The same ole things

Posted on February 1, 2022 by dinajohnston

The welcoming committee at the entrance to Circle B Bar Reserve wasn’t doing a very good job. They were too busy stuffing their faces. Pigs.

It was a generally quiet morning for birds in late December. A sparrow, a downy woodpecker (making that landing), an anhinga posing and the usual black bellied whistling ducks.

Across the lake anhingas were hanging out in a bald cypress tree. The tree was losing it’s leaves for the winter, although this one looks like it’s been broken off at the top.

Far across the marsh I could see a northern harrier and an eagle. After standing there on the trail for an hour hoping either would get closer, I finally gave up and headed home for lunch.

The backyard in June

Posted on July 20, 2020 by dinajohnston

There’s a duck couple that’s been spending afternoons sleeping under our tree in the backyard. Sometimes I peek out the bedroom window to check on them but they are very skittish. They can see me barely move the blinds.

A few of the birds that have been visiting the bird feeder.

I looked out the window and saw something moving in the channel. I grabbed my camera and ran out to the dock to catch 2 manatees rolling around at the end of the channel. After I snapped the above they started heading out to the bay.

Some of the critters in the yard including this juvenile black racer that was climbing up the wall next to the front door.

A faint rainbow in the backyard. It’s the beginning of rainbow season with the summer rains starting in June.

An osprey on my neighbor’s sailboat mast just after the rain.

The sun was trying to peek out.

Rainy morning at Bear River Refuge.

Posted on December 31, 2018 by dinajohnston

The only new thing I saw at the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, just north of Salt Lake City, was a ring necked pheasant (the blurry photo above). We saw several from far away but they were very skittish and would dart under the bushes when they saw us drive nearby.

The scenery was beautiful with the mountains in the background. The refuge is a one-way 12 mile drive where the fresh water Bear River meets the northeast section of the Great Salt Lake. It should have been full of ducks and birds but two things were not in our favor. The long drought and a recent prescribed burn. We saw very few animals. Actually a third thing since this was the only day we say rain, it drizzled the entire time we were there. The sun peaked out quickly right before we were leaving.

The rental jeep was filthy due to the mud on the gravel drive. We stopped at a car wash before heading back to the hotel.

A big statue of an avocet in the nature center.

Birds at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens

Posted on October 22, 2018 by dinajohnston

This young Carolina wren was hopping all over the place.

Usual birds: a sparrow, robin and baby mockingbird.

A rare bird for me, one that I don’t see in my area of Florida is the American Goldfinch. There were several in the back of the gardens eating the flowers.

I saw several hummingbirds buzzing around but I could only catch this one.

Lots of little critters at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens during my trip in August.

Little critters at Rocky Mountain Arsenal Park

Posted on March 5, 2018 by dinajohnston

These little prairie dogs were so cute. I know, they are just cuter gophers or maybe more like meerkats. We just sat in our car and watched them run around for a while. These shots are all extremely cropped up. They were pretty far out in the field and if I opened my door they would all scurry into the holes.

My first ever coyote sighting. He was also pretty far away.

A few birds along the road: pigeon, meadowlark, kestral and a sparrow of some type.

Some of the critters we saw during our drive through Rocky Mountain Arsenal Park in Denver. I think if I lived here I would always be cruising through here. Lots of critters to see roaming around. It was near our hotel so we drove through quickly before getting dinner. We also saw bison and deer so more on those later.

More of the same

Posted on December 20, 2017 by dinajohnston

A red shoulder hawk greets me as I walk on the trail. Right after I shot the hawk, an eagle flies high over my head.

A snowy egret skimming along the marsh and a great blue heron posing.

I think this is a female indigo bunting. I had heard there were buntings in this part of the trail but I didn’t see any male blue ones. Any confirmation?

One of the many sparrows that hangs out at the intersection of Heron Hideout trail and Eagles Roost trail. Not sure if it’s a Savannah or Swamp,

This little lady flew right in front of me and landed on the tiny stick. She sat there forever.

More black bellied whistling ducks in the marsh.

Same ole gators along the trail.

From my early November visit to Circle B Bar Reserve.

Linking to Wednesday Around the World

The Usual Suspects.

Posted on February 23, 2017 by dinajohnston

The usual suspects along the trail: pied grebe, sparrow, palm warbler, cardinal, snowy egret and a hawk that looks half asleep.

This very handsome common yellowthroat was posing nicely for me.

An osprey bringing home padding for the nest.

The usual things at Circle B Bar Reserve in early January.

A late February walk at Circle B Bar Reserve

Posted on April 11, 2016 by dinajohnston

Great blue herons were all over the park. Including several sitting on nests.

A green heron was stalking something.

A sparrow hiding in the bushes.

The only black bellied whistling ducks I saw. The park use to be full of them. You could hear their whistling all over the park. I’m not sure why there are only a few now.

The robins were scrounging on the ground for bugs.

A lost royal tern. He should be at the beach.

A wood stork showing off. He was actually moving his foot around on the ground to stir up the bugs, frogs or snakes to eat.

A limpkin taking a break.

I caught a blue gray gnatcatcher being still for just a second.

A red shoulder hawk up high.

A marsh rabbit on Marsh Rabbit Run trail.

A few things I saw on my walk at Circle B Bar Reserve.

The funny farm.

Posted on March 7, 2015 by dinajohnston

Pretty horses.

Funny horse.

A cross between a zebra and a horse?

The duck wasn’t sneaking up on someone. He walked with a limp.

I was concerned about this duck. I’ve never seen a duck sleep with his head on the ground.

He eventually popped his head up. He was okay.

Goose napping.

King of the coup.

King of the entire farm.

Turtle train.

Sparrow hanging around looking for a handout.

The cow train.

More fun from my mid-February visit to the petting zoo/horse farm near my house. I stopped by again last Saturday and realized when summer comes, it’s going to be too hot to visit. On March 1st it was 80 degrees by noon. Where did winter go?

Typical and not so typical at Circle B Bar Reserve

Posted on February 10, 2014 by dinajohnston

Typical green heron. He was not paying attention to me.

Not so typical american bittern. They only visit in the winter and are usually really hard to find. Several other people were watching this one already.