The ugly ducklings

On June 7, 2025July 10, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography1 Comment

After my walk at Circle B Bar Reserve in mid-March I stopped by Lake Morton near downtown Lakeland before heading home. I was hoping to see some baby swans and I got lucky. They were sitting close to the road when I parked and got out of my car. The babies plopped down for a few minutes and I was hoping they would head back towards the lake.

Nope, they decided the grass looked greener across the street so off they went. I stopped traffic as they walked over. Most people drive slow through here because critters are always crossing the street and hang out on the road but you never know.

They started eating the grass in the yard across the street from the lake.

I walked over to the lake and found a couple napping on a nest next to the lake.

Most of the winter ducks had left but there were a few coots and ring necked ducks hanging around.

I found another family swimming along the edge of the lake. This couple had 4 babies.

A quick video of the family swimming together. The 4th baby comes swimming up with Dad at the end.

They eventually came up on the grass and started feeding on it.

As I walked back to my car I could see a bald eagle sitting up on the cross on top of the church and snapped the above.

The usual at Roosevelt Wetlands

On May 3, 2025June 6, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

Spotted sandpipers are common here. They only get their spots on their bellies in the summer when they are breeding. This was the first bird I saw as I walked out on the trail at Roosevelt Wetlands in early February.

Northern shovelers are also common here in the winter. I saw 2 couples in the small pond. This couple was busy bathing when I first saw them and they flap to get off the excess water. I’m not sure why ducks need to take a bath when they live in water. I guess they want to keep their backs clean as well.

Another couple was trying to stay hidden in the reeds. I might not have noticed the female since she blended in but the male really stuck out with his mixed colors and yellow eyes.

Ring neck ducks are also common here in the winter.

Two male painted buntings! I had briefly seen one on my last trip here and was surprised they were still here and there were two. They were on the far back corner up against the waste plant and they flushed when I first saw them. I stood half hidden in the bushes and they eventually came out in view.

A great blue heron fly by.

The Indian blanket flowers along the trail were still blooming in the winter.

A tricolored heron flies into the reeds.

A red winged blackbird was calling his mate.

An osprey nest platform sits on the beginning of the trail. It was early for them to be nesting but on my way out one was sitting on the top giving me the eye as I walked under his nest.

Winter ducks and a new bird

On March 22, 2025April 10, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography1 Comment

It was the week of Christmas and I was out for a walk at Roosevelt Wetlands. I wasn’t expecting to see too much. Fall migration was mostly over and the winter ducks may not have arrived yet but you never know. I first saw a coot. They look like common moorhens but they have a white beak instead of a red one. They are only visiting for the winter.

I found a lone female northern shoveler hanging out with some blue-winged teals.

The ring-neck ducks are common here in the winter and are a tight group.

Monarchs can be found here all year round.

A surprise painted bunting was hanging out by the back fence. This was the first time I have seen one at this park. He was shy and stayed hidden in the bushes most of the time I was there.

A yellow-rumped warbler was getting a snack.

Walking to the other end of the wetlands, just me and my shadow.

As I walked back towards my car the infamous male northern harrier flies right over me head. I was beginning to think I wouldn’t see him on this visit.

All of a sudden another bird flies toward him. At first I thought it was a kestrel that had been flying by earlier.

When they passed each other I realized the other bird was a sharp-shinned hawk. They are not very common here and this was my first time seeing one. I wished I had paid more attention and gotten some better shots of him.

It was beautiful morning out.

A 2nd look at the western flycatcher.

On April 25, 2024April 25, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

I went back to Sand Key Park (in Clearwater) in early February to see if I could spot the rare western flycatcher that has been hanging around there for several months. I had heard it was still there but finding it wouldn’t be easy. I didn’t get there super early. It was after 8 and just a few minutes after I arrived I saw it in the bushes. On my last trip I briefly saw the back of it and then searched for it for an hour without seeing it again so I was happy to see it so quick this trip.

There were usual birds there as well. A lot of catbirds and blue gray gnatchatchers.

After finding the flycatcher so quickly I decided to leave and stopped on the causeway to get a short walk in over the bridge. Halfway up I stopped and took the above. Sand Key is on the left of the bridge in the distance and Clearwater Beach is on the right.

Since I was in Clearwater I stopped at Lake Bellview. I heard there was a canvasback duck there. It would not have been a lifer but I haven’t seen one in years. All I could find was redheads and ring neck ducks.

I did find a gadwall (the gray one in the middle) floating around with some ring neck ducks. I haven’t seen one of the those in years.

Zooming or snoozing?

On April 28, 2018March 19, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Why do the cardinals sit right in front of you and pose while all of the other little birds drive you crazy by not sitting still for a second?

This yellow throated warbler drove me crazy. Would not sit still at all.

The spoonbills were moving slow this morning. So were the ring neck ducks that were hanging out with the spoonies.

The alligators and turtles were lumps on a log, sleeping soundly,

Tree swallows are another bird that never sits still. These guys zoom back and forth non-stop all morning. Right before I was leaving I saw some of them land on dead branch across the marsh. It was the first time I had ever seen them rest.

Another trip to Circle B Bar Reserve in mid March.

The usual stuff near my neighborhood

On February 10, 2016January 29, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

Lots of ring neck ducks floating in the channel near my neighborhood. The all brown ones are the females and the ones with black heads and gray bodies are the males.

Alligators are everywhere.

I hadn’t seen a horned grebe in a long time. This one was all alone across the channel.

Two more alligators in the grass.

Old ducks and a new one.

On January 27, 2014January 28, 2014 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography13 Comments

My first gadwall. I haven’t even heard of them being in the Tampa bay area before. I didn’t know they were at Circle B Bar Reserve until I was standing on the trail thinking that these ducks didn’t quite look like mallards. I asked another birder standing by that I knew was an expert birder and he told me what they were. It was a cloudy morning and if the sun had been out I would have only gotten a blob taking this right into the sun. The male is in front, female in back.

A male ring neck duck was swimming in between the gadwall couple.

There was a little confrontation over space between the two males.

Two males and a female swimming together.

They are pretty with all of the different beige color patterns.

Ring neck ducks trying to rule the pond.

The usual black bellied whistlers.

Whistler duck butts. Even their bottoms are cute.

Busy preening before a nap.

Standing at attention.

The marshes were full of them.

A sora rail sighting. They aren’t very common at the park. This one was pretty far out in the marsh so this is heavily cropped.

These were taken right after Christmas. After a week of sun and warm weather, I finally had a chance to head out to Circle B Bar Reserve and a dark blanket of clouds stayed over the park the entire 4 hours I was there. At least it was not hot out and I was excited to add a new duck to my list. I keep hearing there are bufflehead duck sightings but I can’t seem to find them anywhere. I’ll keep looking.

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