The land of squirrels

On May 2, 2018May 2, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals, flowers and plants3 Comments

Squirrels all over the park were eating the pink parts of this plant. Not sure what type plant this was.

I caught this couple flirting on the boardwalk right in front of me. Eventually they realized I was standing there and scampered off the boardwalk and headed up a tree.

Pops of color along the boardwalk.

Empty shells the limpkins leave behind after eating the snails inside.

Lettuce Lake Park in Tampa is full of squirrels. In early March the weather had warmed up and they were out eating and playing all morning.

Linking to Wednesday Around the World

A beautiful morning at Lettuce Lake Park

On January 6, 2018December 10, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

A limpkin and his reflection trying to find snails.

A young red shoulder hawk landed on the boardwalk right in front of me. He sat there for a while looking around until someone walked up to him from the other side of the boardwalk and off he went.

Another adult red shoulder hawk up in a tree.

A common yellowthroat showing off.

A muscovy duck train in the parking lot.

Plants and baby ducks at Lettuce Lake Park

On December 30, 2017December 5, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

Some of the many plants at Lettuce Lake Park.

I caught a quick glimpse of a black bellied whistling duck family. They were passing through under the boardwalk and headed into the swamp. They paused for a few minutes and I snapped the above. The babies are so cute. They look like little bumble bees.

The usual suspects at Lettuce Lake Park

On December 13, 2017December 13, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals5 Comments

The parks are full of white eyed vireos and phoebes right now.

“Common” yellowthroats are pretty common as well.

Doves get no respect even though they have pretty pink feet.

Limpkin eating a snail.

These are actually pretty cool bees, although I wouldn’t want to disturb that nest.

Gators and lizards.

Muhly grass in bloom.

Linking to Wednesday Around the World

My favorite little birds

On August 23, 2017August 23, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Northern parula.

Titmouse are fun. Including the juvenile one in the bottom 2 pictures. Screaming for Mom to bring food.

This year I’ve seen a lot of chickadees around. They’ve been very accommodating.

I thought there was going to be a fight over the feeder. The chickadee left and came back after the cardinal left. The nature center at Lettuce Lake park has several bird feeders up this year. The one above was hanging in a tree near the trail.

Lots of squirrels trying to get to the feeder.

Plants around the boardwalk. I think the first one is Queen Anne’s lace.

A walk around Lettuce Lake Park in June.

Linking to Wednesday Around the World.

Lettuce Lake Park

On June 19, 2017June 20, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

The usual suspects at the lake.

There wasn’t many little birds there but I did catch the above northern parula and carolina wren.

A few wood ducks floating around.

Teeny tiny critters along the boardwalk.

Just a few things from a recent walk at Lettuce Lake Park in north Tampa.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing

Spoonbills at Lettuce Lake Park

On June 10, 2017May 17, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photographyLeave a comment

Due to the drought we’ve had in April and May, the water level was very low at Lettuce Lake Park in north Tampa. Before I got to the boardwalk I noticed a lot of pink near the shoreline of the lake where the canoe launch is. There was a handful of spoonbills feeding close to the shoreline. They didn’t seem to mind me, kept right on feeding with barely a glance.

Early December walk at Lettuce Lake Park.

On January 2, 2017January 3, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

I’ve seen lots of green herons lately.

You can always find black crowned night herons near the boardwalk.

Yes, more cute gnatcatchers.

Some type of warbler with a snack

Another type of warbler with a snack.

An uncommon for Tampa blue headed vireo.

Beauties and Beasts

On November 21, 2016November 22, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

A juvenile little blue heron in the swamp.

A very young night heron.

Another young little blue heron across the lake. Trying to blend in.

A downy woodpecker working on a hole.

“This tree smells funny.”

It looks like fall, but looks are deceiving. It was still over 80 degrees in late October.

Creepy crawlers along the boardwalk.

Weird bugs in the water right below the boardwalk. They looked like water roaches.

Stuff from my late October walk at Lettuce Lake Park.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing

Growing up in the swamp

On September 21, 2016September 7, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

I was walking along the boardwalk at Lettuce Lake Park and look down and saw this limpkin family. The Mom was teaching the littlest one how to find the snails and get the food out.

After feeding the last one, Mom needed a break and she flew up to the boardwalk and stood next to me and stretched.

The 3 little babies kept busy by themselves while Mom rested on the boardwalk rail. They were busy preening and trying to find their own snails. Every once in a while they would look up to make sure Mom was still there. Eventually, someone came walking down the boardwalk so the Mom flew back down into the swamp and started to walk off with the 3 little ones behind her.