High up in a tree, I watched this yellow warbler stuff himself with snacks.
There were still a few other birds in early May at Fort Desoto including the blackpoll warbler in the last picture.
Frigatebirds were flying high overhead.
At the east end of the park I could just barely make out Downtown St. Petersburg.
Birds at the fishing pier.
Recently I keep seeing parakeets popping out of trees.
The sand trails are covered with these grasshoppers.
A starling peeking out of what was probably a former woodpecker nest.
Thanks to Ken at Rosyfinch Ramblings for the ID on the above Orange crowned warbler. A first for me.
Little birds at Hammock Park.
A small wood stork party at Possum Branch Preserve.
Typical great egret shot but I noticed after I cropped it up that he’s missing part of his upper beak.
I started out at Hammock Park, a small park in Dunedin that I had not been before. After walking around for an hour and seeing very little, I left there and stopped at Possum Branch Preserve for a walk before heading home.
Coming in for a landing.
Cute little plover looking for a snack.
Snowy egrets and ibis hanging around the marsh.
High up – loggerhead shrike, kestrel and a starling.
Great blue heron posing on a light post.
One I helped save and one I couldn’t. The first one was walking around on the pier. I had a bait fish in my hand and he walked right up to me. He was all tangled up in fishing line with a hook on his wing. I was able to borrow clippers and a nice man was able to grab him as I was giving him the bait fish. While he held the pelican I clipped off all of the wire and the hook. He seemed okay so we let him go. He gave me one last look and took of into the sunset. The other pelican was sitting on the ferry boat. His feet were tangled up in fishing wire but he was able to fly and took off.
I was able to head down to Fort Desoto for a quick walk before sundown in late October before the time changed. Now it’s dark after work. Can’t wait till April.
I don’t know what this is. It looks bigger than a yellow rumped warbler. It was bathing at the fountain. Could it be a female American redstart? It looks like one from the Stokes Birding Guide. If so, it’s my first one.
Orange eating an orange. Baltimore oriole at one of the fruit feeders.
I think this is a wood thrush. He was sitting on the bottom of the fountain.
My first and only indigo bunting shot. I saw a few others from really far away but this was the only one that got close to us at the fountain.
Starling taking a bath.
I was told this is a yellow warbler. This was my first sighting of one. I agree with Deb’s comment on this one. It looks more like a female hooded warbler than a yellow one. It’s still a lifer either way.
About a tenth of the crowd that was gathering at the mulberry woods at Fort Desoto. There’s a small open field with a short stone fountain in the middle. Everyone was standing around waiting for birds to land on the fountain. I only had my long lens that morning so I could only get a small smattering of the crowd that was there.
I can say I was there! Two weekends during the 2012 spring migration at Fort Desoto. I met tons of people. Learned a lot of new little birds. And took thousands of bad pictures. Ron at Pinellas Birds said the week before Memorial Day that it was winding down. There were still a few late migraters coming through though so I’ll still head out and keep my eyes open. Now I can’t wait until fall migration.
Check out more pictures at Our World Tuesday 