“Oh say can you see!!”

On May 29, 2017May 30, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

This is what you see when you drive into Fort Desoto. This picture does not do it justice. It’s huge.

Blooming things on the trail.

Usual birds on the pier. A cormorant and a few snowy egrets.

Pelicans everywhere.

The osprey have been very accommodating with their meals. Usually they fly off quickly if you get anywhere near them. The ones on the boardwalk don’t even flinch.

Bye, bye, Ibis (take me with you!)

It was strange seeing 2 mallard ducks swimming in the salty gulf.

Summer fun at Fort Desoto.

A new bird and some old ones

On March 13, 2017March 14, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

I finally made it down to Fort Desoto to see the smooth billed ani. This counts as a new bird for me. I had seen the grooved billed ani at Boyd Hill Park back in 2011. The smooth billed had spent a while at the park during the holidays but I wasn’t able to get down there until January. He wasn’t too hard to find. Just look for the group of people staring at it.

Above is the groove bill ani. They look exactly the same except for the bill.

This was only the 2nd time I had seen a lark sparrow. One was hanging out near the same spot as the ani. This one spent the morning feeding on the ground.

A kestrel high up in a tree.

This snowy egret has a shrimp. He was fishing along the shoreline next to the pier.

The pelican clan hanging out on the jetty.

Some small things on the beach. A mangrove taking root and a small fiddler crab.

Fort Desoto in mid-January.

Our World Tuesday Graphic image-in-ing

Another episode of “Being a Tourist on the Beach”

On March 9, 2017March 9, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights5 Comments

I rarely go to Clearwater Beach anymore. It’s very crowded and cost a fortune to park, if you can get a parking spot. Although, it is fun to go over every once in while to see what’s going on. Right after I picked up my sister from the airport we headed over to the beach to walk around. She had not been in several years. We were hoping to get a good sunset but dark clouds had moved in. I guess the weather had kept most people indoors because it wasn’t too crowded the Tuesday before Christmas. It was fun walking around the beach and marina.

SkyWatch Friday

Love is in the air

On February 24, 2016February 8, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

All of the pelicans at Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park were getting frisky. The pelicans are in an open pond and are free to go but they all have permanent injuries so they live here. There was lots of action going on the morning I was there in mid-January. The weather has been so warm this winter that the birds are starting families early.

I noticed the tiny pink head just to the right of the bottom of the pelican’s beak. This baby was only a day old. She kept him down low all morning.

This couple had a baby that was a couple of days old. These babies will grow up here but will be able to fly off once they are ready to leave the nest.

Most of the pelicans look like this, missing a wing. Most likely from getting tangled up in fishing line.

Taking a bath in the pond.

It’s fun to watch the pelicans go about their lives on the island at Homosassa Springs Park. Even though they can’t fly away, their babies will grow up and be able to do so .

Sunset in May

On July 2, 2015June 27, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn Tampa bay sights6 Comments

Beautiful sun going down on Fort Desoto Park. Happy 4th of July weekend!

A beautiful view from the nest.

On April 23, 2015April 15, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

Napping on the nest.

The great horned owl mom and baby were not very active the morning I stopped by. There’s a younger baby behind the mom but I only saw a tiny bit of fuzz pop up.

The osprey in the area didn’t have eggs yet.

Yellow bellied sapsucker has stopped for a rest during spring migration.

He was trying to nap on the tree.

Pelicans diving for fish out in the bay.

This is the view from the owl’s nest. It would be pretty amazing to wake up to this every morning, even on a cloudy day.

Perfect morning at Fort Desoto in early April.

Skywatch Friday

My first white winged scoter – Skywatch Friday

On September 5, 2013September 4, 2013 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography10 Comments

After two trips to the little lagoon on the Tampa side of Gandy bridge, I finally saw the white-winged scoter. It’s either a female or juvenile. She’s been there for a while, maybe two months. She was sitting on the little sand bar far out in the lagoon.

She got up and walked around for a few minutes. These are extremely cropped and it was raining but hey, at least I can finally add this duck to my list.

I’m not sure what was in this spot many years ago. The lagoon has a concrete wall around it that is falling apart in some places.

The sun was going down quick and the rain had stopped even though it looked like it would start up again.

The scoter got in the water and floated around. She was not going to let me get close.

The shallow area was full of live conch shells.

Taken with my iphone, a view of the bay from this small park.

Last shot before dark.

After a week of pouring rain, I stopped by the tiny park and saw the white-winged scoter. It’s a rare sighting for the Tampa bay area. Did she get lost during spring migration? She didn’t look injured. Will she leave and go south for winter? Everyone here is wondering. It was only a drizzle while I was there but it kept others away so I had the whole place to myself. I should stop here more often after work but the bugs were terrible. Worse than the other parks I walk at after work. Maybe in the winter they won’t be so bad.

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