House Hunters for birds

On April 29, 2015April 22, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

It’s the annual wild baby bird season at Lowry Park zoo. Herons and egrets build their nests over the alligator exhibit during the spring. On my visit in late March, only the great egrets already had their babies high up in the trees. The last picture is the only shot I got and the babies were almost fully grown. The rest of the pictures are of a little blue heron couple building their nest together. She was guarding the spot and he was bringing her sticks. They build such tiny little nests. I’m going to try to get over there again in early May to see if any baby blue herons are running around.

Lorikeets at Lowry Park Zoo

On February 1, 2015February 1, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

The lorikeets at Lowry Park Zoo are so much fun to watch. On a recent trip I spent some time in the big aviary watching them play and bath. This was the first time watching them take a bath in the fountain. I took a ton of pictures. They looked like they were having so much fun.

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Cute faces at the zoo

On January 17, 2015January 17, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

Another tourist trip during Christmas week. My sister and I spent a morning at the zoo. Beautiful and not too hot, the animals were out playing. I think that old turtle face is my favorite. He looks so prehistoric and funny with that blade of grass hanging out of his mouth. He was up moving around that morning. There’s always something entertaining at the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa.

Baby tricolored herons at the zoo

On June 24, 2013April 30, 2021 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography15 Comments

Baby tricolored heron looking at me.

Was he giving me the peace sign? No, just scratching an itch.

At first they were quiet. Then the screaming started. They must have known mom was close by.

Mom shows up at the nest and chaos starts.

Screaming goes on.

Then begging.

I stopped by the zoo in mid-May to see if there were any more spoonbills hanging around. No spoonbills but there were a few nests with baby tricolored herons and blue herons. All were in the bushes and palm trees over the alligator exhibit.

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And then there were 3

On May 1, 2013April 23, 2013 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

“Stop tickling me.” “Don’t move, I’m picking the bugs off you.”

“Hey, big sis, what is that lady doing?”

“Don’t look, I gotta pee.”

“What is that big silver thing flying up there? That is one big bird.”

“I need a stretch and a yawn.”

” I need to climb over this branch.”

“Who put this branch here?”

“Almost!”

“Bye, bye, lady.”

It was a sad sight when I got the spoonbill nest at the Lowry Park Zoo. There were only 3 babies and last weekend there were 4. I knew it was going to be tough with 4 babies growing up on that small nest. One step too far and it’s into the gator exhibit for a little baby bird. At least the remaining three seemed to be doing well. They are growing up so fast. A week after I took these I had a friend who stopped by and the three were still there. It’s still going to be risky as they start flapping their wings and branching out. They still have a long way to go. The babies are so cute though. I’m going to try to get back there at least once more before they fly the coup.

Pink baby cotton candy balls

On April 2, 2013April 2, 2013 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography21 Comments

“Brother, you are wrong. This is not food.”

“Everybody wake up. Time for our morning stretch.”

“Look at my face! Isn’t it the cutest?!!”

“Too many mouths to feed. I gotta shake it off.”

“What are doing Junior? Showing off again?”

“Mom, when are we gonna eat?”

“I’m the oldest.” “Stop shaking the nest.” says the ones sleeping.

“How is this going to work?”

Four baby spoonbills at the alligator exhibit at Lowry Park zoo! Two years ago there were three babies in the same spot, although they are a couple of trees back this year. None last year so I guess they are making up for lost time. I had posted about seeing the mating here back in early February. I finally got a chance to get back to the zoo to check on the nest and there were four babies! At this point they were getting big fast. All four looked pretty healthy. These parents are busy. I was only able to spend a little over an hour there and the other parent did not come back with food while I was there. I’m going to try to get back in the next two weeks to see how big they get and if all four make it. There’s not much room on that nest and big alligators are waiting below.

The babies stayed busy stretching and preening but they weren’t all awake at the same time. One would stand up and stretch and lay back down. Then a few minutes later another would stand up. I don’t think this parent is getting much rest. It looks just like a big pile of pink cotton candy up there.

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Love is in the air – Skywatch Friday

On February 14, 2013February 6, 2013 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography19 Comments

Caution – Spoony porn below. Excessive pinkness going on. Proceed at your own risk!

I stop at the alligator exhibit and see two spoonbills sitting together in the short palm trees. I don’t think anything of it but hope that a future nest would be great. I didn’t want to get too excited. Two years ago a couple nested here but last year they did not. I walked around the area for a few minutes and then was about to head back to the see the baby elephant when the below started to happen.

Is it???? Yes, it is!!! Spoonbills mating. I started snapping away. No one else noticed. They were all too busy looking at the sleeping alligators below.

Yes, I know, I’m intruding on their bedroom. But they were doing in right in the middle of the zoo. They could have found some nice quiet woods anywhere else.

It was over in a flash. Or at least 20 snaps.

You’re thinking “It’s over. He’s outta there.”

He flew down to the ground close by and picked up a stick. Not just any ole stick. This was his third stick he picked up. He was finding just the right one.

He flew into the tree with his stick.

And flew over to her and presented her with the stick. If that isn’t love, I don’t know what is. No diamonds, no candy. Just a stick.

She’s like “Gimmi the stick all ready.”

He gives here the stick.

She takes it and puts in the crook of the palm tree. After this they settled down and looked like they were ready for a nap.

Sometimes timing is everything. I had about two hours to kill two Sunday mornings ago so I headed to the Lowry Park zoo which is close by to see the baby elephant again. When I first got there the baby elephant was way in the back of the exhibit playing behind a bunch of logs. I decided to do a quick lap of the zoo and see if any wild birds were hanging around the alligator exhibit yet. Wild egrets and herons nest there in the spring. They build nests in the big oak and palm trees around the exhibit. There were already a lot of great egrets sitting on nests high up in the oak trees. I saw the two spoonbills sitting together on a short palm tree and thought “Wouldn’t it be great if they nested here again like they did two years ago.” I was just about to walk away to head back to the elephants when I saw the flash of pink flying.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Too cute for it’s own good!

On February 2, 2013February 1, 2013 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights12 Comments

“I know I’m cute!”

“I’m trying to get that bug under Mom’s foot.”

“I do NOT have big ears!”

“Mom, I’m ready for my nap.”

“This dirt does not taste like chocolate.”

“Can I clean this dirt off with this pole?”

“Mom says I have to stay close to her.”

The baby elephant was born on 12/23 at Lowry Park Zoo. Her name is Mpumi which means “successful” in Swati. I headed to the zoo early in the morning. Hubby even went with me. She was nursing with mom at the other end of the exhibit when we first got there and you could barely see her. We walked around the area for a few minutes and when we came back she was bouncing across the field. She was so cute. All of the kids went crazy. At one point she was wandering off away from the other female adults. She walked over to a big rock and was checking it out with her trunk. She made a loud sneeze noise and the mom looked up and realized the baby had wandered off. The mom ran over to her and pushed her back to the group with her trunk. Everyone went crazy again. We stood there for close to an hour watching. I can’t wait to get back to see her grow up.

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