Critters and blooms in late November

On April 4, 2026March 17, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

By mid-November the wintering birds were paying regular visits to the feeders including the pine warbler (top shot) and the palm warbler (bottom shot).

A Tufted titmouse with a snack.

Bluebirds were still coming for the dried worms and the birdbath.

Squirrels being cute in the backyard. I think that first one was eating a mushroom.

Thanksgiving weekend I put up some red lights along with the bistro lights in the backyard and a house finch was checking them out. He posed for me while I took the above through the window.

The leopard plants that we planted in the back in early July were blooming. These were the last of the blooms. The squirrels ate most of them.

The camelia bush in the front was covered with blooms.

A few poinsettia plants near the front door.

The Christmas cactus was already blooming.

Fighting bucks

On March 28, 2026April 10, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals3 Comments

I have only gotten a few fleeting glimpses of this big guy at Chesnut Park recently. I was there early one morning in early December and saw him running through the woods off the back boardwalk.

I came off the boardwalk and was on the dirt trail when I heard a commotion in the woods. I went in a little ways and hid behind a tree and caught him and a slightly younger buck going at it. I couldn’t get any closer (not that I would have wanted to) so all I got are a few blurry shots of them locking antlers. They fought for just a minute and then the younger buck ran off and the older one went deeper into the woods.

A lady standing in front of the boardwalk.

The usual birds were a titmouse and a chickadee.

Spatterdock in the lake.

This cute pied grebe would flap her wings when coming up after a dive to get the excess water off.

I passed another lady on the trail.

This guy was not shy. I think this is the one fighting the bigger buck.

We were still in drought mode and the swamp was dry and full of the dead cypress leaves.

A hot summer walk in the park

On November 1, 2025October 31, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals1 Comment

Another early morning walk at Chesnut Park in early August to look for baby deer.

I didn’t see any out on the ball field but when I drove to the back to park my car I came across this family right in front of my parking spot.

I saw this cutie once I got on the boardwalk. I had heard people were feeding the baby raccoons earlier this summer and now it’s evident with this guy walking up to the boardwalk to see if I have a snack for him instead of scurrying away. There are signs all over the park to not feed the wildlife and people are keeping an eye out for anyone that does.

I got a quick peek at a baby that gave me a parting glance as she followed Mom deeper in the woods.

Only the usual year-round birds are here in the summer including little tufted titmouse. They also come up close to see if you have some seed for them.

The water on the lake was still and quiet.

While on the dock an osprey flew by with a half eaten fish being chased by a red shoulder hawk.

A tiny critter taking a break in the shade.

Color along the boardwalk. I think the bottom shot is poison oak.

The yard and neighborhood in late January

On April 21, 2025May 11, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography2 Comments

There hadn’t been a lot of different birds coming to the feeder in the backyard in late January. The usual tufted titmouse were always there.

It had been drizzling all day when I looked out the window late in the afternoon. I saw tons of robins on the golf course. They were too far away to try and take pictures through the window so I grabbed my big umbrella and camera and went out the back door. Yes, I was that neighbor standing on the edge of the golf course taking pictures of birds in the rain.

The robins had the entire fairway to themselves and they were taking baths (even while it was raining) in the puddles that had formed.

Looking around I realized they were all over the fairway. They stayed all afternoon and were gone by dark.

I noticed the little soaked pine warbler in the backyard as I headed back in.

Squirrels being cute. I think these are both young ones born this past late fall. They were half the size of the adult Mom that was also hanging around.

We had a bunny in the backyard for 13 days. It came late in the afternoon or right before dark. We had some dirt spots in the back near the patio so Brett threw some rye seed out so it would be green through the winter and not get muddy if it rained. Once the seed sprouted this bunny showed up and ate through most of the rye grass. He was having a feast so Brett through some more seed out to replace what he ate. These were taken through the window. He was very skittish.

Taken through the window, this great egret was hunting around the bushes and came up with a lizard.

My Christmas cactus didn’t start blooming until late in January.

Sunset down the street at the utility field.

The turkeys were heading out on the field right before sunset.

Linking to A Stroll Thru Life.

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.

All of the usuals were here including chickadees, Carolina wrens and doves.

Squirrels being cute. He was eating a wild mushroom in the first shot.

Chesnut park in November

On February 15, 2025February 10, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

I was out for a walk at Chesnut Park in late November and easily found Rudolph. Everyone was calling her that because most of her nose was pink (instead of red but close enough) and she had been sighted for several weeks at the same place on the back boardwalk.

I spotted a lot of ladies that morning on the back trail.

As I was walking back to my car I saw 2 bucks that were grazing but when they saw me they took off.

While walking on the middle boardwalk I saw a doe looking underneath the boardwalk. I realized there was another one (that looked younger) on the other side and started videoing as she walked underneath me and greeted the older one. The older one didn’t seem to want her around so she left. There’s plenty of deer here so I hope the younger one finds some friends.

All the usual birds were there including a wintering black and white warbler, a chickadee and a titmouse that were both looking for a handout.

I came upon some other walkers that were watching a barred owl deep in the woods. She sat still for a while and watched something on the ground.

She flew down into the swamp and eventually grabbed something (maybe a lizard?) and flew into the tree. It was so quick I didn’t get a shot of her with it.

Cleaning off her beak after that bite. After this she took off deeper into the woods and we lost sight of her.

The sun coming up through the trees.

Late September in the yard

On January 11, 2025February 5, 2025 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals2 Comments

In mid-September I bought a new bird feeder. I had white millet and black sunflower seeds in it. For the first two weeks only the usual birds were around. We had a lot of rain and the feeder was full of water soaked seeds and fell apart. Some of the metal pieces broke apart and we couldn’t fix it. So, I put the old one back up. Still looking for a new one.

I noticed this lizard sitting on the patio chair was just starting to shed his skin.

A female redstart showed up and spent an few hours in and out of the bird bath. She didn’t mind when the yellow throated warbler stopped by. These were taken through the window.

The yellow throated warbler is a winter regular visitor.

The frogs were still showing up after afternoon storms and I realized they were sleeping in my cactus plant near the window.

Late in the day after a storm I looked out the window and saw this beautiful guy.

I grabbed my camera and went outside to snap these from the patio. They were on the other side of the fairway and he saw me. I was afraid they would take off but he looked at me for a second and then continued to graze with his girlfriend.

They only stayed for a few minutes and then continued down the fairway.

Babies around the yard

On September 12, 2024November 14, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography8 Comments

It was mid-May and a tufted titmouse family came for a bath. There were 3 babies and 1 parent that came to the bird bath every day for a week. The babies still have a little cream color on the beak near their faces and didn’t have that little bit of rust in their bellies. They were so awkward trying to take a bath.

I’m not sure why this squirrel was licking the plant. He might have been licking the ants off of it?

A male cardinal got a snack underneath the bath and then took a bath.

We also had a lot of juvenile bluebirds coming for a bath for several days. I couldn’t stop taking pictures of them. They were so cute.

A lone brown headed cowbird was in the grass just past the feeder. I don’t see them often but this was the 2nd time I had seen one in the backyard in 3 years.

Two juvenile northern parulas were hopping around the tree in the front courtyard waiting for Mom to bring them bugs. I saw them moving around and snuck outside and got the above shots.

Hibiscus blooming in front of our driveway.

I planted sunflower seeds in a small spot in the front that gets a lot of sun in late April. By mid-May I had big stalks coming up, almost as tall as myself. I was excited, hoping I would get a few blooms. One morning I walked out and realized deer had eaten half the plants. They pulled most of the leaves off one plant and half of the other. There were hoof prints in the bed. I was crushed. I left the stalks thinking they would come back and finish eating them but they never did. They continued to grow and eventually bloomed. More on those later.

Sunset across the street.

My neighbor’s church was having a fundraiser lunch and their theme was “Spring birds in Florida”. She asked me if they could use some of my pictures and I said sure and then I was asked to talk about them so I gave a presentation on birds in the neighborhood. It was hard to narrow down to 30 minutes worth of pictures from the tens of thousands I have taken over the years. It was a fun afternoon.

Visitors to the backyard bath.

On August 26, 2024October 3, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography5 Comments

This is summer in central Florida. The philodendron plants turn yellow in the summer.

It was already so hot in early May that the squirrels were taking a nap in the shade on the empty nest box.

Bluebirds were coming by to take a bath.

Northern parulas were coming down from high up in the trees to take a bath. They usually don’t come down this low.

A cardinal and red bellied woodpecker share a drink.

A new visitor to the backyard, a female redstart stopped by the bath for a few minutes.

A young titmouse family stopped by. There were 3 juveniles that hung out on the bath for a while. The parents spent the time at the feeder.

A juvenile cardinal that was just starting to molt into his red feathers was still being fed by Mom.

Up-close with my neighbor’s hibiscus.

As I was taking some macro shots of the beautiful hibiscus I realized her plants were covered in mealy bugs. They had taken over the entire 2 bushes. We sprayed several times with neem oil and tried to get them all off. They were gone for a few weeks then came back even worse. We finally chopped the bushes way back to just sticks. They are already started to get leaves again so it will be interesting to see if the bugs come back again. I hope not. Any advice here?

Some of the other blooms in the front courtyard.

I found a ladybug on a plant. I rarely see them anywhere.

The sun going down behind the lake across the street.

Around the yard in late April.

On August 5, 2024October 3, 2024 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

My hanging petunias did really well over the winter and added a lot of color to the backyard. The problem with petunias is that they don’t produce a lot of nectar so they aren’t big on attracting critters. I didn’t see any bees or butterflies around them. They started to die back in May so I replanted the 2 pots with hummingbird friendly plants.

My neighbor’s hibiscus bushes were in full bloom in the front courtyard (our townhouse shares a small courtyard with our neighborhood)

It’s always fun watching the squirrels getting water in the bird bath. I’ve read that they only take dirt baths so I’m not expecting to see them splashing around.

This cute little juvenile tufted titmouse was up in the oak tree out back. I went outside to get this shot. You can tell he’s a young one with that bit of beige around his beak.

His parents were busy coming to the suet feeder that I still had out so I sat down and watched them for a while. I took the suet down in late May once it was so hot and most of the migrating birds had moved through.

I was able to get a good shot of a chickadee while I was sitting outside watching the titmouse.

A Carolina wren also stopped by.

The squirrels were getting frisky on the unused bird nest box.

I was a day late in early May when everyone was seeing the northern lights in the lower 48 states. They were seen as far down as central Florida and several people I know got some great shots of the lights near Tampa the night before. There was a chance to see them again the next night. I went out at peak time and kept my eye out but the lights didn’t get far enough south the 2nd night and were only seen from the top half of the country. I did manage to catch the Starlink satellite array that went up (the line of white dots in the middle right).

I went out to the backyard where it was darker but still didn’t see the lights. I’m not out in the middle of the dark golf course late at night often. Too many questionable critters lurking but I noticed how you could really see the stars on this clear night. The above was taken with my phone. One of these days I will get out here with my camera and tripod (maybe in the winter so I don’t get eaten alive by mosquitoes).