More from my drive along Lake Apopka.

On November 12, 2018February 12, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography1 Comment

I rarely see baby purple gallinules. They are very skittish. I caught this little one running in between the reeds. Look at those big yellow feet!

The parents were close by.

Two juvenile common gallinules (or moorhens) hanging out.

The only birds I saw along the drive were common ones.

Turkey vultures are also common along the drive but it’s not often you get to see one up close and with a snack.

Purple martins perching on the utility wire.

Another common site along the drive, an anhinga with a fish.

A beautiful morning to be out.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing: weekly photo linkup

Lots of babies at Carillon Park.

On August 4, 2018August 6, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

Two very young green herons were waiting for mom to come back with food. They were standing on the boardwalk rail. As soon as they saw mom come into the bushes they hopped back on the branches and headed deep in the bush to get fed.

A common moorhen family. There were at least 6 families along the ponds.

Young grackles and their parents were along the boardwalk.

The usual birds along the boardwalk, a blue jay, an osprey eating a fish on top of one of the office buildings and one of the many anhingas.

A walk around Carillon Park after work in early May.

On the trail at Circle B Bar Reserve

On May 22, 2018May 22, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals5 Comments

The squirrels were busy grooming and eating.

Plants along the trail.

Roadblock on the trail. I was almost all the way down Marsh Rabbit Run trail when I saw this. My choices were to sit and wait and see if he moves or turn around and go back. I sat down on trail for about 15 minutes when a park ranger came from the other side of the trail in a cart and spooked the gator off the trail. The park ranger said he slept there for over 2 hours the day before. I probably would have given up and turned around after half an hour if the ranger hadn’t come by. That little moorhen was not as close as it looks in the shot. He was busy preening and ignoring the gator.

Linking to Wednesday Around the World

Chesnut Park on a Saturday morning.

On November 13, 2017November 14, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals2 Comments

Standing on the observation tower, an osprey saw me and said “Hey, there’s Dina. I’m going to swing by and give her a hug.” or maybe not. He just banked and kept cruising by.

A juvenile moorhen eating yucky pond grass.

Limpkins were everywhere. Up on the boardwalk and down in the swamp with a snail.

This guy must have gotten a piece of some bad tasting grass.

Trying to hide on a log. Not sure what this guy was but I was using a long lens.

Before Hurricane Irma took down a lot of the trees.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing: weekly photo linkup

A walk after work

On June 24, 2017June 15, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photographyLeave a comment

I saw this lone spoonbill at the office park lake near my work. I noticed that his eye looked a little funny and he was banded. It seemed okay, just sleepy.

Not sure what these baby mallards were trying to eat. Just like a baby, everything goes in the mouth.

A moorhen Mom with a few new babies.

Some very young grackles waiting for Mom to come back with food.

A male grackle shining in the sun.

Lots of the same.

On June 8, 2017May 14, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

Always a lot of vultures on the trails here.

Tons of hawks too.

Many green herons.

Soon there will be more moorhens.

The usual glossy ibis, wood stork with a stick, a snowy egret and a juvenile night heron all hanging out in the marsh.

The sky is always full of osprey.

At Circle B Bar Reserve.

SkyWatch Friday

Pretty birds doing everyday things.

On November 30, 2015December 1, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography11 Comments

A purple gallinule shining through the reeds.

A pretty common yellowthroat in the shade.

A cute grebe floating around.

A little blue heron taking a gulp.

A red-eyed vireo being shy.

A downy woodpecker high up in a tree.

A limpkin looking down at me from up above.

A palm warbler reaching for the stars.

A white pelican all alone.

Moorhens imitating each other.

Tiny hummingbirds humming in the firebush.

Some of the birds on my recent walk around Circle B Bar Reserve.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing

Little Bambi is getting big

On September 19, 2015September 19, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals8 Comments

I got a brief glimpse of the baby heading into the woods. Early in the morning the deer walk along the road through the park and graze. As more people come into the park, the deer head into the woods. The moms in the group kept this one well off the main paths.

This young buck is doing well. I’m not sure at what age he will take off on his own, leaving the park family behind.

A doe wandering around by herself.

Not a deer, but an almost grown up moorhen. Still looking at mom for food.

A quiet morning at Chesnut Park on a recent Saturday morning.

Saturday's Critters

In the swamp

On August 30, 2015August 30, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, flowers and plants6 Comments

Things I saw on a recent trip to Chesnut Park. The alligator picture was taken through the slats of the boardwalk rail so he wasn’t that close. The little bird in the bush is a great crested flycatcher. He was across the pond so it was extremely zoomed in and cropped. I rarely see them so it was a decent find for the day.

Shine the Divine