Hoping for a face only a Mother could love

On August 29, 2026August 14, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

In the middle of April we thought the great horned owls at a nearby park had a baby. Mom was looking down at something. We were hoping a baby was still too small to see yet. This couple has had a rough year and it was late for baby owls. They usually hatch in January or February here. The couple sat on eggs back in the winter twice and lost both clutches so we thought they were done. Last year their baby didn’t survive so this couple has had a tough time. Then we realized they were sitting on eggs again in a different tree (just across the parking lot of from the old nest tree).

Dad was sticking close to the nest which also made us think a baby had hatched.

There are so many squirrels in this park.

I came back a few days later after hearing someone had seen the small baby. We were all standing far back and this was the view when you turned around. Not a bad view to sit and wait for the owls to wake up from their morning nap.

That squirrel in the bottom right above is either stupid or brave, getting so close to the owl and the nest. He got even closer but panicked and ran away quickly.

Dad was still sticking close to the nest tree.

Finally I got a peek at the baby (see the yellow arrow). It really blended it to Mom’s feathers. There was only one baby and the locals called her (or him) Hope.

The baby was finally waking up and it definitely has a face only a Mother could love.

At first glance it looked like Mom was giving the baby some kisses and baby was kissing back but I think that’s the baby’s way of saying “Mom, feed me!”

Since this park is so close to my house I stopped in several times. This park is a great place to walk along the water and the owls are a bonus. More to come on this little one.

Sushi for breakfast

On August 15, 2026August 1, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

Less than a week after I had seen the tiny osprey babies at the Dunedin marina I came back with my camera and long lens early in the morning. I stood across the marina and was hoping to get better views of the babies. Mom sat up and started flapping.

She pulled up a fish that looks like it had been on the nest for a while. That woke the babies up. Both of their heads popped up.

She started pulling off pieces of fish and fed both babies for a while.

After a while she took off and flew around the marina and then landed back on the nest.

Meanwhile I was keeping an eye on the nearby purple martin nest boxes. More to come on them.

Osprey twins

On August 1, 2026July 22, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

I knew there was an osprey nest at the Dunedin marina. Right in the middle of the marina. The last time I was there I didn’t see any babies so a week later, in early April, I stopped again but only had my phone. After a few minutes I saw an osprey fly in but she didn’t have anything in her talons.

A quick video of her flying in. Once she landed I saw two babies pop up. They were awake now!

After a few minutes she dug around and found some leftover fish in the nest and started feeding them. That light in the post is now on for good. It’s on a sensor to turn on and the nest covers it up so the light thinks it’s dark all of the time.

I could barely see her feeding them. I knew I was going to have to come back with my camera and long lens.

Dad was nearby watching from the top of a boat.

More shots of the damaged fishing pier being torn down.

Behind the hotel at the marina I could see laughing gulls diving for bait fish up against the sea wall.

Walking at my favorite spots.

On July 20, 2026August 7, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

I was out at the Dunedin marina in mid-March for an early morning walk. The city is finally fixing the pier that was damaged from the hurricanes in late 2024. They were taking the entire pier down before rebuilding it. They’ve been working on the rebuilding the sea wall along the marina for months but it seems to be slow going.

When I got out in front of the sailing center I could see dolphins far out in the water.

Watching a pelican dive for food.

A few days later I was walking along the waterfront in Safety Harbor. The fishing pier here is almost finished.

Reflections in the water.

When I first got to the waterfront I could see a crab trapper going by. The pelicans usually follow them hoping for a handout when they pull the traps up but I doubt those guys give up a single crab.

Back at the Dunedin marina a few days later and the purple martins were busy working on their nests in the nest condo.

The osprey were busy with their nest and I think they were sitting on eggs.

Another “As the Eagle World Turns” chapter

On June 22, 2026July 6, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals2 Comments

In early February the baby eagles in my neighborhood were getting big enough to get some great views of them. One was down in the nest sleeping on this morning.

Mom was leaving the nest several times a day to get food. I think there was something stuck in that straw because she dropped it off and the baby started eating something.

Mom keeping an eye out and taking a much needed break.

This was Mom’s new boyfriend, Mickey, coming in with a stick. Her mate was hit by a car in January and this guy moved in quickly. The babies would not let him land on the nest and he didn’t seem to push it. One morning he started bringing in sticks and then taking them to the other side of the utility tower. I think he was working on a new nest.

The kids are wondering what this new guy was doing.

Mom landed on the that side of the tower and was helping him place the sticks. I was wondering if they would actually start a new family while those kids were still over on the other side.

Mickey was bringing in food for Mom and after a few bites she would take the rest over to the kids.

Then they mated! I guess this means they are now an official couple. They didn’t finish the new nest and eventually Mom and the babies let Mickey land on the original nest. More to come on these babies growing up.

There’s always a squirrel on this feeder nearby. The owner has it hanging on a tree close to the branch. I wonder if they think the birds are eating all of the seeds.

A crow landed in front of me with a snack.

The kestrels are always around when I visit the eagle nest.

The cardinal’s color pops out in the dead reeds.

One morning a bluebird couple was hanging out on the bat box in front of the eagle nest. He had a snack and did not share it with his girlfriend.

As I stood there waiting for the baby eagles to wake up I looked over towards the reeds and saw the above in front of me. There was only a short 2 rail fence in between us but I didn’t think they would come over the fence. I had my monopod and big heavy camera in front of me.

That black coyote is beautiful. This couple has been seen a lot early in the morning in this area.

They both looked over at me. I heard something right behind me. I turned around and a guy was walking his 2 little dogs. I said to him ‘Do you see those 2 coyotes over there?” He said “I do now” as he picked up both dogs and walked backwards towards his condo. The coyotes trotted off and into the reeds.

Cold morning walks in January

On May 27, 2026June 8, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Tampa bay sights5 Comments

An early January walk along the water at the Safety Harbor Waterfront Park. They still haven’t quite finished the fishing pier yet. It takes forever to get inspections and permits to do anything so I think they are waiting on an inspection before they can put the roof on the end. Then that has to be inspected so maybe it will be open by Christmas.

A few days later I went for a walk at the Dunedin marina area. It was cloudy and cool and when I got around to the jetti front I noticed an osprey nest in the light post. This osprey couple have a big nest in a tree right by the boat ramp that they have used for years but I assuming the construction from the sea wall rebuild right there had them move to this light post. The light sensor on the light post is covered up with nesting material and now that light stays on all day long.

There are several other osprey nests close by and I noticed a lot of them circling right over the marina.

Looking across the water I could see the Dunedin causeway to the right.

A week later I was out at the causeway for a sunny and cold walk. This guy had caught a small shark. He released the shark. This area of water is called “shark alley” and people with drones have recorded a lot of sharks here but everyone still gets in the water.

A ring billed gull was posing for me as I crossed the bridge.

A few days later I came back to the causeway much earlier in the morning and before I got to the bridge I noticed dolphins fishing close in. I was wishing I had my camera that morning.

A short video of them splashing around and then jumping in the air.

A week later I was walking in Dunedin and came across some some ibis and a great egret feeding in the low tide along the Weaver Park fishing pier. This pier is still closed due to damage from the hurricanes in late 2024 and is scheduled to be rebuilt in early 2027.

Watching the ibis bobbing for snacks in the muck.

It’s common to see stranded boats washed up here at the pier.

A cold afternoon with some birds on the beach

On May 20, 2026June 8, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

While my sister was visiting in February we stopped by the Seaside Seabird Sanctuary. The sanctuary is a hospital, rescue, rehab and release facility that admits around 3500+ injured birds a year. About 46% are successfully rehabilitated. You can always see a lot of wild birds hanging around the sanctuary, hoping for a free snack.

Checking out the resident pelicans. The residents all have permanent injuries and have a home here.

Wild great egrets nest in the tall trees over the sanctuary. I could hear some babies clacking high up in the tree that I couldn’t see and some adults were still building nests.

Great blue herons also nest here and this nest had a baby (follow the yellow arrow). He was still pretty small and I could just barely make out the fuzz on his head.

This couple was still flirting.

Wild pelicans also nest high up in the trees. They might be former rehabilitated patients or babies that were born here and released.

The wild pelicans are pretty docile and will walk right up to you (hoping for a handout). I took the above with my phone.

The sanctuary is right on the beach and they have a 2 story deck with a great view. The only reason this beach was not busy was because it was cold the afternoon we were there (high of 45 degrees).

A wild black vulture was trying to hide from me on the top deck.

The sanctuary had massive damage from the hurricanes in late 2024. They are still rebuilding enclosures and trying to catch up. You can read about the damage and see pictures here.

Where wild Moms raise their kids

On May 9, 2026June 8, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals6 Comments

Moms raising their kids on the ground. A brown thrasher feeding her almost grown baby and starlings babies begging for that worm.

A tiny Mom, the ruby throated hummingbird, raising her baby in a tiny nest the size of a golf ball high up in a tree.

Moms raising babies up in trees include the pileated woodpecker and great horned owls.

These Moms raise their babies in rookeries, often high in trees or bushes over ponds with alligators to keep the babies safe from snakes and raccoons. These are roseate spoonbills, snowy egrets, great egrets and little blue herons.

Raising babies near water and often with many kids to keep up with include mute swans, limpkins, wood ducks and geese.

Skimmers and oystercatchers raise their babies on the beach.

This is one tough Mom. Since Pinellas county is so overpopulated most eagles nest in utility towers or cell towers. There are only a few out of 40+ couples that are in trees. This single parent Mom, in my neighborhood, lost her mate this winter when her babies were just starting to grow up. She raised these babies alone, getting food for them non-stop all day. She did get a boyfriend later on to keep her company. I’ll have more on this eagle soap opera later.

Big critters raising their babies in the woods.

A pretty red tree and a big alligator

On August 30, 2025September 6, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

I made another trip to the bird rookery in north Tampa in early May. The royal poinciana tree near the little park area was blooming and the wood storks were hanging out in it while taking a break from feeding the little ones.

A wood stork flew right in front of me and got a drink of water.

The baby great egrets were screaming to be fed.

A young black crowned night heron was also screaming for Mom to feed him.

A young moorhen gets a snack from Mom.

There were a lot of glossy ibis but they stayed in the far back and it’s hard to see their babies until they are flying.

A female anhinga panting in the heat.

I’ve seen tiny alligators in the pond but this was the first big one I’ve seen here. He climbed right up on the bank and plopped down for a while.

He walked around the bank and into the street, then turned around and headed back down in the pond and under the water. I had my 600mm lens with me so these are pretty far away and cropped up.

Tiny rare babies growing up on the beach

On August 16, 2025September 6, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

It was May 1st and I was back at Fort Desoto Park early. The sun was already up when I drove over the bridge into the park. I had a feeling the oystercatcher eggs might have hatched earlier this week so I wanted to get out on the beach early.

I had a short hike out to the oystercatcher nest but I got distracted by the spoonbills feeding in the tidal pool just off the parking lot. There were also several tricolored herons feeding.

I don’t see yellowlegs here often so I had to stop for a shot of it as well.

I made it out to the nesting area and the babies were already on the move. The area had been roped off so people wouldn’t trample through the nesting area and the parents were feeding the babies inside the roped area. There were three eggs but only two hatched. One hatched late Tuesday, one hatched Wednesday and I was there early Thursday morning.

They were so tiny and hard to spot across the roped off area. They stayed close to the parents as one parent would take off and then come back 5-10 minutes later with food. I was taking these with my 180-600mm zoom lens and they are cropped so they were really far away.

As we waited for the parents to bring in food to the babies we got distracted by the reddish egrets coming by including the white morph one.

Skimmers flying by.

Mom had a juicy piece of food in her beak, maybe a piece of clam.

After a while the babies got tired and plopped down for a long nap so I headed out. There were a handful of photographers there and several bird stewards watching the area so people don’t get too close. The bird stewards are all volunteers and keep watch over the nest and these rare babies while they grow up making sure they are safe from the tourist crowds.