Morning walk at Possum Branch Preserve.

Posted on July 14, 2020 by dinajohnston

The fields along the trail was starting to get over-grown in late May at Possum Branch Preserve. Once the grass gets knee high it’s a little creepy to veer off the trail and get close to the marsh.

Baby bluebirds hanging out in a dead tree. Looks like they were just learning to fly.

The usual.

This guy (male lesser scaup) should have already flown north by mid-May. Not sure why he was still hanging around but he wasn’t there the last time I was at the preserve.

The view from the edge of one of the ponds.

I stopped by the local eagles nest on the way home that’s in a utility tower. I was checking to see if I could see any juvenile eagles hanging around but only the adult was sitting on the tower. Any babies could have been gone by then.

Tiny critters in the flowers and the trees.

Posted on September 30, 2019 by dinajohnston

Lots of tiny critters in the flowers at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.

The squirrels were busy eating.

A young mockingbird sitting high up in the trees. Not many other birds out in early September.

A flock of anhingas go flying by overhead.

It was hot. The gardens were very quiet with only a few tiny flying critters but I got a good 2 hour walk in that morning.

Zoo Tampa in late July

Posted on September 23, 2019 by dinajohnston

Little critters at Zoo Tampa in late July.

Even though it was hot the gibbons were swinging back and forth and hooting.

Some of the other fun faces at the zoo.

A bird of paradise almost in bloom.

A cloudy almost rainy day is a good day to go to the zoo in late July. It’s too hot to go on a sunny day. Most of the animals were out moving around the morning I visited for a quick walk. There’s always something different there to see each visit.

Too hot for the birds

Posted on August 19, 2019 by dinajohnston

Little critters at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.

Not many birds in early July. A cardinal with a snack and a Loggerhead Shrike

As I was leaving the gardens, I saw this hawk up on a light post. I think this is juvenile Cooper’s Hawk.

I stopped for a quick walk around the boardwalk at Largo Nature Preserve but there wasn’t much there either. I think the smart birds went north for the summer. I found this green heron creeping around the boardwalk.

Flying things at Bok Tower Gardens

Posted on May 6, 2019 by dinajohnston

Little critters in the flowers.

Nothing new but not too common with the exception of the cardinal. The others are a prairie warbler, yellow bellied sapsucker (woodpecker) and the yellow throated warbler. I was hoping to find some other birds but I was a little too early for spring migration.

The best find of the morning was the bobwhite. I never see them where I live so this was a treat. He peaked out behind the bushes for a few minutes as I was walking down the trail and then ran back after a few seconds.

I drove over to Bok Tower Gardens in central Florida early in April for a long walk.

In Our Yard.

Posted on November 26, 2018 by dinajohnston

Late summer babies. Blondie came back in August with another new baby.

The usual critters in our yard during the past few months.

One day I came home from work and grabbed the mail from the mailbox that is on the side of our house next to the front door. This guy came out with the mail. I dropped the mail to the ground and was glad he didn’t land on me. I think I woke him up.

The muhly grass blooms pink in the fall. These started blooming in late October.

Different skies in the front and back yards.

Little critters on my walk

Posted on November 17, 2018 by dinajohnston

Little critters at the Largo Nature Preserve.

Lots of turtles around the lake.

I stopped by Safety Harbor fishing pier on the way home and saw a kiteboarder across the bay.

A quick walk around Largo Nature Preserve in September.

Lettuce Lake Park

Posted on November 6, 2018 by dinajohnston

Fun little critters at Lettuce Lake Park in late September.

The usual little birds were there including a prothonatory warbler, a yellow throated warbler and lots of titmouse.

Things growing on trees.

Linking to Wednesday Around the World.

Summer critters on summer flowers

Posted on October 8, 2018 by dinajohnston

Lots of little critters buzzing around at Lettuce Lake in August.

Not many birds but I did see a juvenile northern parula and a red-eyed vireo.

This was the last time I saw the swallow-tail kites, in mid-August. One was flying over the boardwalk. They all left town to head south for the winter.