“As The Eagle World Turns”

On May 11, 2026June 8, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photographyLeave a comment

This is Margie and Max. They have a nest in my neighborhood on a utility tower. Margie has been nesting here around 10+ years. She lost her mate, Major, in early 2024 and Max showed up later that spring and flirted with her. They both came back that following fall and had 1 baby in early 2025. The above was taken in the fall of 2025 when they were working on rebuilding the nest. They had 2 babies that we think were born in late December.
(Louise from Project Eagle Watch gave the parents the names. Babies are not usually named but get a number.)

Looking down the utility field I can see one of the parents hanging out on a tower farther away.

This was Margie calling out to Max in mid-January. Max was hit by a car right by the nest and Louise, who rescues eagles, was able to get him but he did not survive. Margie spent several days calling out for her mate. Now she was going to have to leave the 2 babies alone and go out by herself to get the food several times a day.

This was the first time I was seeing the babies on the nest. They were finally big enough to see them peeking out. Mom seemed to be doing okay but she had to have been exhausted feeding them alone.

A week later the babies were getting big and starting to flap their wings hard, although they still just had pin feathers. Another male started hanging around nearby but Margie wouldn’t let him get near the nest yet. More to come on him.

I get to see a lot of other wildlife as I wait for the baby eagles to wake up. Kestrels also spend winters in this same area. The kestrel above was sitting on a bat box along the utility field. He flew down and caught a cricket to eat.

More kestrels on the wire and tree nearby.

A red shoulder hawk flew into the tree and started yelling. He didn’t stay long.

A cute little tufted titmouse with a sunflower seed from a nearby feeder.

It’s always fun when the parakeets fly in. This nanday parakeet was feeding on the seed ball.

Still looking for spring birds

On July 26, 2025August 5, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

I made another trip to Fort Desoto Park in mid-April but not early enough to catch sunrise. I started out on East Beach and found some royal terns looking for love.

It was mating season for the shorebirds and there was a lot of hanky panky going on early that morning. These birds don’t get any privacy. A sandwich tern (on the right) was interrupting the royal terns and got yelled at.

Or maybe they were just playing “leap frog”???

The male terns were bringing in fish to temp the ladies. I think this one was hoping one of these two ladies were going to take the bait.

Not sure what this conversation was about. Was she yelling at him to go get a fish?

This osprey had a big fish for breakfast.

A nanday parakeet sitting pretty.

I was hoping to see something new on the trail but only the usual migrating birds were there this morning: a female Cape May warbler, a black and white warbler, a red eyed vireo and a summer tanager.

I stopped in at the North Beach area and as I walked out on the beach I saw these 2 oystercatchers chasing another one away.

The oystercatcher nest was still there and Mom (she is banded with AE bands) was just coming back to the nest after chasing that interloper away with Dad. I could see that she was sitting on 3 eggs. They should hatch soon.

A red breasted merganser was shaking off the water.

A pelican fly by.

An early morning on the beach

On July 9, 2025August 5, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Tampa bay sights3 Comments

In early April I was out early enough to see the lights still shining on the Sunshine Skyway bridge. I was on my way to Fort Desoto Park. The park opens at 7am and this time of year the sun comes up later so if you get to the park right when it opens you can catch sunrise.

I was out on east beach at 7:05 and zoomed in to see pelicans diving for fish right in front of the bridge.

The gulls were also swarming around.

After some shots at east beach I quickly headed over to the bay pier to get a few more shots before the sun was up too high.

The above osprey was having breakfast.

I’m not sure what this nanday parakeet was eating, or maybe just chewing on the branch.

Over on north beach I could see the oystercatcher sitting on eggs. This area had been roped off and guarded with bird stewards the entire time this couple were sitting on eggs. They are state-designated threatened due to loss of habitat. Their eggs blend into the sand and it would be easy for someone to trample over them if the parent left the nest (due to crows, gulls or other birds bothering them).

Looking out at the gulf.

Watching a grackle harassing the much bigger great blue heron on the pier.

Almost the end of spring migration

On July 13, 2024July 4, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

I made another trip to Fort Desoto Park near the end of April to look for migrating birds. This one was easy to find. I heard the Chuck-will’s-widow was near the bay pier. She had been there for several days and people thought she was nesting since she spent most of her time on the ground. They are not rare for the area but they are hardly ever seen. You can see how she blends into the ground. The area where she was hanging out was all roped off so you could see her from a distance. This was my 2nd sighting of one. The first was at the Dry Tortugas on a trip to Key West several years ago. I zoomed in on the 2nd picture because she had the most amazing whiskers across her face. She disappeared after about 2 weeks. She probably thought the area was too busy.

The nearby osprey nest was busy. I walked up right as Mom was feeding the babies.

I saw a lot of juvenile indigo buntings near the fountain. I think the 2nd shot is a female.

More Cape May warblers. They were everywhere this spring. The top 2 are males and the bottom 2 are females.

This was my first time this spring seeing a blackpoll warbler. They usually come through here in the spring but I didn’t see this one until almost the end of migration.

A catbird sits on top of the fountain.

The nanday parakeets were in their usual spots along the east beach trails. This one was eating the mangrove grapes.

I don’t often see pileated woodpeckers here although I hear them along the trails. This one was digging something juicy out of the soft wood.

A windy day at Fort Desoto

On June 6, 2019May 21, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

I had a rare Friday off in mid-April and headed to Fort Desoto to see if there were any birds migrating through. I was really too early since a storm was just starting to move through. It was drizzling on and off most of the morning but it was still fun to be out at the beach, even in bad weather.

Birds were diving in the water to catch the tiny fish near the pier.

The usual great blue herons and pelicans were flying close to the pier.

A lone frigatebird was hovering right over the pier. They usually stay high up in the sky but this one was right over my head. She just kept hovering in the wind. The above are not cropped at all. I felt like I could almost reach out and grab her.

Before leaving I hit the back trail and caught this nanday parakeet peeking out of a hole in a dead palm tree. I think they nest back here but I rarely go back this far in the summer since the bugs will attack no matter how much bug spray you use.

SkyWatch Friday

Birds at the fishing pier

On August 9, 2018August 8, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

I wonder if this is the same cardinal that I also see looking at himself in the mirrors or windows of cars when I have visited before.

I can’t stop taking pictures of the wild nanday parakeets.

Laughing gulls fighting over a dead bait fish.

A snowy egret having a bad hair day.

This was the first time I had seen a spoonbill at the fishing pier. He was hanging out on the light post. He had a snowy egret join him for a few minutes. Funny how they put up those steel fringe things to keep the birds of the posts but the birds don’t mind them at all.

SkyWatch Friday