Common and uncommon birds at Chesnut Park

On December 12, 2016December 13, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Above are some of the common birds you see in the winter here. An Eastern phoebe, a catbird, a black and white warbler and a blue-gray gnatcatcher.

Another common year round bird, the pileated woodpecker. Most of the time I usually hear them screaming from high up in the trees. This one came down a little closer.

A house wren is not that common.

Yellow throated warblers are common in the winter but they tend to hide up in the palm trees and under the palms.

I think these are all pine warblers.

Not a common bird for me to see, a black capped chickadee. There were several high up in the trees near the boardwalk.

A very strange but not uncommon bird flying over the lake.

Lots of little birds flying around Chesnut Park in early November (a few big ones too).

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Busy morning on the trail.

On December 5, 2016December 6, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

A wren hiding in the bushes. I think this is either a house or marsh wren.

Cormorant fly-bys.

Several limpkins were eating along the trail.

So many limpkins have grown up right on the trail. They are not easily frightened. In the first picture, I saw this big group of school kids heading down the trail and I didn’t think the limpkin was going to move. He didn’t. He just stood there like “You guys are in my way.” The kids eventually went around him one by one.

A snowy egret and cormorant hanging around the dock.

There were so many phoebes there. There was a constant echo of their call.

Close enough.

All from my recent trip to Circle B Bar Reserve in central Florida.

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A new bird for Christmas

On December 24, 2015December 24, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography1 Comment

Not the new bird I was looking for. This phoebe was trying to confuse me.

This mockingbird is not the new bird either although it looks like him from far away.

“OH wait, come back. I think you’re the new bird”.

Yea! He did come back with a snack. My first scissor-tailed flycatcher.

And I found him on my first try.

Right on utility wire at the curve in the road at Fort Desoto park. Right where people had been reporting him for a while now. He’s really pretty.

While I was waiting for him to come back, I entertained myself by taking pictures of butterflies on the side of the road.

SkyWatch Friday

If birds could talk

On December 14, 2015December 15, 2015 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography10 Comments

“I need to get an agent” said the limpkin who sat there while tons of people were taking his picture.

“I’m going back to sleep” said the grumpy red shoulder hawk.

“I’m not going to do anything interesting. Take my picture just like this lady” said the great blue heron.

‘Yes, we are a dime a dozen” said all of the phoebes.

“Look ma, no hands” said the anhinga climbing up the branch.

“What are you looking at?” said the snowy egret.

“No I’m not going to look at you just so you can take my picture” said the gnatcatcher.

“We’re trying to blend in but I don’t think it’s working” said the great egret to the cattle egret.

“Everyone look up at me” said the rare Harrier Hawk.

“She’d better be bringing home bacon cause I’m tired of bringing all the sticks” said the bald eagle as he headed for the nest.

Lots of birds but not a lot of activity in mid-November. They were all just sitting there, except for the eagles. They were both bringing sticks back to the nest. You could see them flying back and forth over the trail heading to the nest but you can’t see the nest. It’s hidden high up in the trees, facing the lake. In the mornings before 11am, people are lined up on the trail to see the eagles flying back and forth.

The Northern Harrier hawk was a surprise. It was a first time ever seeing one. I had heard there was one flying around earlier but didn’t think I would see it and right before leaving he flew right over my head.

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Up in the trees at Circle B Bar Reserve

On December 8, 2014December 9, 2014 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography17 Comments

The usual phoebe.

Juvenile bald eagle up in a dead tree.

What a great face!

Pileated woodpecker climbing up.

Trying to get that berry.

He was across the creek and high up in the trees.

A few things in the trees at Circle B Bar Reserve in mid-November.

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Cool morning at Circle B Bar Reserve

On November 17, 2014November 18, 2014 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography11 Comments

The very common palm warbler. They were falling from the sky. I’ll try not to take too many pictures of them this winter, even though they are the most accommodating birds.

Even though you can’t see his legs in this shot, this is a yellowlegs. He’s a shorebird that should be at the beach. He was all alone in a small marsh.

Another missed baby black bellied whistling duck opportunity. They were far out in the marsh and getting ready for a nap. They were probably going to stay in that spot for hours.

I counted six but I think there were more hiding in the reeds.

Phoebes where everywhere and you could hear that distinct call all over the reserve.

This common yellowthroat sat still for 20 seconds. Long enough for me to get the above. Then he took off.

A barred owl was sleeping close to the trail and everyone was stopping to watch him. He would not wake up and he was hidden behind a lot of branches. We kept going down trail and an hour later when we came back, he was still sleeping.

“This is how I eat my dinner. Bang the fish on the branch so he won’t wiggle when he goes down my throat.”

Yes, I have a ton of blue-gray gnatcatcher shots. But they are so cute and there were so many of them.

The great blue heron doesn’t bang his fish before swallowing. He flips it over a few times and swallows it wiggling.

More of the usual stuff from Circle B Bar Reserve. The first weekend in November was perfect. Although we were a little cold starting out. 50 degrees at 8am. I didn’t even take my jacket off until we got in the car at noon.

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Birds at Lettuce Lake Park

On October 27, 2014October 28, 2014 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography9 Comments

This phoebe was too friendly not to stop and take his picture.

A juvenile little blue heron sees something in the water.

A limpkin was close to the boardwalk.

Grackle shining in the sun.

The little blue heron was moving around the boardwalk. By next summer he will molt and his new feathers will be all blue.

Another phoebe.

A black and white warbler hanging upside down.

Nothing new at Lettuce Lake on a recent Saturday morning.

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Weird mix of birds at the Florida Botanical Gardens

On December 3, 2012October 5, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography16 Comments

Wood stork high up in the tree. He was all alone.

Red bellied woodpecker has a big nut. I think he was hiding it in the hole.

Pileated woodpecker on a utility pole. These birds have done a lot of damage to the poles there. You can see where they try to patch them up but the woodpeckers just move and create new holes.

A lone female wood duck. I found her in a small pond behind the old butterfly garden.

Red bellied woodpecker and easter phoebe were sitting in the same tree. I could hear the phoebe singing from across the lake.

Wild monk parakeet hanging on a pole. There’s a small flock that always seem to be around the gardens.

I finally made it over to the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo after trying the weekend before and getting deterred by a huge crowd coming for an event. This Saturday morning it was quiet. I could even hear that phoebe singing all morning. There wasn’t anything unusual there. But still, it was a nice morning out and I got a good 2 hour walk in.

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