Around the yard in early September

On January 10, 2026February 5, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

The juvenile bluebirds were still coming to the feeder and bath in early September. They still had their cute spots and acted like toddlers. One was eating the berries off the ferns that bloom in late summer.

House finches were migrating through and stopped at the bath as well.

The bunnies were still coming to backyard.

I caught this one looking at me through the window. I’m always yelling at them “Stop being cute and stop eating my flowers”.

Fred was flirting with me in front of the window.

Mushrooms growing in the yard from the summer rains.

Sunsets across the street.

I went out to get the mail right before dark and the bats had just come out and were buzzing around. Florida is home to 13 different types of bats and I have no idea which ones these are (not going to get that close and we only see them at dark). They are beneficial and one can eat thousands of mosquitos in one night.

I spotted these two bucks in the utility field down the street coming home from the grocery store.

A morning walk along the trail

On October 20, 2025November 9, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn Florida animals, flowers and plants4 Comments

It was mid-June and hot on the morning I went for a walk at Chesnut Park. I didn’t take my camera thinking there wouldn’t be too many birds around and the baby deer hadn’t been born yet. I was playing around with some of the settings on my phone to capture the above along the trail.

Some type of mushroom growing on a dead tree. It was huge.

More shots along the trail.

This squirrel came too close. People have been feeding them and the squirrels are aggressive here.

Views of the lake.

The buttonbush was blooming.

This looks like a good place to take a break.

Linking to Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday) at Image-In-Ing.

The backyard in late May into early June

On October 6, 2025November 9, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

We’ve had 2 bunnies in the backyard since May. They both still come every few late afternoons, although not always at the same time. The first shot is the smaller bunny which I think may be offspring of the bigger one.

We had several juvenile tufted titmouse visit. They still have a little bit of cream in the corner of their beaks and don’t look so scruffy as the adults. I’m assuming they nest somewhere nearby.

We had a lot of juvenile cardinals as well.

Bluebirds have become regulars to the dried mealworm feeder and I can’t stop taking pictures of them.

We had a pair of brown thrashers in the backyard for a few weeks.

I saw the Carolina wrens hopping around and watched them go into my neighbor’s patio as the juvenile was still following the parent with the bug. The parent was teaching the young one to look for bugs but the young one just wanted to be fed.

My hanging shrimp plants were doing well. The hummingbirds get the nectar from inside the white part of the bloom.

I found some lacewing eggs on my jade plant that is up against the sunroom window. Those tiny white dots turn into something that looks like a moth but are a pretty green. I had the dots along the window as well but still haven’t seen any of the actual lacewings in the yard.

This is the first time I’ve seen one of these. A green coneheaded planthopper.

Taken through the window, a squirrel looking at me with an acorn in his mouth. I think he was afraid I was going to watch where he hid it.

I saw the turkeys through the window but since they were across the fairway I snuck out the back door and was able to get the above from the patio.

Later I looked out the back window and this one was right in front of our patio. I took the above through the window as she stared at me for a few seconds and then left with her friends.

Sunset going down behind the pond across the street.

Around the yard in early May

On September 15, 2025October 15, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography1 Comment

Watching through the trees as the sun goes down across the street.

Watching the sun go down from the kitchen window as a squirrel photobombs the picture.

Out in the backyard, the dried mealworm feeder was busy.

We had several bald molting cardinals visiting the feeders in early May.

Lizards were getting frisky. I took the above through the sunroom window.

I was taking the garbage out front and heard great crested flycatchers calling to each other. I ran and got my camera. They landed high up on the trees in the yard.

This dove was spending time in the begonia plant. I thought she might start a nest there but a few days later she left.

My neighbor on the left had siam tulips blooming and my neighbors on the right had plumeria blooming. I have the advantage of seeing them both from my patio.

I heard Harley (my 11 year old cockatiel) screaming from the sunroom. I ran over to the window and saw a red shoulder hawk on the ground in the back. Harley has a very specific “there’s a hawk back there” scream. After putting him in his cage I opened the back door and chased the hawk away (but not before taking a picture).

We had a few juvenile red bellied woodpeckers coming through with the parents. I was out in the backyard and was able to catch Mom feeding one.

My pitcher plant was blooming.

One late morning I was coming into the neighborhood and saw a coyote walking down the sidewalk right before my street. I luckily had my camera in the car and pulled over and was able to get a few shots before it took off into the woods.

The sunset shining on the clouds in the backyard right before dark.

Around the yard in late April

On September 1, 2025October 15, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

Everything was blooming in the front courtyard in late April.

My neighbor’s plumeria was peeking over the wall.

The lady ruby throated hummingbirds were coming several times a day.

The titmouse were checking out the unused bird house but they didn’t build a nest.

We had several young squirrels hanging around the backyard and they think our philodendron plants in between the two big oak trees are their playground. One morning I was sitting on the patio with my camera hoping to catch the hummingbird and this squirrel had the best time playing in the plants.

Taking a break from playing to eat a snack.

This blue jay is not shy and flew right over and sat on my chair and watched me reading for a while.

By late April the suet feeder was down and I added a small open feeder on that hook. I filled it with mixed seed and dried mealworms, hoping to attract the bluebirds back. In the beginning all I saw were the usual birds including woodpeckers and titmouse.

Sunset across the street.

In the backyard in early April

On July 21, 2025August 5, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography6 Comments

There’s at least 2 female ruby throated hummingbirds coming to the yard since early April. I see them almost every day, usually in the morning and late afternoon. Most of the time I see only one at a time but several times I’ve seen one on the feeder and then chasing another coming in to feed. I now have another feeder in the front yard just outside the kitchen window as well.

The red shrimp plants were blooming and she was coming to them as well. She also comes to the gardenia bush and the coral honeysuckle but I can’t seem to get shots of her on those.

Squirrels in the backyard being cute.

Northern parulas visit from spring into fall. I was outside when I saw these coming down close to the bird bath and was able to get some shots of them.

A skipper on the salvia. The purple salvia died pretty quick but the red salvia has been blooming. I have yet to see a hummingbird on it though.

Two fly-overs that I was able to catch while I was outside in the backyard was a swallow tailed kite and a short tailed hawk.

I’m assuming this blue jay was working on a nest. I couldn’t see where he went with this beakfull of nesting material.

When Fred’s not feeding on bugs he sleeps the day away just outside our window. I think he was flirting with me here. He is not shy or skittish.

A few days later I realized he was shedding. One morning when I put my phone up to the window he came right up and posed for me.

The full moon in the backyard, taken with my phone.

A little later I went out with my camera and shot the above.

Linking to A Stroll Thru Life.

Around the yard in late March

On June 23, 2025July 10, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

Things blooming in the front yard in late March. The bottom one is a fire star orchid that was gifted to my neighbor from a friend who was moving. It’s a huge potted plant that is full of blooms. When she brought it home in the winter it was a pile of dead sticks. She said her friend said to trust her and wait until spring.

We had another dove couple (or it might have been the same couple from the other tree) nesting on a palm tree on the other side of our driveway. They nested much higher up and I could only get a shot of one baby when it was getting big although there were two. They grew up so fast and were gone before I could get another shot of them.

Fred spends the afternoon sleeping on the old small trellis in front of our window. He’s got distinctive ridges on his back and he never runs away when I get close to the window.

We finally got a new bird bath. The old plastic one covered in metal lasted 20 years but was falling apart in the Florida weather. The squirrels love the new one.

Birds coming to the backyard in late March included a great crested flycatcher (the first 2 shots). I think he was going to get a drink but wasn’t sure with the fountain going. Northern parulas were plentiful in the yard and I don’t know what that crow had in his beak. He might have gotten a mouthful of leaves with a caterpillar or maybe he was building a nest?

Right before dark I was going out to get the mail and I kept hearing black bellied whistling ducks calling from the pond. One day I took my camera and walked across the street and saw them sitting on the bank on the other side. For at least 2 weeks they would come in late in the day. I wondered if they were nesting nearby but I couldn’t start walking through people’s backyards looking, could I?

This is when I would hear them whistling. Right before the sun went down behind the trees across the pond.

The sun was coming up through the fog one morning as I was heading to the grocery store.

I knew the eagles in my neighborhood were sitting on eggs in the nest for a while and eventually I saw them sitting up on the edge of the tower and had been bringing in food. I was thinking maybe the babies had hatched but it would be a while before they were big enough for me to see them.

Finally, weeks later I could get a decent shot of the baby. I had seen glimpses of gray fuzz for a few weeks but now I could see the face. It looked like there was only one baby.

A week later the baby was much bigger and I could see one of the parents feeding it on the nest. I’m glad they have a baby. The Dad is a first time dad since he was only a 4th year juvenile last year when he started “dating” the Mom who had lost her mate earlier that year. You can read my post about the loss of the eagle family last March here.

Dad flies off to get more food.

One day another juvenile eagle went flying over the nest. The parent chased him away. It might have been a baby from the nest on the other side of the neighborhood. Those babies were born much earlier but it’s too far away to get pictures of that nest.

Linking to A Stroll Thru Life.

Around the yard in February

On May 10, 2025June 6, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography1 Comment

In early February my neighbor told me he kept seeing a dove fly into the palm tree in between our driveways, near our garage. I got my camera out and saw that she had a baby. We get a lot of doves in the backyard. They like to sit on the bird bath when it gets dark. I wasn’t expecting to see them nesting high up in the palm tree.

A few days later I realized there were 2 babies. They were growing fast.

Days later a bad storm came through and I went out after the storm right before dark to make sure the babies hadn’t gotten blown out of the nest. They were pretty big at this point. This was the last time I saw them in the nest. At some point over the next few days they flew the coup.

Then I noticed 2 juvenile doves in my backyard under the bird bath. They stuck close together and they didn’t have their full black spots on them and their beaks were still small so I’m thinking these were the 2 babies.

A week later I was out doing some yardwork and noticed a dove picking up sticks and bringing them up to another palm tree in front of our house.

This couple was building a nest. I don’t know if it’s the same couple that had the babies near the garage.

Northern parulas were regular visitors to the backyard in February.

Some bigger birds lurking around the yard included a great egret and little blue heron.

The tiny mini-squirrel (who I think is a juvenile) was taking a nap on the unused bird box.

This Mom was watching me from the tree. She looks like she had recently been nursing so I’m thinking this is mini-squirrel’s Mom.

The bunny has become a regular visitor.

My neighbor’s hibiscus bush was blooming.

In the yard in early January

On April 12, 2025May 11, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Even though it’s winter we still have butterflies coming to the hanging baskets in the backyard. We didn’t get any really cold days until later in the month.

I had seen a few wintering robins at the end of December and they came back a week later. One morning I saw one in my neighbor’s maple tree.

Later that afternoon I had 2 on the bird bath in the backyard.

The next day more showed up.

They were not shy and didn’t leave the trees when I went outside to shoot the 2 above.

Later a few more friends showed up.

A blue jay had a berry on the bath. Later I saw him with a clump on the ground. I’m not sure what was in that clump of dirt. Maybe a bug?

Getting a drink.

A common grackle looking at the bird bath.

I snuck outside to get the above when I saw the pileated woodpecker fly into the oak tree out back. She was too high up to get a good shot from the window and they usually don’t fly off right away when I’m in the back.

Things blooming in the front yard.

Red skies in the backyard.

Visiting birds in November

On March 15, 2025March 8, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

In early November I was taking the long way out of my neighborhood and checking on the eagle’s nest. Both eagles were hanging around the nest pretty regularly but it was still too early for any action.

Pine warblers are regulars at the suet feeder in the backyard during winter.

Downy woodpeckers are usually lined up to get at the suet and only one comes at a time but sometimes they will let another smaller bird feed as well.

I had a “first time in the backyard” yellow bellied sapsucker in late November. It was hard to get a shot of him through the window but I was afraid he would get spooked if I walked outside. He didn’t stay long.

Every couple of weeks I get a pileated woodpecker come to the big oak trees in the backyard. I can usually go outside to get a shot since they stay high in the trees and aren’t shy.

House finches paid a visit in the middle of November. The males are pretty with red feathers (females are drab brown).

Tufted titmouse are usual visitors and they are not shy. I was outside taking pictures of the pileated woodpecker and they landed right in front of me and on the bird bath.