Cheryl Hagood

Cheryl Hagood Wildlife and nature photographer

I don’t do selfies often… but apparently a fresh haircut changes things 😄Took the new Subie out today because the weathe...
04/02/2026

I don’t do selfies often… but apparently a fresh haircut changes things 😄

Took the new Subie out today because the weather was just too good to waste…

and somehow I found myself at the plant store. Imagine that. 🪴

She fears neither wind nor sky. Falconer’s proverbMerlin**Permission to feature if you are a feature hub and I am follow...
12/05/2025

She fears neither wind nor sky. Falconer’s proverb

Merlin
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“She fears neither wind nor sky.” — Falconer’s proverbMerlinPermission to feature if you are a feature hub and I am foll...
12/05/2025

“She fears neither wind nor sky.” — Falconer’s proverb

Merlin

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Wild Florida never disappoints.Gators are super cool, but I rarely photograph them… mostly because they all look exactly...
11/21/2025

Wild Florida never disappoints.

Gators are super cool, but I rarely photograph them… mostly because they all look exactly the same to me. Same toothy grin every time.

But when this guy stepped out of the shadows, the light hit his face just right. And that reflection? I had to capture it.

Still water makes a moment look twice.

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They finally picked our box.After years of watching them come and go—curious but never committing—a pair of bluebirds ha...
06/02/2025

They finally picked our box.

After years of watching them come and go—curious but never committing—a pair of bluebirds has finally decided that our backyard is home.

They’ve chosen our birdhouse for their second clutch of the year (the first clutch they nested somewhere else), and I feel oddly honored by it. There’s something about bluebirds that’s always felt personal to me. I love them all, but these are my favorites.

And I have to say… this little mama is a machine.

She’s been working nonstop for the last four days. From sunup to sundown, she brings one piece at a time—sticks, pine straw, grasses—and builds it with such care.

Every five minutes, a new addition. All day long.

There’s a sense of urgency and purpose in everything they do. No overthinking. No hesitation. Just… doing what needs to be done.

And the male? He perches on top like her personal bodyguard. Occasionally flies in to inspect her progress, but he’s not carrying nesting material. Not that I’ve seen. She’s doing all the heavy lifting.

And that’s how it goes.

Once the eggs are laid and hatched, he’ll take over with most of the feeding. And after they’ve fledged, he’ll show them where to find food and water, how to use the birdbath, how to be a bird in the wild.

It is a beautiful thing to witness it up close. And I don’t take it lightly. It feels like an honor that they’ve chosen our backyard—our little corner of the world—as a place to raise their young.

I’ve already taken about 100 photos already and the pics below are just a few of them. So stay tuned.

But for now, I just wanted to share this little piece of joy from our backyard.

There’s really no place I’d rather be.
💙💙💙
Eastern Bluebirds, nesting, in my backyard. 🐦
….
photography

Still and alert.Fierce but focused.The wild has a quiet kind of power.He doesn’t make a sound.Just shows up with those f...
05/19/2025

Still and alert.
Fierce but focused.
The wild has a quiet kind of power.

He doesn’t make a sound.
Just shows up with those fierce orange eyes - and suddenly, the yard falls silent.

Even the boldest Blue Jays and Mockingbirds scatter when a Cooper’s Hawk is near. There’s no mistaking that kind of power.

“To be still and still moving—this is everything.”
~ Do Hyun Choe

Cooper’s Hawk

Photo taken in my backyard in northeast Florida.

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My first time photographing a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Caught this one at sunset at the Saint Augustine Aviary—great ...
02/26/2025

My first time photographing a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. Caught this one at sunset at the Saint Augustine Aviary—great light, striking details, and a bird that definitely knows how to pose.

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“Nature always wears the color of the spirit.”~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~.Painted Bunting, maleImage taken in my backyard in...
01/07/2025

“Nature always wears the color of the spirit.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson ~.
Painted Bunting, male

Image taken in my backyard in northeast Florida.

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Christmas is such a great time to think about all the blessings in our lives, and I’m so thankful for the love and joy y...
12/24/2024

Christmas is such a great time to think about all the blessings in our lives, and I’m so thankful for the love and joy you all bring to mine. Wishing you all a season filled with peace, laughter, and beautiful memories. Merry Christmas! 🎄❤️

Image taken in my backyard in northeast Florida.

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“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”~ Unknown ~.Green Heron, La...
10/03/2024

“Patience is not the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a good attitude while waiting.”
~ Unknown ~.
Green Heron, Lakeland, FL

Patience is definitely a virtue when it comes to photographing an action shot with a Green Heron! Whew! My arms and hands were so tired after waiting for what seemed like an eternity for the “strike”. How are they able to stay frozen for so long in that crouched striking position?!! His patience and laser focus finally paid off for him, and for me, too. Two pics, swipe ⬅️.
Green Heron, Lakeland, FL

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Jacksonville, FL

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