Around the yard in late May

On October 28, 2026November 4, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography3 Comments

Things blooming around the yard in late May include a shrimp plant, a sunflower trying to bloom in the front yard and my neighbor’s Siam tulip plant.

The leopard plant under the window blooms yellow and then turns into a seed pod that reminds me of those dandelion plants we used to blow.

Titmouse at the worm feeder.

A juvenile red bellied woodpecker was watching Mom get a worm from the feeder. This young one still hadn’t gotten his (or her) red on the back of the neck.

Blue jays can be annoying but they are pretty when they take a bath.

Black bellied whistling ducks were hanging around the newly formed rain puddle. I snuck out the back door to get these since they were across the fairway.

My neighbor got a new hummingbird feeder for Mother’s Day and a male ruby throated hummingbird was a constant visitor. I took this from my driveway.

A bunny stopping by the backyard for a bite to eat.

A moth taken through the window.

A male and female juvenile cardinal looking around the patio for bugs. They still have that scruffy look as their adult feathers grow in.

It was funny to watch them hop around under the patio chairs.

Squirrels being cute in the backyard. Although one keeps trying to climb up the bird feeder pole. Luckily that baffle stops him.

The sun shining on a storm moving out of the neighborhood.

Around the yard in early May

On October 14, 2026November 4, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography4 Comments

The shell ginger plants in the front yard were blooming in early May. I saw the hummingbirds feeding on them several times but was not able to get a picture from the window and if I went outside they would fly away.

House finches have become regular daily visitors to the backyard.

A young cardinal looking for bugs.

We still had a lot of northern parulas visiting the yard but they disappeared for the summer. I took the one in the window with my phone but when I went out to get a shot with my camera he took off.

Stubby, the tufted titmouse that is missing a foot, has become a regular visitor to the backyard. He looks for bugs on the ground, eats from both the seed feeder and the mealworm feeder and gets a drink from the bath. It’s hard to get a shot of him because he doesn’t sit still long. He grabs a worm and he’s gone. I can now spot him by the way he flutters his wings when he’s hanging on with one foot.

A pileated woodpecker high up in our oak tree. I was outside with my camera when I spotted him. He also doesn’t hang around very long.

The female ruby throated hummingbird sitting high up in the oak tree. She flies up to a few different spots after getting a sip at the feeder.

This guy was in the front yard with a snack.

Little critters included an underwing moth (I took with my phone through the window), an orchard orbweaver spider (We have a lot of these in the yard. They are harmless and eat bugs including mosquitos.) and a striped horse fly that I took outside and through the window (only the females bite and they are painful).

One morning a turtle was digging a nest in our backyard, right under our window. I took this through the window because I didn’t want to spook her. She dug a hole but then left without laying any eggs. She eventually made her way back to the pond on the other side of the fairway.

Summer skies from the backyard.

A cold winter morning at Chesnut Park

On May 23, 2026June 8, 2026 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography, Florida animals3 Comments

I briefly saw the 2 point buck when I got to Chesnut Park in early February.

There were lots of ladies in the back of the park.

I stood still waiting for these ladies to pass me. They were so close I took the above with my phone.

The only wintering birds I saw were yellow rumped warblers.

Titmouse are here all year long. They come close hoping for a handout.

It looked like winter when I looked up in the trees.

Ginger, the domesticated duck that was dumped at the lake a few months back, was still hanging around the dock and seemed to be doing well.

You can usually find purple gallinulles along the dock.

We only see coots in the winter. It’s funny to watch them eat the vegetation in the lake.

The sun was trying to peak out on this cold morning. The wind was blasting on the top of the observation tower and I could see ripples in the water.

Critters and blooms in late November

On April 4, 2026May 7, 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.