Happy Thankful Thursday!

 Happy Thursday!  

Hubby and I enjoy our local walks on the near by fire roads. On this day we walked for a little over 2 miles round trip from our house. I had some luck finding birds at what was once a clear cut area in the forest.  The Yellow-billed Cuckoo were seen out in the open, eating the tent caterpillars.  We also saw 20 or more Cedar Waxwings and a juvenile or female Scarlet Tanager.  On this day I had that deja vu feeling, maybe because previous years we had the same bird sightings during a similar walk.

1. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, we saw at least 3 of these birds during our walk.  One has a tent caterpillar in it's mouth.

2. I watched a flock of Cedar Waxwings flying around us, a few times I caught them sitting on top of a tree branch, one photos has a juvenile or female Scarlet Tanager with 2 Cedar Waxwings.

 

3. Adult Cedar Waxwing

 

 

Gratitude turns what we have into enough. We are thankful for pretty sky days and lovely weather. My prayers go out to all in the areas with the wildfires. It is so sad to see so much loss and devastation..

4. Below is the Great-crested Flycatcher, middle photo is a possible Tennessee Warbler and Red-eyed Vireo on the bottom photo.

 

 5. Cedar Waxwings, there are 2 on one branch and the Scarlet Tanager is below on the right side.

6. I was happy to see this Yellow-billed Cuckoo out in the open a few times.

 

7. Another one of the 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo that we saw during this one walk.

 

 

 For Martha's Throwback Thursday and Skywatch Friday. I am sharing the following 3 photos from my archives. A  view of some fall colors of our nearby reservoir and a sunset at the Prettyboy reservoir. A photo of our Goldie Girl, she is missed . 

8. Some fall trees and sky reflecting at Prettyboy.

9. Prettyboy sunset, you can be blessed just being in the right place at the right time. 

10. Sky reflecting at Prettyboy reservoir.

I am thankful for my archived photos of Goldie Girl, she was loved and is missed.  We remain thankful to be virus-free and healthy.

 I hope everyone takes care and stay safe. 

Live simple and be happy!  😊 Take care, keep smiling!


Thank you to Martha  @ Throwback Thursday linky  
and her Seaside Simplicity
Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday


Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!!

Our World, My World

 Happy Monday,

RIP Ruth Bader Ginsberg!! She fought for the equality of all people! She will be dearly missed.  

Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you." Ruth Bader Ginsberg

 

So here we are, just past the middle of September, it is Warbler time. If you are a birder,  finding the warblers and id-ing them in the fall can be a challenge.  I was lucky to see migrant Warblers in my backyard. They love the berries on the Devils Walking Stick also known as Aralia spinosa. We have several of these trees in our back yard, they can grow 10-15 ft tall, it has sharp spines on the bark, white summer flowers and dark purple berries. 

Below are 3 Cape May Warblers seen in my yard, the top photo may be the juvenile, the middle photo is the female and the bottom photo is the more colorful male Cape May Warbler. These photos were taken on Sept 12 and Sept 15th. 

 

 

I am sharing some more of the warblers I saw moving around on the Devil's Walking Stick.

This photo has 3 warblers, if you can find them.

This is a Tennessee Warbler, looking at all those berries. This bird is a vibrant yellow-green,  with a white eyebrow and undertail it also has a sharp bill.

The Northern Parula is a breeder in the forest next to our house, so we can hear and see them all summer.  The Northern Parula has a beautiful yellow throat and breast which is separated by a rufous band. This bird also has white eye arcs. The female is less colorful. 

Another look at the beautiful male Cape May Warbler.

 

For the bird and nature lovers, many of us are concerned and wondering why hundreds of thousands of migratory birds are being found dead this month in New Mexico. Could it be due to the smoke and all the wildfires? This is a link to an article in the New Times Migrating birds found dead

 I also read on facebook a number of migrating warblers were found dead at Sandy Hook in New Jersey. From the west coast to the east coast, what could be killing all these birds?

This news is so sad, after hearing of past reports that billions of birds are disappearing in the US and Canada. This is an article from Cornell millions of birds are disappearing. In my lifetime 1 in 4 bird species are disappearing. Some people may not care about birds/animals and just say it does not affect me.  I think about the saying "canary in the coal mine".  I think this huge loss of birds is a danger warning. Something needs to be done.

 

We are hanging in there,  happy and healthy.   I hope everyone is safe, happy and healthy. 


What's happening in your corner of the world? Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there.


 
Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks for visiting and commenting, have a happy day and a great new week!

 

Saturday's Critters # 353

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

Hello and happy Saturday!


If you love all God's creatures like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!


In past years I have seen many migrating warblers in my back yard, they love the berries on the Devils Walking Stick tree.  Here are some of the birds I have seen. Sorry the photos are not great, they were all taken through my dining room or kitchen windows.

 

 

Sept 12, 2020 Cape May Warblers,  top photo is most likely a juvenile, the bottom photo could be the female. 

 

 

 

The breeding female Cape May Warbler has the yellow on the cheeks and mixed with the chest stripes. 
 

 

 

Sept 12th, Scarlet Tanager, female or possibly the 1st year male.

 

 

 

The Scarlet Tanager, yellow with black wing bars.
 

 

 

 

 

Another Warbler seen on Sept 12th, I believe it is the Tennessee Warbler.

 

 I missed going to the shore to see the migrating shore birds but I was able to enjoy seeing the fall migrant warblers right in my back yard and on the local fire road near my home. 






Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post.


Here is my linky:

 

 

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the host Anni.

Happy Thankful Thursday!

 Happy Thursday!

I am thankful to see some migrating birds right in my back yard.  The warblers love to eat the berries off of the Devil's Walking Stick also known as Aralia spinosa .  The birds also catch a lot of bugs that hang around the blooms. 

Early September, I had a quick look at a Black-throated Blue Warbler. It was seen jumping around on our butterfly bush. I think it was catching bugs. He is hiding behind a part of the bush.  I can see it's white belly and some of the black-throat and a white spot on it's back wing. He landed on my deck railing for a short bit, I wasn't able to take a clear shot.

For Martha's  Throwback Thursday: I am sharing 2 archived photos of the Black-throated Blue Warbler eating the berries from the Devil's Walking Stick in our yard.  Photo below is from Sept 22, 2018.

I am thankful for nature, it is a treat to see these beautiful birds in my back yard.

Oct 8, 2013, a Throwback Thursday image of the Black-throated Warbler seen in our yard. 

  On Sept 9th, I started seeing more Fall Warblers show up in my back yard.  Below are photos taken through my windows of  the Magnolia Warbler.  The Magnolia Warbler has a gray face and eye ring, streaked underparts. 

 

I am going back and forth on id of  the bottom bird, the fall warblers, male and female can look so different. Is it a Pine Warbler, the little bit of rusty look side and white eye ring are throwing me off my guess.

I do not mind being corrected if I am wrong about my id's. 

 

Edit: thank you to both David and Sondra for the id of my second bird, it is a Bay-breasted Warbler. 

Sept 12th photos are from a recent walk on the local fire road. The top left and middle photos are the female and male American Redstarts, top right is the Black and White Warbler,  Bottom left is a Cardinal, middle bottom is looking up at the underparts of an American Redstart and bottom right is a Eastern Wood Pewee. They are all hiding behind branches and leaves, these images are mainly just for a record of the birds we saw that walk.

 

 

 My skywatching has taken place right in my backyard. The following two photos were taken just seconds apart. Thankful for colors!  The colors in the clouds changes quickly. 

I am always thankful for the simple joys: the birds and pretty colorful skies. 
My thankful list for September: happy memories, a joyful and a peaceful life, our home and the fall season.

Take care and stay safe! 


Live simple and be happy!  😊 Keep smiling!

Thank you Martha for hosting Throwback Thursday 

Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday


Thank you for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!!  😊

Our World, My World

 Hello, Happy Monday everyone!

This is what's happening in my world, LOL nothing too exciting. We are healthy and safe, that's important.  If we are not driving to a local park we can be found hanging out at home,  around the yard or enjoying a walk on the near by fire road.  


Our plants on the deck are still blooming nicely. From my dining window I can watch the hummers at the red Salvia and they love the Lantana. The Basil did not do well but we are enjoying the Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and Parsley which are all kind of hidden by the blooms in front.

 

In the distance are the butterfly bushes and a little further back in front of the pine trees is the devils walking stick tree.

The Crepe Myrtle is looking pretty on the top left, the Spirea top middle photo has made a come back after being smashed by a pine tree falling. The Morning Glory, top right is growing nicely along the fence. I am still seeing a few Hummingbirds at my feeders.   The photos at the hummingbird feeders always look the same. 

Various images of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, I am still seeing 2-3 of these cute birds in my yard.  I will miss them when they all leave and head south. 

 

 

 

The morning glories are growing well on the fence. 

There has been a few times I looked out my window and watched this Eastern Wood PeWee in the back of our yard. It would fly up once in a while catch a bug and then go back and sit on the same branch. 

The Crepe Myrtle has pretty blooms, blooms that attract bugs and the bugs are food for the birds. 

Images are from our recent walk on the local fire road, the sun looked pretty shining through the trees, me and my shadow and an Ovenbird was watching us.

Seen on Sept 5, the Ovenbird is a breeder in our local forest, I have seen and heard many these Ovenbirds all summer long.

Me and my shadow are taking a walk on our local fire road.  

A view of the fire road and forest. 

We are hanging in there,  happy and healthy.   I hope everyone is safe, happy and healthy.  


What's happening in your corner of the world? Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there.


 
Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks for visiting and commenting, have a happy day and a great new week!