Christina Evans
LightNews LightNews
banner
christinae.bsky.social
Christina Evans
@christinae.bsky.social
660 followers 390 following 77 posts
Nature photographer, graphic designer, Florida native plant gardener, bird lover/watcher, Friend of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve
Posts Replies Media Videos
christinae.bsky.social
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) male
On a lake in Clearwater in some very nice late day light. The colorful reflection in the water is from Bald Cypress trees as they go dormant for the winter. Love that it is duck season in Florida.
#birds #duck #naturephotography #Florida
Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) male, a mostly black duck with a light wing and a bright yellow eye and a purplish sheen on top of his head, floating on golden water in golden light.
December 3, 2025 at 4:16 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Happy Thanksgiving. Wild Turkeys (Osceola subspecies) photographed at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve SP in Florida.
#birds #turkeys #Thanksgiving #Florida #naturephotography
Three whimsical Wild Turkey toms displaying their feather tails, standing in the middle of a bright unpaved road that fades back into the distance. Script heading says "Happy Thanksgiving" and smaller copy near the bottom says "Where the rare is commonplace." (a tag line for Kissimmee Prairie Preserve in Florida.)
November 27, 2025 at 6:41 AM
christinae.bsky.social
The Lookout: Endangered Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens) in scrubby oak, keeping watch over their family at Lake Wales Ridge NWR/Carter Creek in central Florida.
#birds #Florida #naturephotography #photography #endangeredspecies
Side view of an alert Florida Scrub-Jay with bright blue head and tail and light white and gray breast and back, facing right and looking intently into the distance. Standing on a scrubby branch with small oak leaves, the bird has multiple bands on its legs, indicating it is being monitored due to the endangered status of the species. The background is nearly all white.
November 3, 2025 at 3:49 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Short-striped Hanging Thief (Diogmites esuriens) with Antlion Adult (Myrmeleon spp.) prey. Hanging from Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata). At Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, Sebring, Florida.
#robberfly #invertebrate #Florida #macro #photography
Short-striped Hanging Thief robber fly, a bizarre-looking reddish stripey insect with green eyes is hanging by one front leg from a plant leaf. It's holding an adult Antlion below it with its other reddish-orange legs. The antlion prey looks similar to a damselfly with a long dark abdomen and light, clear wings.
October 5, 2025 at 4:38 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Have seen a couple of Prothonotary Warblers (Protonotaria citrea) like this one in the yard lately. They are earlier fall migrants. Looking forward to seeing more birds come through soon.
#birds #warbler #naturephotography #Florida #nativeplants
Small warbler with a sharp beak, gray wings and tail and brilliant yellow head and top is hanging from a branch nearly upside down, peering out from beneath green leaves. Vertical format.
September 9, 2025 at 3:35 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Checkered White (Pontia protodice) female on Scorpionstail (Heliotropium angiospermum) Don't see these often in the yard, so it was a treat to get a few photos of a nice fresh one. So pretty.
#butterfly #naturephotography #invertebrate #Florida #yard
Vertical image of a side view of a butterfly, wings upraised with side light showing the wing veining in relief. Body and wings are white. Wings have some strong, nearly black markings, including rectangular boxes on the mid-forward wings. Outside wing veining and top of head is gold-ish, indicating a female. Butterfly is nectaring on a white scorpionstail flower head. Green background and some green leaves at the bottom.
August 11, 2025 at 3:32 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Singing Eastern Meadowlark (Sturnella magna)
Needed a meadowlark today. I never tire of seeing, hearing, and photographing them. From Kissimmee Prairie Preserve, Okechobee County, Florida.
#birds #naturephotography #Florida #KissimmeePrairie
Singing Eastern Meadowlark. A patterned brown and white bird with bright yellow breast and throat, black collar, black eye and forehead stripes. It's perched in profile on one of a few thin, bare sticks, facing to the right with an open beak as it sings. Green and tan Florida prairie background.
August 7, 2025 at 2:55 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Swallow-tailed Kite (Elanoides forficatus)
Spent time watching three of these graceful fliers along Scrub Pens Road in Highland County on the way home from Kissimmee Prairie recently. Photos really don't do them justice.
#birds #naturephotography #Florida #raptor
A Swallow-tailed Kite -- white-bodied raptor with a black forked tail and spread black wings -- flying toward the viewer. Green trees and shrubbery in the background. The bird has some plant matter and probably some kind of bug or other prey item in its talons.
July 31, 2025 at 1:51 AM
christinae.bsky.social
"Now what?!" Another bewildered owl from the class of 2025, wondering why no one is feeding them anymore. Day made by that adorable face. Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) youngster with Wild Coffee (Psychotria nervosa) and River Sage (Salvia misella).
#birds #Florida #photography #nativeplants
A very wide-eyed brown/gray Eastern Screech Owl youngster standing face straight on forward on a rough live oak branch, looking somewhat bewildered and disgruntled as if saying "Now what do I do?" Green Wild Coffee and River Sage leaves in the background and around it.
June 30, 2025 at 4:21 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) going for a snack on the backyard Elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis). Many of our backyard birds like elderberries.
#birds #nativeplants #Florida #backyard #naturephotography
A Northern Mockingbird hanging onto a the stem of Elderberry with its head down as it reaches into in the middle of the cluster of dark blue/black berries to get one. Many of the berries have already been eaten. The bird is gray with darker wing and tail feathers and a white underside and white wing bar. Its tail is up and over to the right of the image. The eye is gold. It is surrounded by green leaves.
June 27, 2025 at 3:15 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) Class of 2025
This little owl and I surprised each other when I opened the blinds to the front porch early Wednesday. He had been there overnight, and flushed to a SImpson's Stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans) nearby.
#birds #Florida #nativeplants #naturephotography
A gray/brown Eastern Screech Owl (Megascops asio) juvenile perched on a branch of SImpson's Stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans). It has interesting peeling bark. Green leafy background.
June 15, 2025 at 4:55 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus) male; yellow-shafted (obviously!) Migrating birds are mainly through here but still good birding in our back yard with this beautiful woodpecker.
#birds #naturephotography #Florida #backyard #nature
A male Northern Flicker (yellow-shafted) perched on a large tree snag. A good-sized brownish woodpecker with striking barred upper parts and a bright red nape back of the head. The black malar stripe indicates a male bird, and the bright yellow feather shafts are characteristic of this species in the east and north. (Western birds are "red-shafted")
May 23, 2025 at 2:03 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) male. Another pretty warbler from spring migration in the back yard.
#birds #naturephotography #Florida #warbler #birding
A perky male Common Yellowthroat perched on a small branch. He has a black mask bordered with light gray above it, a bright yellow throat and and olive-brown back. Below him is some bright green maidenhair fern.
May 18, 2025 at 10:58 PM
christinae.bsky.social
Northern Parula (Setophaga americana)
This is a really small warbler, but she came quite close while I was in the blind, so I filled the frame and got every tiny feather!
#birds #naturephotography #photography #Florida #warbler
Close up of a Northern Parula warbler perched on a branch. She is bluish gray with a bright yellow-green patch on the back, a yellow throat, white belly, white wing bars and white around the eye.
May 11, 2025 at 4:45 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) male
These are certainly among the most beautiful warblers, and we happily saw more than usual during migration this year.
#birds #Florida #photography #nature #warbler
A male Cape May Warbler in bright spring breeding plumage showing yellows, black breast streaks, a black cap, and rusty red mask on face. Perched in profile view on a thin branch on a green background.
May 7, 2025 at 4:23 PM
christinae.bsky.social
Black-throated Blue Warbler (Setophaga caerulescens) male
from the recent warbler show in the back yard. Always love to see these beauties.
#birds #photography #nature #Florida #warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler male showing the black throat and mask and blue back and forehead with a white belly and white wing patch. Perched on a slender branch with a sunlit green background.
May 3, 2025 at 2:04 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Cape May Warbler (Setophaga tigrina) male in Simpson’s Stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans). It has been a joy to see migrating warblers take advantage of blooming Simpson's Stoppers in the yard this past week. The fragrant flowers attract insects, turning it into a bug buffet.
#birds #nature #Florida
A colorful Cape May Warbler, with bright yellow breast streaked with black and a rusty red eye band, has its wings outspread as it flies in the middle of a green-leaved plant with small white flowers. It is in search of small insects and nectar.
April 25, 2025 at 2:50 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Louisiana Waterthrush (Parkesia motacilla) with yummy earthworm. I spent hours watching and photographing this sweet bird walking around the pond and in leaf litter looking for food — tail pumping up and down the whole time as they adorably do.
#birds #naturephotography #photography #Florida
A chubby, Louisiana Waterthrush, with a long, white supercilium above its eye and brown streaks on its white cream and buff breast, standing on a flat rock and holding an earthworm in its beak. Fallen oak leaves in the foreground.
April 14, 2025 at 2:55 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) getting nectar from the spectacular Florida native Coralbean aka Cherokee Bean (Erythrina herbacea) flowers at Kissimmee Prairie. Notice how she's both flying and perched!
#birds #photography #nature #nativeplants #Florida #pollinators
A bright flourescent green and turquoise Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the midst of brilliant tall red coralbean flowers with her beak buried in one to get nectar. Perched on a coralbean stem but with wings fluttering so fast they are a blur.
April 1, 2025 at 8:27 PM
christinae.bsky.social
A White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) perched between dives into the pond while splash bathing. Easy to see where the name came from. The pretty greenery is Maidenhair fern (Adiantum capillus-veneris).
#birds #photography #naturephotography #Florida #nature #nativeplants
A wet yellow and gray White-eyed Vireo perched on a twig in the midst of bright green, feathery Maidenhair fern. Showing how it got its name with a piercing gaze upward displaying the white iris.
March 27, 2025 at 4:17 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Prairie Warbler (Setophaga discolor). The time of year I like to sit outside in the backyard blind to photograph warblers and other migrating birdies. A nice break, but not from reality -- the way I see it, this is one of the most real things.
#birds #Florida #warbler #photography #nature
Prairie Warbler - A small, alert, bright yellow warbler with black streaks on its flanks, a black eyeline and semicircle below the eye. Perched on a twig with a green leafy background.
March 26, 2025 at 3:14 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Male Indigo Bunting (Passerina cyanea). I need to remind myself often lately -- the wonders and beauty of the natural world continue on, despite ugly current affairs of men.
#birds #naturephotography #photography #Florida #naturalists
A brilliant blue male Indigo Bunting perched on a thin branch and looks to the left with a bright yellow green background.
March 20, 2025 at 3:41 AM
christinae.bsky.social
Great Horned Owlet (Bubo virginianus)-- revisited the nest and the little fuzzy one is growing up quickly. Mom isn't staying in the nest anymore during the day but both parent birds were nearby keeping a close eye on things.
#birds #naturephotography #photography #Florida #nature
A fuzzy, fluffy Great Horned Owl youngster with yellow eyes in a nest of Spanish moss and twigs, surrounded by green leaves is looking out face forward.
March 16, 2025 at 5:38 AM
christinae.bsky.social
An adorable Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) allowed me to take photos of his bath in the back yard. Just what I needed at that moment. Hope you enjoy it, too.
#birds #naturephotography #photography #naturalists #Florida #warbler
Bright yellow Pine Warbler bathing in a shallow pond with stones and leaves. Feathers fluffed out and tail in water behind with his head turned back towards his tail.
March 11, 2025 at 4:26 AM
christinae.bsky.social
A closer view of the Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) -- mom with her fuzzy baby nuzzling her.
#birds #naturephotography #photography #florida #owls
Adult and smaller fuzzy baby Great Horned Owls together in a nest made of twigs, Spanish moss and leaves. The owlet is nuzzled in close to its parent, looking affectionate with their heads together and beaks nearly touching. Only one eye of each showing.
March 6, 2025 at 3:31 AM