Random things around Fort Desoto.
I found this guy on the fishing pier. I don’t know what that is sticking out of his beak. Is it a fishing hook? A fish bone? He didn’t have any trouble flying or eating.
Someone left a fish head on the pier. The great blue heron picked it up and flew off towards the beach with it.
What is it about sleeping birds that makes kids want to run towards them and scare them away? It’s a constant scene on the beach.
Always a sad sight to see. The cormorant took off flying towards Egmont Key island. Hopefully, that will come loose off his beak as some point.
“Wait, let me fix my hair before you take the picture.”
Another sad sight, a pelican with fishing stuff attached to his wing. He was diving pretty far off the pier. He seemed to be catching fish with no problem.
Big gulp!
When he took off, I realized the fishing line was hooked between his beak and leg. The problem with this is if he lands on a mangrove bush, it could get tangled up and he would not be able to fly off.
A great egret lands on the roof of the rain shelter and spooks the snowy egrets.
They were waiting for the guy below to leave his bait bucket unattended.
Which he eventually did for a few minutes. His back turned while fishing, the birds were seeing who was brave enough to grab the first fish out of the bucket. I told the guy he needed to cover his fish.
Something going on far out in the water.
Another beautiful walk on the pier at Fort Desoto.
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An oystercatcher couple were feeding along the shoreline right when I walked out on the beach.
Upclose. He was digging pretty deep.
A dowitcher also digging for food.
It was dig deep day at the beach. Even the ibis were doing it.
A snowy egret cruising for tiny fish.
Turtle nests were everywhere at the park. I’ve never seen so many nests there before. The rangers keep them roped off and has even relocated a nest if the turtle lays the eggs right in the middle of a main tourist area. Taken with my Iphone. Update – on 7/20, the park reported having 86 turtle nests there. This is a record!
A busy day for some photographers. I think they were shooting a great blue heron. When you fly down from across the country, you’re out there concentrating and getting the most for your day. Kind of like what I did when I was in Arizona for vacation. Every day was packed. It’s nice to know I can stop by here for a leisure stroll and get pictures if I happen to see something fun. The guy in the bright blue shirt is the famous photographer, Moose Peterson. I have his book Captured and love it. I stayed away from his group since I knew they were busy but I have chatted with him before in the parking lot a few years ago.
Before I left the park, I stopped by the fishing pier to see if anything interesting was going on. There’s always snowy egrets chasing after dropped bait fish.
A great blue heron staring down at me from the shelter.
Someone had asked me how I had gotten the close up pictures of the bird’s face looking down at me. I took the above with my Iphone. There are several rain shelters on the pier and the birds hang out on the roof. You can walk right up to the edge of the roof and they stare down at you. They want to know if you’re going to throw them some food or fish.
Crazy cormorant on the light post was giving me a big yawn.
Overhead, a frigatebird flies by.
“Sailing takes me away…”
Off into the wild blue yonder! The view from the end of the pier.
Another perfect hot sunny morning at Fort Desoto park.
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