A Walk in the Park... Literally

We went for a walk in the park a while ago, and I'm just now getting around to sharing some photos from that day. After living in the Tampa Bay area for just over a year, we thought it was about time we actually visit downtown Tampa instead of just making assumptions about it.

We were pleasantly surprised by the amount of activity in and around Curtis Hixon Park in downtown Tampa. Not to mention, I was excited by number of museums that surrounded the riverside park. Now I'm itching to get back downtown in order to visit the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts and the Tampa Museum of Art. We honestly had no idea what to expect out of Tampa, but we found a lovely little gem in Curtis Hixon Park and the museums that surround it.

{ We managed to find ourselves

some rather comfortable chairs }

{ this was when I still had long hair...

now it's super short ... for me at least }

{ how appropriate }

{ chameleon-esque portrait in front of the pretty wall }

Have you ever been to Tampa, Florida?

The RNC will be in Tampa in about a week, so we'll be staying away from downtown for a while.

Large crowds, long lines, and heavy traffic are something we're happy to avoid when we can.

Happy Monday!

Do you have any fun plans for this week?

Nerdy Bird

A birding we will go. A birding we will go.

Hi-ho the derry-o...

a birding we will go.

{ sung to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell }

Oh hey there!

Did you know that birding, or birdwatching, is one of my new favorite things to do?! Well it is.

I wasn't really joking when I previously mentioned { in this post here } that I might turn

into a binocular wielding, safari hat wearing bird stalker.

{taken while exploring the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary during our honeymoon in Florida in 2010 }

You had no idea I was this cool, did you? (:

This past week we spent some time at the John Chesnut Sr. Park. To my excitement, I discovered this park is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. Yes. There are parks/trails all across the state that make up this incredible network of prime birding locations. I'm still only a beginner, but it's exciting to know that Florida is a great place to support my new favorite hobby.

We met a woman, obviously more experienced at birding, who put some seed on the boardwalk railings in order to coax some birds out of the trees. Telling the birds "I will only shoot you with my camera" also seemed to ease their little birdie fears. Before I knew it, I was just a few feet from some curious little birds.

{ if you look closely you'll notice a seed that got tossed by this hungry little tufted titmouse }

 I mean... who doesn't love a bird with a 'mohawk'.

{ It's actually called a crest, but I love thinking of it as a bird mohawk. }

Growing up my family had a pied cockatiel as a pet, so maybe I'm partial towards the tufted titmouse because of it's cute little crest on its head. Either way I look forward to spotting some more elusive birds, like the painted bunting. Oh the excitement of becoming a birdwatcher! ;)

Do you enjoy watching birds as much as I do?

Apparently each year New Jersey host's the World Series of Birding.

This birdwatching is serious business, folks!