Early morning at Lettuce Lake Park

Posted on August 12, 2021 by dinajohnston

The lake was low in early June. The summer rains weren’t in full swing yet. The birds above were standing knee deep and they were pretty far out in the lake.

A few spoonbills were feeding close to the boardwalk.

Other birds along the boardwalk were storks and a tricolored heron, posing on a snag.

I saw this northern parula singing his heart out.

A very young titmouse.

Black bellied whistling ducks were cruising by the overlook tower and landing in the trees. They kept hopping from tree to tree, calling out to each other. I saw them when I first got to the park and was on the boardwalk. They were gone 20 minutes later so timing is everything.

My first robber fly sighting. What a cool bug. Although I probably would have freaked out at first if he flew on me. I saw him land on this branch and was wondering what it was.

Views from the boardwalk, not so early in the morning. Although I was there right when it opened at 8am and before there were lots of people on the boardwalk. It was so hot. I can’t image being out here after 11am in June.

A warm walk in January at Circle B Bar Reserve

Posted on February 24, 2020 by dinajohnston

Birds flying high.

Black bellied whistling ducks hanging low in the grass, trying to avoid the haws and eagles flying overhead.

A blue headed vireo being cute.

An osprey was sitting on a branch that crossed over the trail. I was trying to make sure he didn’t poop on me while I was trying to take his picture. I’m not sure what type of fish that was but it had a red tint to it.

A cooper’s hawk hiding in the bushes across the canal.

Butterflies along the trail in January.

Fun at the Lowry Park Zoo.

Posted on August 21, 2017 by dinajohnston

I was looking in the spoonbill exhibit and noticed a wild spoonbill on top of the exhibit looking in. I think he wanted to join the party inside for some treats.

Some wild birds at the zoo: a Carolina wren, 2 black vultures preening each other, a house sparrow working on a nest in the gift shop sign and a baby duck in one of the ponds.

Elephants playing in the first picture with the 3 legged impala watching.

Grumpy old bird (that was just born this spring). Marabou stork.

Making faces with Mom.

Showing off on a tree branch.

I was tempted to join these ladies who looked like they were having too much fun but I didn’t have the right color shirt or hat on.

Random fun at the Lowry Park Zoo

Posted on July 31, 2017 by dinajohnston

Residents at the zoo, these macaws get to fly around from the entrance to the stage area for the bird show. I caught them flying around one morning and they stopped for a break.

Residents of the zoo. The stork (middle picture) was born this spring at the zoo.

A few wild things visiting the zoo. A northern parula and mallard.

Pretty green and pink.

Fun animals.

Pretty zoo birds

Posted on March 8, 2017 by dinajohnston

All pretty birds at the Lowry Park Zoo.

I noticed one of the eagles that live at the zoo was high up in a tree. Both are permanently injured. He climbs and hops his way up the tree since he is missing part of his wing.

Pretty sights at the zoo.

More from Lake Morton

Posted on June 13, 2016 by dinajohnston

A young stork that looks like an old soul.

Besides the swans, both geese and ducks were nesting all around the lake.

Things were still getting frisky so more babies to come.

A wood duck couple were sleeping on the cypress tree roots on the edge of the lake.

This one looks like a hybrid mallard. Very pretty colors.

An ibis was stealing the swan food.

Looks like this stork was working on a nest.

The turtles were out sunning themselves.

A kapok tree flower.

Sandhill cranes flying high overhead.

There are lots more stuff at Lake Morton than just swans. Lots of ducks, geese, ibis, turtles and birds hanging around.

Another edition of “Funny Faces at the Zoo”

Posted on September 12, 2015 by dinajohnston

Another hot morning at the Lowry Park Zoo in mid-August.

The zoo really cleaned the glass on the manatee window. I put my Iphone up to the glass and snapped the above.

Pretty faces at the lake.

Posted on March 15, 2015 by dinajohnston

Some of the geese have all orange beaks and some have the spots on them. Is that a sunburn? Or maybe an age spot?

The black swans were nesting.

The only white pelican at the lake that morning. He looks comfy.

Pretty goose face.

The old man face.

Green and yellow face.

Another pretty goose face. His feathers are darker than the others and I don’t think his eyes are blue.

Pretty faces at Lake Morton in early March. I stopped to see if there were any duck or goose babies. Still a little early.

Old birds and a new one at Fort Desoto

Posted on October 7, 2013 by dinajohnston

It was a drizzly dark morning. I was in my car waiting for the storm to go by and I saw the above stork walk by my car.

Great blue heron wading in the water.

After the rain passed, I walked down the beach to look for the brown booby on the tower. I saw this sad wet juvenile laughing gull sitting on the sand.

A sandwich tern walking along the shoreline.

Marbled godwits walking along.

Common terns (??) standing in the water.

I think this is a juvenile sandwich tern flying by.

I finally saw him! The brown booby at Fort Desoto. I think this was my 6th trip looking for him. Actually, I go down there quite a bit anyway and kept stopping by the tower to look for him. Several other birders were there and all were excited to see him no matter how far away he was. He seems to rest out on the tower in the bay near the fishing pier off and on. This is extremely highly cropped. You can just barely make out the blue beak. I had a shot of his orange looking feet but the top of him was even more blurry. This was labor day weekend and he’d been randomly seen for over a month.

It gets harder and harder to find new birds. I read on Florida bird reports that different birds are spotted all over central Florida but work and family commitments have kept me from taking any road trips this summer. I’ve been sticking close to home and only on Saturdays. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get around this winter.

Check out more pictures at Our World Tuesday

Also, check out more birds at Paying Ready Attention for

Baby birds at Gatorland

Posted on May 7, 2012 by dinajohnston

More like sibling rivalry than brotherly love. Baby great egrets.

Who’s going to win this battle?

“Mom, where’s my fish?”

“All together now, MOM, where’s our fish?”

This tiny one’s beak was bigger than the rest of his body.

I took this from across the lake. I rarely see baby wood storks.

I also took this anhinga nest from across the lake. The middle baby had his head in mom’s beak getting a bite.

A handful of shots from my trip to Gatorland in mid-April. The great egrets, which are usually born first, are getting big. The ones that I took in mid-March look like full-grown adults now. The baby tricolored herons were just being born when I was there. More on those later.

Check out more pictures at Our World Tuesday