The sun through the pink grass

On February 2, 2026March 6, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

In early November I was at the Roosevelt Wetlands near Clearwater early enough to catch sunrise. The native muhly grass along the trail entrance was blooming pink.

The goldenrod was in full bloom as well.

The sun was slowly coming up over the landfill as I made my way down the trail towards the other side of the lake. Yes, this preserve sits next to the largest waste plant and landfill in Pinellas county. As long as the wind blows away from the lake it’s fine. It’s a hot spot for birds most of the year.

I made my way over to the trail that runs along side the lake. Local birders call this “warbler alley” but it was a quiet morning.

One of the northern harriers that spend the winters here was cruising the top of the landfill, looking for a meal.

I found a house wren hiding in the bushes.

A loggerhead shrike sits up high in the sun.

A pied grebe staring at me.

A phoebe was flying in and out of this tree.

A rare scissortail flycatcher was seen in the park and I missed it on this morning but the next day I heard it was hanging around the other side of the waste plant and I stopped by the next day to catch it sitting on a stick for a while.

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) at Image-In-Ing.

Sunrise through the pink grass

On January 20, 2025February 5, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

At the beginning of November I went to the Roosevelt Wetlands to look for the northern harriers that had showed up for the winter. The last time I was at the wetlands was in early October and the muhly grass had not turned pink yet. Muhly is a Florida native plant and turns pink in the late fall. We had it growing across the back of our house in Tampa since we had full sun there but we don’t really have a good place to plant it at our townhome. It’s more shade than sun. I miss seeing the pink.

The sun was just peeking out as I walked out on the trail. The muhly grass looked pretty through the sunrise.

Farther down the trail I saw a usual winter visitor, a spotted sandpiper (his belly has spots when he’s breeding in the summer). We don’t usually see them here with their spots on.

Other usual birds included a blue gray gnatcatcher and a loggerhead shrike.

A red-winged blackbird was sitting still for me.

The goldenrod was still blooming.

The sun was up when I made my way back to my car.

Looking through the pink.

I didn’t see the harriers on this trip but I eventually made it back and found the male, more on him later.

Linking to A Stroll Thru Life.

The usual suspects.

On December 11, 2024January 21, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

It was not that early in the morning at the start of October when I went for a walk at the Roosevelt Wetlands. The sun was already high in the sky over the marsh.

All of the usual birds were there including a green heron and two tricolored herons.

Another usual bird, a female anhinga, was drying off her wings.

I was hoping to see some winter ducks but it was still a little early and most of the ducks were mallards.

There was a lone blue winged teal. Hopefully more will show up soon.

A loggerhead shrike in his element, sitting on a wire.

A male anhinga (on the far right) was crashing this tricolored heron convention.

Another usual thing here is a white peacock.

Most of the parks along the coast were closed due to flooding from Hurricane Helene and Roosevelt Wetlands was one of the few open in early October. The water levels were high but the trail was still dry. I was hoping to find some fall migraters or early winter birds but only the usual suspects were here.

A drizzly morning walk

On February 26, 2024April 19, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

I don’t hate foggy dreary days. It’s the only time it feels like winter here in central Florida. I’d rather it not drizzle though when I’m out walking around with my camera. I got to the Roosevelt Wetlands in late November when it was foggy but as I started walking down the trail it starting to drizzle (or spit as my Dad used to say). I just put my hood over my head and kept walking.

I could see a bunny up ahead on the trail in the middle of the goldenrod. Most of the goldenrod was starting to fade here.

There was a redhead duck couple swimming away from the usual mallards, coots and moorhens. They stayed on the other side of the pond.

In the middle of the pond a coot was being chased away by some moorhens.

The grackles were keeping the anhingas company on the dead snag.

Even without the sun shining on him the grackle was showing off his pretty colors.

A female grackle also looking pretty on the alligator flag (thalia) plants.

I can’t ignore the blue gray gnatcatchers.

A sora rail was hiding in the reeds along the bank.

It drizzled on and off while I was there. The sun was trying to peek through the clouds when I was leaving.

A loggerhead shrike was sitting close to the trail. He was a little wet.

The sun was about to come out on the way home so I stopped at Possum Branch Preserve for a quick walk. It was pretty quiet but there was a lone redhead floating in the main pond.

Out in the neighborhood

On November 28, 2022November 20, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

I caught this squirrel sitting on a small palm tree outside our window. He had his cheeks full of fuzz from the tree and I was able to snap the top shot. When he took his paws and folded the fuzz up I was happy to get more shots. He was so cute. He jumped from the palm tree over to the oak tree and took off up the tree. I can see a half built nest up there but it’s really not nesting season since it’s getting colder (I know they nest all year round here in central Florida but it’s rare to see them starting a family in early November.)

In early October I caught one of my neighborhood eagles eating something on top of the light pole. I’ve been seeing the couple often cruising around the neighborhood but I haven’t seen them hanging on the nest that they used last year yet.

Birds near the eagles nest include several loggerhead shrikes and some young starlings.

Looking out the window during Hurrincane Nicole, I could see a lot of ibis feeding in the newly formed pond.

Some of the regulars (wood stork and spoonbill) that hang out in the ditch along the golf course.

Downtown St. Pete parks

On July 28, 2022March 22, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

You can always find turtles chilling on the trash bumpers at Crescent Lake Park near downtown St. Pete.

I found some cute duckies walking along the sidewalk.

Usual birds around the lake include the loggerhead shrike, a roseate spoonbill and an anhinga drying out.

I found an unusual pair of birds sitting in front of my car, northern rough winged swallows. I’ve seen them in other parks before but they are fairly rare.

A cloudy morning at the park.

The big banyan tree has been fenced in for several years now. They are trying to keep it alive since it’s so old (not sure how old though). It’s taken a beating over the years with people climbing and playing on it.

It looked like it has snowed along the street in front of the park. I realized there were several cottonwood trees in someone’s yard. I had never noticed this before so I must not have been here when they were blooming. I’m sure it’s beautiful when it’s in full bloom but what a mess it was in the street and yard.

After leaving the park I stopped by Rouse park on the bay in St Pete, only a few minutes away. The royal poinciana trees were blooming and the are a lot of them in this small park.

Enjoying an early morning on the bay in late May.

Young birds are everywhere

On June 21, 2022June 21, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn bird photographyLeave a comment

I was heading home from Bot Tower Gardens in Lake Wales and stopped for a quick walk around a nearby lake. I’ve seen sandhill cranes here before and was hoping to find a family on my walk. Last year I found 2 families on this lake. Half way around I saw the parents feeding a older baby. They were pretty far out in the marsh so these are extremely cropped up. Both parents stayed close to the baby and were feeding him.

On my way back to my car I noticed a bunch of loggerhead shrikes sitting on a trash can. After a few minutes I realized they must be almost grown babies because they were still begging to be fed. I think that’s the parent in the back on the right.

I stood behind a tree and watched them for a few minutes. They were bouncing around on the ground and then flying to a nearby small tree. That tiny bit of yellow at the end of the beak identifies them as juveniles. Adults would be all black. They were still screaming to be fed when I was walking away but it looks like they are starting to feed themselves.

Also linking to Tuesdays With A Twist

The beach has reopened.

On June 25, 2020June 13, 2020 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

On the trail at Fort Desoto. A butterfly and some kind of fruit that I have never noticed before. The red really stuck out in all of the green right on the trail.

A snowy egret trying to steal a snack from a fisherman.

Some of the birds near the fountain includes a loggerhead shrike, a female summer tanager and an ibis.

Dolphins were swimming around the pier.

Looking across the lagoon, lots of different shorebirds. The middle shot has black skimmers in the front and the bottom picture shows red knots.

It was the first week in May and the park had just recently opened. I got there early and was leaving before 10am and shot this from the pier. The beach was filling up fast. Time for me to head home.

Just being outside

On March 16, 2020February 20, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

A beautiful morning out at Fort Desoto. Out on Outback Key, you can see St. Pete beach far off in the distance. That big pink hotel (Don CeSar) really stands out.

Rush hour traffic on the water.

Usual birds around the fishing pier. A ruddy turnstone, loggerhead shrike and a ring billed gull with just a touch of orange around his eye.

TOTO, the banded oystercatcher, was there in his usual spot.

His mate was close by looking for food.

A nice cool morning for a walk on the beach at Fort Desoto in February. Sadly now this is more important than every, just being outside. Yesterday Brett and I went to the beach just to be outside since everything else is closed. Even the zoo is closed (although the keepers will still be there taking care of the animals). I’m working at home for the next few weeks and I’m sure the walls will start closing in. I’m going to try and walk in the neighborhood after work each night to get out. Hope everyone stays sane out there. Thanks for stopping by and let me know how you are coping.

Our World Tuesday Graphic http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com/

Alone on the beach.

On September 26, 2019September 12, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

A few of the usual birds at Fort Desoto including a crow with an apple, a loggerhead shrike and our favorite hybrid great blue heron/great egret.

It’s rare to see the ghost crabs out of their holes. They are pretty skittish.

Heading into Tampa bay.

A quiet morning on the beach. Very few people here. This was the Saturday before Hurricane Dorian was headed our way. On this morning it was forecasted to head straight across the state and hit us on Monday so many people had canceled their vacation plans. Little did we know at this point it would stall over the Bahamas and then head north.