Summer storms

On October 26, 2024December 6, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

It was the morning of August 4th. Tropical storm Debby was heading our way and by the time it got here it was a hurricane. We didn’t get a direct hit but it skirted by and caused flooding along the coast. I was out for a morning walk at the causeway nearby, enjoying the cooler breezy weather before the storm.

By the time my walk was almost finished the dark clouds and rain were moving in.

The tide was super low. I was able to walk under the bridge which is rare.

An interesting thing to see on the causeway. Is it art or junk?

I also took a quick walk at the marina.

Early the next morning after the storm had come through I drove over to the nearby Oldsmar pier. The tide was higher than usual and I could tell it had come up over the pier.

The pier was lined with dead baitfish that had been stranded up on the pier when the tide went back down.

The tide was up through the mangroves and into the grass but stopped short of the parking lot.

The surprise was seeing frigatebirds cruising along the shoreline. This was the first time I had seen them this far north of St. Pete. I only see them down at Fort Desoto Park at the southern most point of St. Pete. There were at least 6 and I took the above video with my phone. You can hear the wind blasting. I noticed they were getting closer to the pier and was glad I had put my camera in the car.

The sky was dark gray but they stood out pretty well.

A few flew close to the piers.

Other fly-bys included a great egret, an osprey and a black tern.

Hurricane Debby was the first of three hurricanes to hit the west coast of Florida this season. Debby made landfall early on August 5th near Steinhatchee (in Florida’s Big Bend region) as a category 1. Less than 2 months later Hurricane Helene would make landfall in Perry, just 40 miles north of Steinhatchee as a category 4. You can read my post about Helene here.

There’s an old Florida saying – “Floridians favorite day of the year is not Christmas, Thanksgiving or 4th of July. It’s 11/30, the end of hurricane season.”

So much destruction and not even a direct hit.

On September 30, 2024November 14, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights13 Comments

I can’t believe I am posting this picture again. So soon after Hurricane Ian, Idalia and Debby. This is just devasting. The Tampa bay area got so much damage from Hurricane Helene this past week mostly coming from storm surge. Pinellas County has water on 3 sides (the gulf leading into the bay) and no house near the water was spared. So much flooding. The hurricane wasn’t even a direct hit but the storm surge was the highest on record.

Brett and I moved 3 years ago from a house on the water (in the bay) to farther inland. We were so blessed to only have tons of yard debris. Above is a 3rd of our debris pile in the driveway and more across the street. We are still cleaning up. We did not get any flooding in our neighborhood.

Over the weekend I was out running errands and stopped by my favorite walking places. The Dunedin marina was my first stop and the pier there was destroyed. The marina was blocked off so we couldn’t get close. It’s interesting the dolphin statue on top of the concrete base was still standing. The hotel next door was flooded and they were trying to get the sand out of the rooms and were pulling out carpet and furniture.

Lots of debris and damaged docks in the marina. Many of the boats were missing. Some got pulled out onto trailers the day before but some were found stranded farther down near Clearwater Beach.

The tall condo building next to the marina lost both of their docks.

My next stop was the Safety Harbor marina and fishing pier. They had minimal damage with only a small portion of the dock damaged.

The beloved fishing pier where the manatees hang out was gone. It had recently been closed due to minimal damage from Hurricane Debby in August.

The next morning I stopped by the Oldsmar pier, 10 minutes from my house. The pier was still there but was closed. It had a lot of missing planks and the end had come off. All of the houses in the neighborhoods nearby were flooded out.

This fun boat was a decoration in front of a seafood restaurant. The restaurant was badly damaged and I saw the boat much farther down the street.

The front yard the night after the hurricane.

All of this damage above is insignificant to what happened to the coastal areas. The beach areas have been closed for days but the videos and news coverage is heartbreaking. All of the beach areas, Davis Islands, Harbor Islands and neighborhoods along the bay were damaged. As you drive through neighborhoods all of the houses have furniture, rugs, carpet, cabinets, dry wall, etc piled high on the curbs.

Pictures of the beach from Bay News 9 here.

The Seaside Seabird Sanctuary is a wild bird rescue that is on the beach. They rescue and rehabilitate thousands of birds every year. Their facility took a big hit. I swiped the below shot from their facebook page. They could really use donations to rebuild and can be made here.

Sadly this storm did not end with us and continued to reek havoc north into North Carolina. Brett’s nephew and his girlfriend live in Ashville and we did not have contact with them until yesterday morning. They are safe but downtown Ashville has been wiped out. And, there’s another storm brewing in the gulf again.

A wildlife boat tour

On March 18, 2024April 30, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals, Vacation2 Comments

While Brett and I were on our staycation on Manasota Key we took a boat ride/dolphin tour one morning. The boat wasn’t full since it was a little chilly so it was nice to have room to move around. We went down the intercoastal and out to Stump Pass to get out in the open water.

We passed several boats that were still stranded from Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Idalia. Ian (in 2022) did a lot of damage in the area. They still hadn’t fully recovered and Idalia came by (in 2023).

We passed an adult and a juvenile bald eagle that were sitting on a spit in the middle of the water. Looks like Junior followed Dad down to see how to get a drink of water (or catch a fish?). A little farther down we passed the nest. One adult was sitting in the tree. Thinking this is Mom.

As we made our way out of Stump Pass we could see dolphins swimming around nearby and lots of pelicans diving for fish.

This one had a big fish in his pouch.

We saw so many dolphins. Some were swimming right up against the boat and I couldn’t fit them all in and some were far out. It was a fun morning just floating around watching them come up for air.

On our way back we saw a handful of white pelicans napping on a spit.

We went in a few channels and this was a common sight. Many of the docks were still waiting to be fixed. The cormorants were taking advantage of the dock pilings not being used. Eighteen months after Hurricane Ian hit there were still a lot of roofs still covered and a lot of construction going on. One of the restaurants we ate at on the water had just recently opened back up after being closed for over a year. The waitress said everything in the restaurant was brand new.

The end of the flamingo frenzy

On February 3, 2024January 23, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

The wild flamingo frenzy continued through the end of October. Flamingos blown in from Hurricane Idalia (late August) were showing up all over Florida as well some northern states. The one spotted near Safety Harbor was one of the last ones to be seen in the Tampa Bay area. I was nearby and stopped on a cloudy icky morning just to see if “HarborRita” (the name the locals gave her) was still there. At first it was really far out in the bay feeding but slowly moved her way towards the mangroves.

Far across the bay, the view of the causeway heading into Tampa.

A few days later I stopped by on a Sunday late in the day and there she was again.

It was windy and the kiteboarders were out in front of the pier. The view across the bay is a little better when the sun is behind me.

I took a quick walk around the boardwalk and found some roseate spoonbills trying to nap. They were far into the mangroves, trying to stay out of the wind.

I walked back to see if the flamingo was feeding. The water was pretty choppy and she looked like she was just trying to stay upright.

She eventually tucked her head in for a nap and that was my cue to head home. This was the last time I saw her.

Above was a post from one of the rescue groups in the area in early November. This was our own HarborRita that was rescued. The tag on her leg matched the one HarborRita was wearing. She was not doing well and was found in some mangroves slightly north of where she had been hanging out. She had a break in her wing that did not set correctly and would not have been able to fly home. She is now living at Busch Gardens with other flamingos.

Meet “Howard” the pinkie.

On January 11, 2024December 29, 2023 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

I was on my way to Fred Howard Park in Tarpon Springs to look for the flamingo that has been hanging around the beach there for a few days. Random wild flamingos were showing up all over the Tampa bay area. They had been blown in during Hurricane Idalia as it passed by us. It was dark and cloudy but it looked like it was breaking up and the sun was going to come out. When I first got to the park the sun was coming up and I could see a little bit of blue sky.

I immediately found the juvenile flamingo. He was on the back side of the beach island with a bunch of shorebirds.

I got out of the car and sat down on a grassy area. I was glad I had brought my 500mm lens because he was far away and I wanted to stay in the parking area. At first I was the only one there. Later a few other people showed up but everyone stayed far back.

He (or she) was beautiful. I thought he was much prettier than the bright pink adult flamingos. That pale pink on the face with the creme beak was perfect. Eventually the beak will turn white and pink. It was a little sad that he was all alone. Where were his friends? Will he meet back up with them if he heads south for the winter? So many questions. People were saying they hoped the flamingos would stay but they really belong in south Florida (around the keys) and the Caribbean.

He flew close by and headed to the other side of the tiny beach. This was all I could fit in my lens as he went by.

He hung out for a while with the cormorants.

Above is a short video of him feeding. They move their feet in the water to stir up the stuff on the bottom. They eat algae, brine shrimp and any other tiny plants or critters in the shallow water.

He had 2 short feeding sessions then settled in for a nap so I left.

The sun never did come out while I was there. It was just as well since I would have been shooting straight into the sun if it had been shining.

Flamingo frenzy

On September 16, 2023September 6, 2023 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

I’m jumping ahead to a recent phenomenon that has taken place in the Tampa Bay area. We were lucky again when Hurricane Idalia was heading for us. I found this quote when Hurricane Ian happened last year “It’s possible to be heartbroken and thankful at the same time.” It applies again when Idalia came roaring past us and directly hit some small towns in the big bend of Florida. So many of us sat and watched the tv wondering if our electricity would go out when it started to storm. We watched in horror as towns north of us got slammed. Although there was a lot of flooding in our area from the storm surge and homes along the beach areas got a lot of damage, in general most of the Tampa area was spared.

Besides the flooding, the storms brought a lost visitor to our area. American flamingos were being sighted all over the Tampa Bay area. Until the hurricane, the only place you could see wild flamingos were in the Everglades and the Keys (there was a lone flamingo living in the panhandle at St. Marks Refuge that was lost there during Hurricane Michael in 2018). Someone saw 16 flamingos at a park nearby but the park was closed and I was not able to get up there the day after the hurricane (to sneak in and see them along with other birders). The next day they were seen on Treasure Island beach. I went a day later and they were gone. Then some were seen at Fort Desoto Park. Seven were seen early Saturday morning but I did not make there until that afternoon.

I got to the park around 3:30 and walked out on the beach and saw one lone flamingo up at the northern end of the lagoon. I snapped the above before hiking along the beach just in case he flew off before I got there. He’s a tiny speck of pink to the left of the umbrellas.

He stayed in the same spot for 2 hours and fed.

There were tons of shorebirds and other water birds feeding but none got too close to the flamingo.

Zooming out I could barely see a guy across the lagoon also taking pictures. I wasn’t alone on the beach side. There were tons of people that had come to see them.

Standing out in ankle deep water you could see how far away we were from the shorebirds and the flamingo was just as far so the above are all cropped up.

Two days later there were 3 seen at the park so I got up in the dark and drove down to the park. When I got out to the beach there was still only one flamingo and he was even farther north.

I was debating whether to start the long walk up to the north end of the beach or just go home and the flamingo flew across the lagoon and over to the marsh behind the mangroves. He was so far away.

The big crowd started heading toward the marsh. I followed, still trying to decide if I should head home or at least go look for other birds. The flamingo was taking a nap right up against the mangroves. I didn’t make it over as far as the above people did. I turned around in the muck and left. People had driven all across the state to see them and they were just glad to catch a glimpse of him sleeping. I was glad I had seen the one a few days before.

A few days later the flamingos were gone from the park. But, some had been seen at different areas all over the state. We’re hoping they are safe and all end up back home at some point but it was great to see even one wild one nearby.

Thankful and Heartbroken

On October 6, 2022October 4, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

This is a meme that is floating around social media from people in the Tampa Bay area. Maybe it’s a way of saying we have survivor guilt? For days Hurricane Ian was heading right to us and at the last minute it turned and made a direct hit south of us (The same thing happened in 2004 with Hurricane Charley). Total devastation from Fort Myers to Naples. Then massive flooding across central Florida. It was gut wrenching to watch the news. Most of St. Pete lost power but we only had yard debris so we were really lucky.

Sunset on the night of the hurricane, across the street from us.

We had super low tide the day after as well as the day of. These were taken on Thursday, the day Ian was forecasted to hit Tampa. Later that night the water came back with a surge but nothing like it was south of us.

Early Friday morning I went for a walk at the Dunedin causeway and the tide was still crazy low.

You could see where seagrass had been churned up and left in the low tide.

This is a common sight all over the bay, stranded boats. Many had the anchor come up and floated towards sea walls and bridges. Some got stranded at low tide. (Although these are nothing like the pictures from Fort Myers and south with boats on top of buildings and in peoples homes.).

Here is a video from CNN that shows the aftermath of Ian.

Red Cross Donation site.

Hurricane Ian

On September 28, 2022September 28, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography10 Comments

It’s Tuesday morning and Hurricane Ian is on it’s way to pay us a visit. This morning the track is showing a direct hit with a category 3. Our house is just under 20 minutes from the water so we were not too worried about storm surge but we were worried about flooding from a lot of rain and wind damage. Everything is ready to go and now we wait until Thursday morning when it’s due to hit. I decided to get out of the house for a walk to calm my nerves. It was already dark and dreary at the Dunedin marina but it had cooled off. The big boats were still there but most of the little boats that can go on a trailer were gone.

People live on both of these sailboats and their dingys were still there. I hope they get into town by Wednesday morning.

These little boats were still there but I’m sure someone was coming to haul them away or tie them down.

The water was super calm and I could several dolphins swimming out in the water.

I was able to catch this quick video of a dolphin feeding along the rocks right in front of me. I don’t usually see them this close to the marina.

Update – it’s now after lunch on Wednesday and Ian is hitting near the Fort Myers area, much farther south of us. We are still due to get heavy rain and flooding later tonight as the other side of the Hurricane skirts past us. We are saying prayers for those south of us. They will need a lot of help in the coming days.

Skirting by

On November 19, 2020September 28, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights3 Comments

How do you get a big beached sailboat back out into the water? Very carefully with a big truck. For many people in the Tampa bay area, we were really lucky when Hurricane ETA skirted by us last week. It was a little nerve racking on Wednesday night as Brett and I were trying to go to bed and 70 mile winds were blasting through our channels. There wasn’t a lot of wind damage to the area but a lot of flooding. We kept getting up and peeking out the window to see how far the water had gotten into our yard. High tide was around midnight and by 10:30 we had water over our seawall and a few feet into our yard. We had some minor damage to our dock but many people had flooding in their homes. Even people who didn’t live near the water had flooding in their streets and ended up with flooded homes.

The news was saying there were sailboats beached in the small town of Gulfport in south St. Petersburg. I was out running around on Saturday morning and stopped by. I had heard there were 12 boats beached but by Saturday there was only 6 left on the beach. They were craning one of the boats to put back in the water. That’s a big task.

It looks like there is just minor damage to these boats. Mostly lots of dings but I’m sure that expensive. Some of these boats had people living on them so they have been displaced until the boats can be fixed. Gulfport doesn’t sit directly on the gulf. It’s a small bay off the intercoastal waterway and many boats stay anchored in this area.

Otherwise, it was a beautiful morning and you would never know a bad storm came through 2 days earlier if it wasn’t for the sailboats sitting on the beach. I could see the pink hotel across the bay (Don Cesar Hotel) that sits on the beach.

The Christmas tree was up in front of the beach. I’m assuming someone put this here the day before since there wouldn’t be any balls here after that storm. The restaurants in front of the beach were opening up for breakfast. They had spent the last 2 days cleaning up the sand off the floors.

“Irma”geddon

On September 20, 2017September 20, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights3 Comments

We were very lucky to have survived hurricane Irma with little damage. Many of my friends did not have power for up to 7 days after the storm and many areas in south Florida including the Keys suffered a lot of damage. Since we live on the water in the upper Tampa Bay, we evacuated to stay at our friends house about 30 minutes north of us. This was only the 2nd time we’ve evacuated since living here for 15 years. The first was for Charley in 2004 which missed us completely. We spent almost 3 days at our friends and didn’t lose power until the last day. I had thrown my camera in the car before leaving and spent some time taking pictures in the rain. Above were all taken from our friend’s backyard. We passed the time by keeping the dogs busy, one was a 9 month old puppy who loved to fetch the ball from the pool. By the time I left my arm was tired of throwing the ball for 3 days. That puppy never did tire out.

Below are just a few “after” storm shots. Beth walking the puppy around the backyard. The neighborhood was filled with yard debris. One of her neighbor’s lost their shed. The shed had completely blown away but the lawn equipment was still in a pile on the grass. Many of the houses has tree limbs in the screens.

I just hope it’s at least another 13 years before we have to do this again. Our house was fine. We had the wood fences on both side of our house fall down but that is an easy fix.

Linking to Wednesday Around the World