Pets/Wildlife

John Oddo, of San Antonio, is an avid amateur photographer and has a lot of wildlife in his community that he enjoys taking photos of, as is evidenced by his striking portrait of a little blue heron.

This sweet golden retriever joined the Smith family on Jan 29, 2021, when she was only 12 weeks old. Lady Sawyer Smith turned 1 year old last December, and enjoyed being pampered on her special day, with yummy treats and a doggie splash pad to cool off on hot Florida days. She loves long walks to the dog park, chewing on sticks, pup cups from the coffee shop, and jumping to catch ice cubes. Sawyer lives in Land O’ Lakes with her family – Kevin, Sherri, Colton, Eden, Addison and Carsen Smith.

Numerous recent nature sightings in his yard found Steve Vinik, of Wesley Chapel, grabbing for his camera, again. These whistling ducks seemed to be parachuting onto the ground at a nearby lake. Whistling ducks are more closely related to geese and swans than to a ‘true duck,’ because of their long necks, long legs, bone structure and erect stance.

Salem was adopted from the Humane Society and is 1 ½ years old. His owner adopted him the day before Halloween, so Salem seemed like the perfect name. Unlike most cats, Salem is very outgoing. He loves being around people and isn’t afraid to make new friends. Salem may be an all-black cat, but he is the opposite of ‘unlucky.’ Salem lives with his proud owner, Savannah Brotherton, in Wesley Chapel.

Lemon is a Weimaraner and is almost 12 years old. He loves sunbathing, treats, and attention. He is a great big brother to his three human siblings. Lennon is a part of the Kholikov family and lives in Seven Oaks in Wesley Chapel.

Mark McEachern originally thought there was a snake in this oak tree in his yard, when he saw a tail hanging down, only to find out it belonged to an opossum. McEachern lives on Lake Saxon in Lake Padgett Estates, in Land O’ Lakes.

Jake is a 3 ½-year-old loveable, friendly and photogenic boxer pit mix that happened to find his furever home after his owners went on a date night trip to the local 7-Eleven for a late night Slurpee treat. He has blended in smoothly with his doggy brother, Jagger, and big sis, Stella. Jake lives in Zephyrhills with his excited owners, Tonya and Slick Pollard.

This yellow-throated warbler visited the suet feeder in the backyard of Lillian Cucuzza, in Land O’ Lakes. These warblers may use bird feeders on occasion, but a landscape with native trees and shrubs can provide a habitat for them.

Harvey is a 9-year-old blue Merle Australian shepherd that spends his days chasing birds and squirrels (but never catching them) with his partner in crime, Leia, a miniature Aussie. Harvey is fond of carrying shoes around, and he likes to raid the recycling bin for chew toys . He also  loves to go for walks in his neighborhood. Harvey lives with the family of Dale and Debra Hamilton, in San Antonio.

This pair of red-shouldered hawks recently visited Robin and John Phillips, at their home in Valencia Gardens in Land O’ Lakes. Male and female red-shouldered hawks look alike. The hawks’ breeding season in Florida is January through May. Hawk pairs are monogamous throughout their life, but will find another mate if one dies.