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.

Sun coming up on Outback Key.

On February 12, 2024April 19, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

I was out at Fort Desoto looking for the white pelicans early one morning. The sun was just coming up over the trees and I had walked about 15 minutes out on Outback Key. For once I was the first one out on the north spit.

I could see a blast off of shorebirds far out where the pelicans were hanging out.

Dunlins and dowitchers were napping all huddled together.

The skimmers were taking off from a far away spit and landing right in front of me.

It’s hard not to stop and take a few pictures of the juvenile reddish egret when he’s dancing right in front of me. He was showing off, trying to take everyone’s attention away from the white pelicans.

Later as I was heading back to the beach area I found this red breasted merganser swimming in a shallow area on the inside of Outback Key. These ducks dive for their food but this lady was skimming along the surface looking for stuff to eat.

A snowy egret walked up and wanted to have some of whatever the merganser was eating.

The merganser was trying to chase the egret away but the egret wasn’t leaving.

Finally the merganser snapped at the egret and the egret moved farther away.

Meanwhile in the same area this tricolored heron was popping back bait fish like they were popcorn shrimp.

This was one of those perfect mornings out. The sun was out, the weather was cool and the white pelicans made an appearance in full force. More to come on them.

Dancing red and pink

On April 28, 2022April 16, 2022 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

I found one of the reddish egrets feeding in a small lagoon out on the beach at Fort Desoto in mid-March. It wasn’t too hard to find. There were several other photographers already there. He was dancing around looking for fish and was quite entertaining for a while. They use their wings to cast a shadow on the water so they can see the liffle fishies better. The color on their faces are brighter this time of year during mating season.

I started heading north on the beach and saw another one fishing. His beak wasn’t quite as pink as the first one but he was still beautiful.

Several red breasted mergansers were also fishing and one got too close to the egret. The egret did his best eagle imitation and the merganser scooted off.

It’s easy to spend all morning watching these guys dancing around in the water.

I eventually pulled myself away from the egrets and headed for a long walk up the beach. It was super low tide and you could walk out forever. The beach looks pink when the tide is this low (assuming from the algea in the sand).

The Fort Desoto fishing pier

On June 17, 2021May 25, 2021 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

I was back out at the fishing pier at Fort Desoto in late April. I was still trying to find some spring migrate birds with still no luck. So instead of going home empy handed, I headed over to the fishing pier to walk around (it’s a long pier). There’s always a good breeze and usually lots to see. A ring billed gull sitting on top of the showers welcomed me.

Lots of hanky panky going on with the laughing gulls on the beach next to the pier. I’d tell them to get a room but I was basically in their “room”.

The pair of female mergansers were still hanging around. Feels like it’s late for them to be here. Shouldn’t they have gone north for the summer already?

The opsrey were nesting all over the park including on top of the old fort smokestack near the pier.

Some were still working on nests that sits right on the trail. She was going to get tired of yelling at every person that walks by.

A chilly morning at Fort Desoto

On April 29, 2021April 12, 2021 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

“I caught one this big” said the osprey as he landed on his nest.

Actually, he was bringing in sticks to spruce up the nest.

It’s amazing what you see when you are standing around waiting for baby birds to wake up. This Prairie warbler flew right in front of me.

Turning around, the coast guard was sitting right off the beach.

I eventually got tired of waiting for the baby birds to wake up and headed over to North beach to see what was over there (I don’t have a lot of attention span and was also trying to get some exercise so I needed to keep walking). All of the usual birds were there.

On the fishing pier, Harry the hybrid (great blue heron x great egret) was having a scratch.

It was a beautiful morning in late February.

Not many people out early in the morning (just us photogs) and it was a little chilly.

Dark and cloudy at the beach.

On March 1, 2021March 6, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography1 Comment

It was a cold quiet windy day at Fort Desoto in early January. I walked out to the north beach and saw nothing as far as the eye could see. Then this flash of movement caught my eye. A lone female red breasted merganser. She didn’t stay long and neither did I.

I headed over to the fishing pier and found a ring billed gull with a snack. The laughing gull was trying it’s best to steal it away but he wasn’t successful.

This was a scene all over the park. Osprey getting ready to start nesting and were coupling up. They both were eating fish.

Far away I could see skimmers, gulls and terns flying around.

The Clipper was cruising by the fishing pier.

It was a little creepy out on the beach. I only saw a few other people. We were all bundled up this morning.

It was extremely low tide. The clouds were getting darker so I decided not to head out on the spit. Even with the low tide I’d have to slosh through some water and wasn’t up for having cold feet this morning. I still love the beach here even on a day like this.

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Happy Memorial Day from the beach

On May 27, 2019May 28, 2019 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Everyone was after this yummy snack rolling around on the beach.

Other birds were going after their usual snacks including the sandwich tern and great egret above. I think that egret had a tough time getting that fish down.

A fisherman had pulled up this tiny fish and left it on the pier so this great blue heron tiptoed up and grabbed it.

The usual birds at the fishing pier at Fort Desoto park.

A few female red breasted mergansers were swimming along the shoreline.

It’s the unofficial summer season kickoff this weekend. Although here in Florida that started months ago. I probably won’t be at the beach today since we tend to stay away on big holidays and avoid the crowds.

At the fishing pier

On June 20, 2016June 21, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography14 Comments

These two female red breasted mergansers are still hanging around the fishing pier. They should be north for the summer by now.

A ruddy turnstone on the rocks.

A royal tern brings her a fish. Since she’s eating it, I guess they are an official couple.

The laughing gulls are pretty this time of year.

Having a conversation about something. All of the gulls are pairing up.

The juvenile reddish egret is still hanging around the pier.

Two baby osprey on the smokestack tower nest.

Someone got their snack stolen. Or maybe, the bird is being paid to advertise.

Saturday morning at Fort Desoto.

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Just passing through

On May 23, 2016May 24, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

Yellow bellied sapsucker.

Lots of indigo buntings including the juvenile in the last picture. He hasn’t got all of his blue feathers in yet.

The scarlet tanager has black wings.

The summer tanager is the only all red bird in America (according to All About Birds)

Female red breasted merganser.

And a pretty cactus flower just for fun.

These were taken at Fort Desoto in early April when spring migrating birds were stopping by for a rest before heading north for the summer. There wasn’t a ton of birds but a few good ones.

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