Saturday's Critters # 300

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

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!

Wow, 300 Saturday Critter linky parties! Thanks to all who participate! I do love the critters! I am sharing the birds in my yard. 

This time of year is a good time for bird watching right in my backyard. I am seeing various migrating warblers, local breeders Scarlet Tanagers, the Gray Catbird and my usual Cardinals and Nuthatches.

The following 4 photos are from Sept 9th. Sorry they are not the best photos, they were all taken from my dining room window. 

I am still seeing at least 2-3 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.

The Red-eyed Vireo has been hanging around the warblers eating the Devil's Walking Stick berries.

The Cape May Warbler like the berries too.

On Sept 10th, I watched the Scarlet Tanager, Gray Catbird, American Redstart and the Red-eyed Vireo all eating the berries.

The White-breasted Nuthatch is a regular visitor. 

The Red-eyed Vireo likes the berries too.

I think this is the female American Redstart. 

Two Scarlet Tangers eating berries, I think one is a female and the other is a juvenile.

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments !








Here is a list of my linky parties;

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

Happy Thankful Thursday!

Happy Thankful Thursday!

On our second full day in Iceland we took a tour of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula and National Park. The coast line is beautiful, we were able to hike a coastal trail with beautiful views of the ocean. 

The Snaefellsjokull Glacier is known as the crown of Snaefellsnes. Our guide told us, they may see a clear view 1 out of 10 times.. We were lucky this day, my traveling weather luck has held out so far. 

The coast line and rock formations are beautiful. Look at the pretty sky too. 

A lifer, the Eurasian Oystercatcher. 

Some shorebirds, like the Purple Sandpipers,  Dunlins and Turnstones were climbing around the rocky shore. 

Me and my shadow in Snaefellsnes. 

A seal being photobombed by a Common Eider. 

I had help with this bird below, another lifer the Redshank. 

More captures of the Common Eider.

More of the beautiful coast and sky. 

I hope you enjoyed my photos, I took over 400 photos on this day. I am sure I will be posting more on our Iceland trip! 


I am always thankful to see new birds and add to my life list.

** I am thankful for good weather on our trip.**** I am thankful for all your visits and comments. **


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.

Hello and Happy Monday! 

My recent blog break was due to our Sept 2-7 Iceland trip. We flew from Dulles Airport near Washington DC to the capital city Reykjavik, Iceland. Our first full day, we walked around the harbor and marina.  I really liked the design of the Harpa Concert Hall building. The Harpa Concert Hall looked beautiful lit up at night. This building was designed with the help of Danish-Islandic artist  Olafur Eliasson. BTW,  I am guessing the bird seen in the harbor is a Black Guillemot?

The statue walk, various sculptures were found around the city and the Tjornin Pond.  Some of my favorites were the first statue is a bureaucrat taken off it's pedestal, Boy and Girl against the lamppost, The Settler, The Mermaid and the next to last is called the Spell Broken by Einar Jonsson.

Below, the monument to the Bureaucrat. 

We walked the loop around the Tjornin Pond, seeing lots of Whooper Swans, ducks, Greylag Geese and Black-headed Gulls.  I still have to figure out my new birds or lifers seen on this trip. This was not a birding trip, a trip to see the scenery, waterfalls, glaciers and we saw the Northern Lights. The birds are a bonus and always a distraction for me. 

I noticed the coral bill and legs, I think this is the Black-headed Gull. 

I am pretty sure these are the Greylag Geese, a lifer. 

A lifer for me, the Whooper Swan. 

I could be wrong, gulls are confusing for me. Is this the Lesser Black-backed Gull?

In the middle of the pond, I nicknamed this little island Gull Island. 

My and my shadow saw lots of pretty flowers around the pond and city.

Iceland is the greenest country in the world. With geothermal heating, hydro-electricity from the waterfalls. It is a very green-living place, I wish our country would do the same. The USA came in a dismal 61st, Iceland is first and Switzerland is number 2. 

Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there. 

Thanks to Cath the host of Country Scapes

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 #299

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!


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!

I may be on my blog break, if so I will catch up with comments ASAP.



I am sharing some archived images, 3 Swan species that are found in the USA.  The first and most recent photo is of the Mute Swan seen at Bombay Hook NWR in Delaware. The Mute Swan is the easiest swan to id with it's orange bill. The Mute Swan is non-native in the USA. 

The second swan is native to Maryland the Tundra Swan. The Tundra Swan is seen in huge groups in the late winter months. My Tundra photo below was taken in Pennsylvania in the month March. 

The third swan is the Trumpeter Swan usually seen in the western states but sometimes can be found in Maryland. My Trumpeter photo below was taken in Washington State. The obvious difference between the Tundra and Trumpeter Swans is the size. The Trumpeter Swan is larger than the Tundra Swan, there is also a difference in bill shapes. I personally would need to see both swans up close to notice the bill shape. 

Random rants and in the news, for the critter lovers:

In the news, the EDF (Environment Defense Fund) is helping to restore 30,000 acres of Monarch butterfly habitat. The population of the western Monarch is down 86% last year. Habitat creation and conservation will help the Monarch along their migration pathway. The Monarch can travel an amazing 3000 miles to reach their winter home in Mexico. Some of the Western Monarchs will overwinter in Southern California where conditions are similar to Central Mexico. To stay warm tens of thousands Monarchs will cluster together on one tree. 

You can report your Western Monarch sightings here  .

I can count on my two hands how many Monarchs I have seen in the summer of 2019. The Monarch below seems to like our Buddleia or butterfly bush. The Monarch migration on the east coast is usually in October unless the weather gets colder earlier.

The biggest reason for the decline in the Western Monarch population is due to habitat loss and pesticide use across their range. Weather, such as heavy rainstorms and the wildfires also contribute to the population loss. Monarch population east of the Rockies seems to be doing better compared to the western population which is in a free fall. We can all help by planting milkweed and flower species that contain nectar and eliminate the use of pesticides.  












I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments !


Here is a list of my linky parties;

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

Happy September!

Happy Monday, Happy Labor Day!

I am on a blog break, be back son!

Comments off, enjoy your day and have a happy week!