Pets/Wildlife

Bonnie Caston, of Zephyrhills, snapped this ‘optical illusion’ photo — it appears the soft shell turtle’s head is coming out of the side of its neck. Maybe there is one turtle on top of another? In reality, only a single turtle was sitting by the water. 

John Black snapped this photo of a male and female Eastern bluebird in his backyard, in Land O’ Lakes. Nesting season has begun and Black has two bluebird boxes in his yard. This pair has already started building a nest in one of the boxes.

Dave Maynard captured this photo of a pileated woodpecker in San Antonio. The pileated woodpecker is one of the biggest, most striking forest birds on the continent. These birds whack at dead trees and fallen logs in search of their main prey (carpenter ants), leaving unique rectangular holes in the wood. On occasion, pileated woodpeckers will visit backyard bird feeders, especially for suet.

Katrina Stitt snapped this photo of a snowy egret at Anclote River Park. These egrets usually wade in shallow water to spear fish and other small aquatic animals. While they employ a sit-and-wait technique to capture their food, sometimes they are much more animated, running back and forth through the water with their wings spread, chasing their prey.

Medina (Mimi) and Abruzzi (Brewski) are both 17 years old and were found on their owner’s doorstep at 3 weeks old and scared. They both have brought much joy and they radiate sunshine when a family member is ill. Unfortunately, Brewski passed away recently due to diabetes, and his sweet little sister Mimi is very needy now. Their owner, Sharon Cantrell of Land O’ Lakes, said there are just no words for a pet’s love.

Christopher Horton, of Thonotosassa, captured this photo of a mourning dove at Lettuce Lake Conservation Park in Tampa. The mourning dove’s soft call, which gives the bird its name, is a sad-sounding ‘cooOOoo-woo-woo-woooo,’ and one of the most familiar bird sounds. Those unfamiliar with this plaintive, hooting vocalization often think they are hearing a Great Horned Owl or other owl species.

Buddy is 9 years old and the best little puppy in the world, according to his owner. This fluffy canine has had cataract surgery in one eye and also has diabetes — he has to have two vaccines a day. Buddy lives with Donna Guillaume, in Spring Hill, and makes her very happy every day.

Joanne and Gilbert Dionne, of Dade City, spotted several boat-tailed grackles at the Frank Howard Beach Park in Tarpon Springs. The birds eagerly watched the Dionnes as they ate lunch. The boat-tailed grackle gets its name from the way it holds its tail in flight — the tail feathers form a V shape, like the keel of a boat.

Koa is a 2 ½-year-old Golden Retriever. He was born in Hawaii and moved to Florida when he was 6 months old. His Hawaiian name translates to ‘strong and fearless,’ which he is. Koa is a typical Golden: He loves everybody, especially his owner. Koa loves playtime at the dog park with his pals, Bailey and Lucky. He likes apples, bananas and oranges, but not pineapples. For dessert, Koa gets a marrow bone. Koa lives in Land O’ Lakes with his proud owner, Mike Rouhas.

Brenna Hicks snapped this photo of a family of gallinules on East Lake in Lake Padgett Estates, in Land O’ Lakes. Common gallinules are swimming birds that frequently hold their wings up, so the wingtips stick up on the back. These marsh birds reside in freshwater or brackish marshes, ponds and lakes with a mix of submerged, floating and emergent vegetation and open water.