

Sunset down the street at the utility field.

The turkeys were heading out on the field right before sunset.

Linking to A Stroll Thru Life.

Causeway birds

On April 9, 2025May 11, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

It was a beautiful cool morning in early January during my walk at the Dunedin Causeway.

After my walk I stopped at the lagoon (the end of the first bridge that’s hidden by tall mangroves). I had my camera in the car and was hoping there would be some shorebirds hiding back there. The above was taken with my phone and that boat looked farther away that it really was.

Zooming in with my camera I could see a belted kingfisher with a tiny fish on the sailboat mast.

After gulping down that first fish he made several passes in front of me before leaving without another fish.

The grumpy reddish egret was there and must have been full from his breakfast because he did not move or attempt to feed while I was there.

The white ibis were busy digging up tiny sea creatures to eat as they walked by me.

The other usual birds were there including a great egret and a great blue heron.

I stopped by a small hidden park near the causeway and noticed a marina in a cove just off the park. From this view it looked like they only had a little roof damage from the hurricanes but it’s hard to tell if the docks were damaged.

A ride around the neighborhood

On January 18, 2025January 8, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

I went for a bike ride in the neighborhood the day before Hurricane Milton came. A lot of people had evacuated the area and there wasn’t a lot of traffic early in the morning. The golf course behind our house was closed so I started out there.

Mushrooms were growing everywhere from all of the recent rain.

The ponds along the golf course behind our homes were already full and we were due to get a ton of rain when Milton hit. I noticed the neighbor down the street had a hurricane flag out.

A great egret and female anhinga down the street.

This goldenrain tree was blooming.

On the other side of the neighborhood I found some fun birds in a ditch. The water was high so wood storks, a snowy egret and a spoonbill were feeding along the ditch.

These ladies gave me a quick glance as I slowed down to snap the above.

The sun came out for a short while as I was making my way home. This pond down the street from our house was full of egrets and snowy egrets.

The day before everything changed

On December 4, 2024January 21, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights6 Comments

Hurricane Helene was due to sneak by the Tampa Bay area with a direct hit much farther north on a Thursday night in late September (on my birthday). The area was expected to have rain, wind, record tides and flooding. I went out for a long walk the morning before. The morning was a little dreary which kept the heat down. The first thing I noticed when I got to the Dunedin marina was the flag. The usual flags were down and a single hurricane flag was flying. I don’t remember seeing this before.

It looked like any other rainy morning. Although people were still there pulling boats out of the marina and putting them on trailers to leave.

The water along the seawall was clear and I could see fish swimming around. I think these are tiny sheepshead fish with those stripes.

A great egret was still hanging around. I wonder if he knew what was coming.

Later that afternoon the clouds were getting crazy so I ran over to the Safety Harbor fishing pier area to see if I could catch some lighting.

The shade sails that cross the picnic area were already down and the tables were tied together.

These kiteboarders were enjoying the blasting wind. They were doing some great tricks and knew what they were doing. The wind was so strong it was no place for amateurs.

Six oystercatchers flew over my head and I was wishing I had my camera with me.

A sun dog halo was peaking through the palm trees.

Helene came through the next day with catastrophic flooding. Anyone near the coast, channel, inlet or river was flooded. You can read what I posted a few days after here. It’s now early December and a few of the parks near the coast are still closed including Fort Desoto Park. Many of the restaurants, shops and motels along the beach areas are still closed. Some are trying hard to renovate and get opened by spring break, some will not ever open again. Most of the homes that flooded are still waiting on permits, inspections, insurance money, workers, etc. It could be a year or two before most move back into their homes.

The beach and pier

On September 19, 2024November 14, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

My last trip down to Fort Desoto Park in south St. Pete was the first week in June. Every year I tell myself I’m going to take July and August off from hiking with my camera and I usually don’t. This year I did with only a few outings so I’ll eventually be caught up. Above is a black skimmer coming off the water at the north beach.

A few fly-bys on the beach include a great blue heron and a night heron.

I always like to watch the big boats go by, wondering where they are going.

Up on the pier, the snowy egrets and great egrets were busy grabbing bait fish under the pier. They would do a quick swoop down to the water and grab a fish and head back up to the pier to swallow it.

Shaking off after getting wet.

A quick video while hanging out with the birds.

Small boats were getting close to the pier to pull up the bait fish before going fishing.

This guy was not shy and let me take this with my phone.

Out on the beach before the tourists.

On August 19, 2024October 3, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

It was early in the morning when I headed to Fort Desoto Park in late May. I had heard there were baby oystercatchers in the lagoon the day before so there was a good chance I could find them somewhere near there. The park opens at 7am and I was over the bridge before the park at 6:55.

I was not alone in my quest. Word gets out fast around this area and there were several other photographers also heading to the lagoon. We didn’t find the oystercatchers there (they are on the move once their babies are born but they couldn’t have gone too far). There were a lot of other great birds in the lagoon though. I snapped a few shots before heading to the north tip. The sun was just coming up over the bushes and you can’t see the lagoon from the other side. There were so many different birds here. Great egrets, a reddish egret, a snowy egret, a tricolored heron, and several spoonbills were all feeding in this swampy corner.

I saw the white morph reddish egret feeding on the way to the north tip. I hadn’t seen this bird since last August and I forget how beautiful and graceful he is.

Boats out on the gulf include a small flat fishing boat and much bigger boats.

I did find the oystercatcher babies but more on them later. Before leaving the park I always stop by the fishing pier to see if I can find anything interesting. This great blue heron had taken a fish from a fisherman and the great egret was trying to steal it from him. The great blue heron swallowed it quickly.

A snowy egret had snatched someone’s bait.

A quick video of the snowy egret being chased by the other birds to steal his snack.

Out on the beach early in the morning before the tourists get here, although it’s a long hike out to the tip and the tourists usually stay close to the parking lot.

Cloudy and sunny morning walks

On July 8, 2024July 13, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

I was out for a long walk in early May on the Dunedin causeway. There was a chance of rain but we had been dry for so long I didn’t think it would really rain. The south side of the causeway is sand and beach. The above is the north side, all rocks so you don’t really want to get in the water from this side. I like to walk on this side because there is less traffic. The tide was low and you can see the seaweed piled up on the rocks.

Far away you can see Tarpon Springs.

After walking on the causeway I headed over for a quick walk at the nearby marina. It still looked like it would rain which was nice because it kept it cooler.

I took a break on the floating dock to hang out with some pelicans. They are not shy here mostly because they are looking for a handout.

The sailboat that was stuck on the rocks was still there. It was in bad shape.

A few days later I was back on the causeway and this morning it was sunny and hot. The drought was in full force and we just wanted it to be cloudy so it wouldn’t be so hot.

Another walk around the marina and I saw a few of the usual birds besides pelicans. Great egrets and anhingas are always hanging out on the docked boats but I also saw something I had not seen here before. There were 2 northern rough-winged swallows (bottom shot). I only got a quick shot of one before it took off across the marina. I was wishing I had my camera with me and had to shoot with my phone.

Rescue transports in late April

On July 6, 2024June 29, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

In mid-April I got a call to transport some little birds to Owl’s Nest Sanctuary from the Raptor Center of Tampa Bay. These little guys were headed to someone who specializes in smaller birds so the juvenile downy woodpecker and a baby grackle got the ride.

While I was there dropping of the birds I got to go inside and see some of the baby screech owls that were growing up here. These were all orphans that had fallen out of nests and couldn’t be renested. Sometimes the nest gets destroyed in storms, sometimes people find the baby owl and dropped it off at a vet and don’t leave where they found it so the nest can’t be relocated.

Chris was moving the new baby grackle to it’s new home.

There were a lot of volunteers busy in the kitchen chopping up food for the intakes to eat during the week. It’s takes a lot of volunteers to keep these rehab centers going.

A few days later I got a call that a baby vulture had been found and the nest couldn’t be relocated. This was the first time I’ve had a baby vulture in my car. He was so cute with that brown fuzz. Nancy took this of me dropping him off wearing my old crazy bird tshirt.

The next week an ibis was found caught between 2 fences with a torn wing. I drove him from the Raptor Center to the Seabird Seabird Sanctuary on the beach.

They have a lot of exhibits with permanently injured birds. I always like to take a few minutes and walk around and check them out before heading home. I was having a moment with this white pelican who was sitting close to the fence. Most of these birds are missing a wing or eye.

I wasn’t really in a hurry to get home. I mean, look at that view. They have a deck that looks over the beach.

This was the welcoming committee when I walked in. Lots of wild birds hang out here thinking they might be able to get a handout.

The first week in May brought a lot of baby birds. I drove these little ones from the Raptor Center to Mary in south St. Pete. She rehabs baby birds. The older bird in the top shot is a baby crow. The other one is a red bellied woodpecker, maybe 2 days old. I think it’s the tiniest bird I have transported.

The one with the big mouth is a baby mockingbird and the last is a baby dove.

A two park morning

On May 13, 2024June 4, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

I was out at Largo Nature Preserve on a foggy morning in early March. I didn’t expect to see anything new but you never know. I saw a mallard across the golf course that sits next to the preserve.

There were also 2 Canadian geese on the course. I haven’t seen any since last year.

The limpkins were looking for breakfast. After a quick walk I left and stopped at the Roosevelt Wetlands to see if there was anything there.

As soon as I got out of the car at the wetlands I saw 2 northern flickers on a utility pole. I looked around for a nest but they stayed on the pole or wire for a while. These may have been 2 females.

The blanket flower was coming back from the cold spell and starting to fill out along the trail.

A pair of northern shovelers were sitting on the bank.

The usual birds were there including a limpkin and great egret.

As I walk down the trail I could see tons of birds hovering over the nearby waste plant. I think the bigger one in the top was an eagle.

Towards the end of the trail I could a lot of turkey vultures. It didn’t look like they had something to eat so they may have just been resting.

A young juvenile eagle flew right over (I took this into the sun) and headed past the trees.

I saw something moving around on the side of the landfill. I realized it was a coyote. This was the first time I have seen a coyote in Florida. I know there are tons of them here and people have seen them in my neighborhood (mostly at night) but I have not seen one here. I have seen them in Utah and Colorado but this was my first Florida one. He was far away and ran along the ridge for a few minutes before disappearing.