Dancing red and pink

Posted on April 28, 2022 by dinajohnston

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

Posted on June 17, 2021 by dinajohnston

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

Posted on April 29, 2021 by dinajohnston

“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.

Posted on March 1, 2021 by dinajohnston

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

Posted on May 27, 2019 by dinajohnston

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.

Red things in the water at Fort Desoto

Posted on March 11, 2017 by dinajohnston

It’s always fun to see Red breasted mergansers swimming around near the shore line at Fort Desoto. They are always bobbing for fish and stay busy preening themselves. There were several swimming around in a shallow lagoon near the north beach.

Then the reddish egret photo bombed my shot of the red breasted mergansers diving. He was strutting around like “Hey why are you taking pictures of those ducks when you could be taking pictures of me?”

Then I started taking pictures of the reddish egret.

And a tricolored heron photo bombed my last shot of the reddish egret.

Summer at the beach

Posted on July 2, 2016 by dinajohnston

A black bellied plover eating something gunky.

Some of the resident oystercatchers.

A sandwich tern flying by.

“Got a light?”

More laughing gulls.

Trying to get a fish.

Typical Florida shot.

Dowitcher looking for snacks.

One of the red breasted mergansers is still hanging around the fishing pier.

Stuff at Fort Desoto in early June.

Linking to Saturday’s Critters

At the fishing pier

Posted on June 20, 2016 by dinajohnston

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

Posted on May 23, 2016 by dinajohnston

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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