Saw an otter eating while checking on an owl

On January 28, 2013January 29, 2013 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography24 Comments

I stopped by a local park to see if the great horned owl was nesting yet. There she was looking like she’s been sleeping for a while.

The park was pretty quiet except for the normal ~~mallards~~ mottled ducks (thanks to Wally for the correct ID. We get a lot more mallards than mottled here.)

And boring old warblers.

I saw this cormorant swimming way too close to the alligator.

Then I heard some commotion in the reeds near me and saw an otter with a fish. He saw me looking at him and moved around to the other side of the reeds where I couldn’t see him.

I moved around to the other end of the boardwalk and was able to see him but he was into the sun. He chowed down on that big fish for a few minutes before taking off.

Just a few things on my walk around a small park recently on a Saturday morning. I’ve seen otters there before but usually down in a little creek and they don’t hang around for a second. The above was out in the open lake but wanted to eat his fish in peace. After that last shot, he disappeared. I looked for him for a while but no sign of him again. I’m keeping my eye on that owl. Last year she had two babies so hopefully I’ll be able to watch more babies grow up this year.

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A morning in a cemetery – Skywatch Friday

On January 17, 2013January 8, 2013 By dinajohnstonIn Atlanta, bird photography6 Comments

It wouldn’t be a day out in nature without seeing some squirrels.

Blue jay keeping an eye on me.

I think this is a chipping sparrow? They were all over the cemetery.

Getting a drink from an empty planter.

Robins were everywhere.

Mockingbird on a cross.

A warbler in the bushes.

I could hear this carolina wren singing all over the cemetery.

Flowers were still blooming.

You can see the capital from across the cemetery.

Even though it was a little cold, it was a beautiful morning. The sun came in and out all morning. Nothing like spending a little time in a cemetery right before Christmas. I’m sure the people there thought I was crazy with my long lens taking pictures of birds. I’ve always said “Cemeteries have good birds.” Even in downtown Atlanta. I was surprised to see so many birds there. I didn’t see the red-headed woodpeckers that I had seen on my last 2 trips there. They may have been hiding. I thought I’d only be there an hour and then go somewhere else, maybe the zoo close by but ended up staying 3 hours.

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My first visit to Cockroach Bay – Skywatch Friday

On November 29, 2012November 29, 2012 By dinajohnstonIn bird photography13 Comments

When I started walking down the trails, I didn’t notice the pink at first. It was only when I turned around and saw the sun coming through the plants that I noticed the color. The trails were covered in this.

I saw this kingfisher hovering over a pond across the trail.

I think this was a yellow rumped warbler. The trail was full of these little guys.

Red shoulder hawk sitting on the wire across the road.

At the top of a small mound, you could see Tampa from far away. I was at least an hour away from the city.

I had heard about Cockroach Bay for several years but never made it there until recently. I went looking for the red-breasted nuthatches that had been sighted there but did not find them. I was joined by several other birders and all we found were tons of yellow rumped and pine warblers. The trails were pretty quiet that morning. It reminded me a bit of my favorite place, Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland. Since I have to drive the long way around the bay, it took me longer to get to Cockroach bay so I’ll probably not head back there too often. Didn’t see any cockroaches there. The story is that early explorers saw the horseshoe crabs from a distance and thought they were big cockroaches. The name was never changed.

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