Tag: green heron

New Year’s Day “Name that bird”

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

Female belted kingfisher (Males do not have the brown stripe across the chest).

Female red bellied woodpecker (Males have full red on his head).

Male common yellowthroat (Female does not have the black mask).

Limpkin

Crazy green heron.

Blue-gray gnatcatcher.

Female ruby throated hummingbird (Males have a bright red stripe across the chin).

A very young white crowned sparrow (a fairly rare one here).

A young red shoulder hawk (very common around here).

All taken on a recent visit to Circle B Bar Reserve.

Our World Tuesday Graphicimage-in-ing: weekly photo linkup

After work walk

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

 A lone sleepy spoonbill along the walking path.

Crazy parrots high up in the trees.

A pelican and anhinga getting ready for bed.

A green heron trying to grab one last bite before dark.

Not sure if these turtles had been napping all day or if they just climbed up to sleep for the night. There’s a fun little floating pad for them to sleep on.

This guy was relaxing.

Clouds rolling in before the sun going down.  A quick walk before dark at the office park near my work right before the time change. No more walks after work until late March.

Our World Tuesday Graphicimage-in-ing: weekly photo linkup

Birds, Bunnies and Squirrels, Oh My!

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

There were lots of bunnies running around the Botanical Gardens.

This young moorhen ran across the sidewalk in front of me.  Soon the rest of the family followed. They were heading for the tiny pond with the fountain in it.

They were cooling off under the fountain. I really wanted to jump in there with them.

The common green heron.

The squirrels were chowing down.

A few monk parakeets flew in to a tree right over my head.

An almost grown osprey was screaming the entire time I was at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.  The nest is high up in a utility tower and the screaming echoed all over the gardens. He was probably screaming for the parents to bring him food and the parents were waiting for him to finally get off the nest and get his own food.

Our World Tuesday Graphicimage-in-ing

Same Ole, Same Ole

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography11 Comments

The barred owls have been hanging out next to the parking lot for a while now.

The reserve is full of green herons. They are now a usual suspect.

Along with male anhingas showing off.

And the glossy ibis sparkling in the sun are a dime a dozen.

The cute pied grebes aren’t as skittish as they use to be.

There’s always snowy egrets in a body of water.

Now I see purple gallinules every time I walk Alligator Alley trail.

Even a great blue heron baby in the nest during spring is common here.

Seeing a bald eagle somewhere in the park is pretty common, even if its way up high half hidden in a cypress tree.

But I still love walking the trails at Circle B Bar Reserve and seeing all of the above every time I’m here. Even when it gets crowded on the weekends. I just get there a little earlier and leave before lunch when the crowd starts coming in.

Our World Tuesday Graphicimage-in-ing

Morning walk with the usual suspects.

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

dsc_2079

dsc_2069

dsc_2066

The anhingas are always along the trail striking a pose.

dsc_2053

dsc_2064

dsc_1908

dsc_1909

All of the usuals: green heron, wood stork, snowy egret and limpkin.

dsc_2023

dsc_2011

dsc_1994

dsc_1983

dsc_1976

dsc_1938

dsc_1932

dsc_1856

I’ve been seeing the purple gallinules on a regular basis in the same spot. The one with the tan face is a juvenile, not yet fully purple. Probably born last spring.

dsc_1869

An uncommon blue headed vireo.

A few flying things on my walk at Circle B Bar Reserve in early February.

Our World Tuesday Graphicimage-in-ing

So many birds….

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

dsc_8895 dsc_8892

Black bellied whistling ducks are a rare sight to see up close. Years ago they would hang out right on the trail and the trees right on the trail would be full of them.  Now you can only hear them whistling off in the distance.

dsc_8854

A great blue heron with a snack.

dsc_8816

dsc_8799

dsc_8835dsc_8885

The marsh has been overrun with glossy ibis.

dsc_8809

A few Wilson’s Snipes have been seen here. This one was on Alligator Alley Trail.

dsc_8760-copy-2

dsc_8777-copy-2

It’s always fun to see the little purple clowns (gallinules).

dsc_8824

dsc_8873

dsc_8875

Green herons have taken over.

Come of the birds on my recent trip to Circle B Bar Reserve.

Our World Tuesday Graphicimage-in-ing

My version of “Quack” Friday.

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

dsc_8234 dsc_8229

White ibis coming in for a landing.

dsc_8241

A great blue heron posing for me.

dsc_8144

Since there is an abundance of green herons this year, you’ll be seeing a lot of these.

dsc_8221

dsc_8217

dsc_8183

dsc_8178

I had heard there were black bellied whistling duck babies at the reserve but I didn’t think I would actually find them.  I found them but they were in a weird spot in the marsh and the family was not going to move for a while. The babies were already half grown so they were easier to see hiding in the reeds and muck.

I was not going to go shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving. It was too nice to be indoors. So instead of a “Black” Friday, I headed out for a long walk at Circle B Bar Reserve.  Sunny and 70 degrees with no crowds.

Our World Tuesday Graphicimage-in-ing

My first trip to Ding Darling.

On By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Vacation6 Comments

dsc_5485 dsc_5498

A cormorant and a green heron along the water.

dsc_5529

dsc_5544

dsc_5547

A juvenile night heron filling up on fiddler crabs.

dsc_5503

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

dsc_5550

Pretty purple.

dsc_5553

img_0297

dsc_5569

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

img_0290

img_0292

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.