Around the Yard, March

Hello, Happy Monday!

We have had some crazy weather lately, one day it was beautiful and in the 70's. Then the temps dropped back down to the 40's and 20's at night.  I was able to snap some photos from our deck or the dining room window of the Great Blue Herons. I see them often walking on the tree branches trying to break off pieces to take back to their nest. As far as I can tell there may be 8 heron's nest, maybe more in the neighboring trees. 


I took this Great Blue Heron photo from my dining room window. 

One day we took a walk on our local fire road, The Pileated Woodpecker did a number of holes in a tree near the trail, you can make out a small bit of lake from the fire road. There are some daffodils growing the woods across from our driveway and the heron's nest can be seen from the fire road. 

This is just a 1.1 mile walk from our house to this spot on the fire road. 

The Great Blue Heron seen breaking off branches for it's nest. 

Here is a Great Blue Heron flying back to the nest, if you look closely you can see a heron sitting on the nest far bottom middle part of the photo. 

I've been hearing the Pine Warbler in the forest next to our house, this male Pine Warbler visits my feeders often. The Pine Warbler is a breeder in the forest next to our home. 

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.


Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!

Check out the links, I hope to see you there. Thanks to the hosts today. Enjoy your day and new week.


As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

Saturday's Critters #274

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!

These are some of my yard bird visitors from Feb 24th up to March 6th. For a couple of days my yard was filled with Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds. 

Another day I saw 8-10 Purple Finches, the females outnumbered the males. 

The pretty male Purple Finch. 

Male and female Purple Finches

I also saw a few Pine Siskins.

Below is a Pine Siskins and the American Goldfinch for comparison. The Pine Siskin has a pop of yellow in it's wing and tail feathers. 

Of course I saw my regulars, which were the Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Nuthatches,  Purple Finches, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Junco. 

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






Here is a list of my linky parties;

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

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Happy Thankful Thursday

Hello,

Happy Thursday, I hope everyone has something to be thankful and or grateful for  today!


I am Thankful, Grateful and Blessed for each day !

Hubby and I took a walk Mar 11th on the local fire road to the lake, I wanted to see if last year's Eagle nest was active. 

Across the lake, I can just barely make out the white head of the Bald Eagle on the nest. 

"I am most alive among the tall trees". unknown

Our local lake, Prettyboy Reservoir. 

Not sure of these are two eagles, the bottom one is definitely a Bald Eagle I can make out the white head. Not sure about the top bird, could be a hawk that the eagle was chasing away from the nest? Or possibly a juvenile eagle from last year. 

"Nature is not a place to visit, it is home." unknown

On the same morning, from our deck I watched 6 or more Great Blue Herons chasing each other and landing in different trees in the woods across from our house. I think each heron found their old nest from last year. 

I am thankful that each spring these Great Blue Herons return to our neighborhood to nest. 

I am thankful for nature, all good things are wild and free. 
I am thankful to live so close to the lake, to enjoy the Herons and Eagles.
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


Happy Thursday, enjoy your day!

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

Around the Yard

Hello and happy Monday!

Is it just me, March is marching right along. We have had some kind of precipitation, rain, snow and the icky mix all winter. Last year was a record year for rainfall. I think it was 72 inches recorded at BWI airport,  some areas had more like 80 inches.  2018 was the wettest year since 2003. It seems like 2019 got off to a wet start too, very cold too. These are some images from around my yard, mostly taken in late February and some early March. 

Various shots of our deck, I was shoveling the snow off the deck every couple of days. It wasn't deep snow, just a couple of inches or so. 

The view around my yard and deck. Our nice neighbor helped us by plowing our driveway on this day, After the snow stopped, we started seeing some pretty blue sky, the trees in the yard and in the woods next to our place were covered with snow. The last photo is taken from my window looking at the driveway and into the forest. 

On March 9th, I saw my first Great Blue Heron landing in the tallest pine trees in the photo below. There has been a Heron rookery in these trees for the last 8-10 years. I guess this heron sighting is a sign spring is coming soon to our neighborhood. 

The sky is clearing after a snow storm March 4th.

The moon or February Super Moon taken from my deck on Feb 19th. 

We had a cloudy day and night during the February Super Moon. 

The male cardinal has taken over the job (from the Screech Owl)  of banging into my den window.  Crazy bird, I have decals all over the window, it does not help. 

I enjoy watching the birds out my dining room window. The cardinals spook easily, so I do not go too close to the window. 

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.


Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!

I hope to see you there. Thanks to the hosts today. Enjoy your day and new week.


As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

Saturday's Critters #273

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!


On our way home from Ocean City, Md we took a detour to the Blackwater Nat'l Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge Md. We drove the wildlife drive twice, seeing many Bald Eagles, Canada Geese, Snow Geese. Tundra Swans and various ducks.  

Below I see the Tundra Swans, Canada Geese and a few Northern Pintail ducks. 

One lone White Pelican greeted us close to the wildlife drive entrance. 

A distance out on the river, the Snow Geese. 

We saw a lot of Bald Eagles, it was hard getting all in one photo this shot shows 2 adult Eagles. We counted 6 Bald Eagles in this one area all just sitting in the trees. 

This Great Blue Heron had a mouthful of fish.

Adult Bald Eagle and a juvenile Bald Eagle on an old Osprey nest.

We saw many bald Eagles on the nest, this nest below looked huge even from a distance. 

A Bald Eagle takes off after seeing the Snow Geese take off. 

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 Saturday, enjoy your weekend!