Critters on my November walks

On March 7, 2026March 7, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

In early November I was out walking along the Safety Harbor waterfront. The fishing pier that was destroyed by the hurricanes (in late 2024) was getting close to being finished. On this morning they still had to put the rails up and finish the end but the birds were enjoying the pilings.

This anhinga was trying to chill on the boardwalk so I took a quick video from far away and left.

Another morning I was out at Philippe Park, climbing the stairs. Those rock piles in the top picture (just above the railing) are man-made oyster beds that were installed to help the oysters grow here and help with erosion. Oysters are natural water filters and will help keep the water in the top of the bay clean.

I’m finding these little shells all over the place.

Another morning I was out on the Dunedin causeway and stopped to watch the shorebirds flying back and forth. It looks like these are sanderlings.

I was able to catch some of them landing. These are mostly ruddy turnstones and short billed dowitchers.

Another morning and I’m out at the Dunedin marina. I walked north towards the Weaver Park fishing pier. The pier is still closed due to damage from the hurricanes (the end was torn off). It is slated to be rebuilt in 2027.

Walking back to my car I could see an immature eagle (he still had a lot of brown on his head). He was chasing an osprey with a fish. I was wishing I had my camera.

The eagle and osprey went behind some trees and somehow the fish was taken from the osprey. The eagle landed in a nearby tree and was trying to eat his prize.

Both the osprey and crows were diving at the eagle. It’s not like either or going to get that fish from the eagle. The eagle moved farther into the tree and started to eat.

My last view of the eagle before heading back to my car. I don’t see this often.

A spring morning out

On May 15, 2023April 4, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals8 Comments

The water around the Safety Harbor fishing pier was really low the morning I was there in mid-March. There were a lot of shorebirds far out on a tiny spit. A few black bellied plovers, red knots and dowitchers were mixed in with tons of willets, gulls and terns.

Heading around the edge of some mangroves I could just make out 3 Canadian geese.

Several manatees were coming up for air.

A red-winged blackbird posing on the mangroves.

I stopped by Folly Farms on the way home. Lots of little critters there.

I rarely see butterflies mating.

Shorebirds at the beach

On January 5, 2021March 4, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

These birds are not social distancing even outside. There were so many crammed into this tiny spit at low tide. Mostly terns and gulls in the front but all of the brown in the far back were red knots.

There were lots of different shorebirds early in November at Fort Desoto. Several times something spooked them and most of them took off.

I turned around and saw these marbled godwits fighting.

Willets and dowitchers on the shoreline on Outback Key.

A great egret came in for a landing right in front of me.

One of my favorite spots at the north beach.

A storm was moving in so it was time to go home.

Wildlife in “The Burg”

On February 26, 2018February 27, 2018 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

There’s always lots of fun critters at Crescent Lake park near downtown St. Pete.

I caught this ibis trying to eat a frog in the middle of the road.

The fungus on this old tree looks like icing on a cake.

I found a few white pelicans floating around the downtown St. Pete sea wall.

Things at the small beach area on the bay side of St. Petersburg (know as The Burg) in late December.

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Honeymoon Island beach before the tourists get here.

On April 20, 2017April 20, 2017 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

After walking the nature trail at Honeymoon Island State Park, I headed over to the beach to see if there were any shorebirds hanging around.

The usual birds were there: marbled godwits, royal terns and dowitchers.

The waves were splashing over the jetties. It was fun to be out in one of the last cool windy days before the heat sets in (and the tourists).

SkyWatch Friday

A beach in downtown St. Pete?

On January 11, 2016January 12, 2016 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography7 Comments

A few monk parakeets were flying around the parking lot.

It was low tide on the beach and very few people were there so the shorebirds were napping. Although, something kept spooking them and they would all take off flying in a circle and then come land in the same spot.

There were two white pelicans floating around in the area around the beach. They were hanging out with a bunch of cormorants. They stayed pretty far out in the water so these were all extremely cropped.

I rarely go the tiny beach next to downtown St. Pete. It’s usually pretty busy and there’s a big public swimming pool in the parking lot. I was in the area so I stopped and talk a quick walk in the sand. It was fairly early in the morning so there wasn’t anyone on the beach. The paved trail along the side of it was packed with people walking, jogging, biking and walking their dogs. It was a normal weekend rush hour traffic on the trails.

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