Delware birds

I want to wish everyone a very HAPPY & HEALTHY NEW YEAR. And to all the birders and ME (ha-ha), I wish many great bird sightings in 2012.




For my last Camera Critters post for 2011 I have some of the birds we saw last week in Delaware.
One of my main birds to look for at Cape Henlopen, Delaware are the Snow Buntings. In the winter they can be seen around the dunes at Cape Henlopen State Park.

Across the bay from Cape Henlopen Park we could see the Lighthouse at Cape May, NJ. The entrance to the Lewes/Cape May ferry is right next to Cape Henlopen State Park.

 I did see the Snow Buntings flying around the dunes. It was kind of funny, while we walked toward the point on the bay side I could see the Snow Buntings flying toward the ocean side of the point. So we walked around the point to the ocean side and again saw the Snow Buntings flying toward the bayside. I was beginning to think they were playing games with me, like my dog wanting me to chase her and play keep away. Well, I did not see the Snow Buntings on the ground but I did see two groups in flight. Another bird that can be seen at Cape Henlopen is the Brown Headed Nuthatch. I could hear these birds all around the Nature Center. Sometimes, they would land at the feeder take and seed and fly off quickly. As far as photos of both the Snow Bunting and the Brown Headed Nuthatch it was not happening on this trip.

My only Brown-head Nuthatch photo is a silhouette. You can see their cute little bill.

The white tailed deer could be seen from the nature center's parking lot.

The deer didn't seem to mind me taking their picture.

I had a tough time trying to focus on what I believe is a Cooper Hawk perched in a tree off the seaside trail at Cape Henlopen. Forget the bird, I think I did a good job focusing on the pine tree branches. LOL!

Two female House Finches were chowing down at the nature center's feeder. I was a worried that one of these house finches could have the eye disease.

We were not the only people at the beach we did see a couple of horseback riders and a fisherman driving his vehicle on the beach.

Please visit Misty Dawn's Camera Critters . Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun critter meme all year round. Being an animal lover, I have enjoyed visiting everyone's critter post. 

 I hope to see even more cute critters in 2012.

Thanks for visiting my blog and for commenting thru 2011. I appreciate all the visits and comments.

Happy New Year to everyone, Be safe and have fun! Happy Birding!!!

SWF>>>>Dewey, Delaware

I am linking up with Nature Notes  and NF Winged   and Skywatch Friday


Last Thrusday and Friday hubby and I took a quick trip to the Delaware shores for some relaxation and birding of course. Thursday we enjoyed a pretty sunset on the bayside of Dewey Beach, Delaware. Whibackyard sunset, Bay, birding, Buffleheads,le enjoying the sunset we watched a few Red-Breasted Mergansers and a group of Bufflehead ducks.

Walking up to the water we spooked these three Red-Breasted Mergansers.

Further out a larger group of Bufflehead ducks. I can make out the white dots on their heads.

Looks like the Mergansers were sailing away into the sunset.

We were happy to watch this pretty sky and beautiful reflection on the water.

Please visit Michelle's Nature Notes to see more beautiful nature photos and posts and to
 see more beautiful birds or winged critters check out NF Winged
and for beautiful skies from around the world please visit Skywatch Friday.

Thanks to all these wonderful hosts for providing these fun memes thoughout the year. Thank YOu for visiting my blog in 2011, I have had a great year birding and look forward to seeing more beautiful beautiful in 2012. Happy Birding!

 I wish everyone a very Happy and Healthy New Year. And I look forward to seeing more wonderful photos and post in 2012.

My favorite bird photos of 2011

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, I enjoyed Christmas and a delicious dinner with my family at my sisters house. I wish everyone all the best in 2012.......HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!

I am linking up with Mellow Yellow Monday  and Our World Tuesday and World Bird Wednesday

I had trouble choosing my favorite photos over my favorite birds. In this case of these photos are some of my better photos of some of my favorite birds all seen in 2011.

The Eastern Meadowlark is a beautiful bird and I saw this one on the same backroad as the Redhead Woodie below. It can be great to go birding on the backroads in Maryland.

In the Mosaic above I have my favorite photo of the Prothonotary Warbler I saw at Magee Marsh, Ohio. The Hooded Warbler I saw while hiking in Shenandoah, an Eastern  Meadowlark seen while driving the back roads in Maryland and a White-eye Vireo seen while hiking near my house.

My favorite juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron

In this mosaic I have my favorite photos of the juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron seen in a nearby rookery, three of the five Black Bellied Whistling Ducks that showed up in a lake in a Baltimore City park, the Clapper Rail seen at Edwin Forsythe near Atlantic City and the Virginia Rail seen during the Popular Island bird trip with my bird club.

The Black bellied Whistling Ducks are just the cutest ducks ever seen.

Above one of my better Osprey shots and a cool shot of a Chincoteague Island Bald Eagle, a closeup of a Chincoteague Pelican and a Barred Owl seen on the C& O canal bike trail, a Redhead Woodie seen while driving the back roads of Maryland and the Long-tailed Tropicbird seen in Bermuda.

Osprey seen at the Edwin Forsythe NWR

I really enjoyed watching these Long-Tailed Tropicbirds seen on Bermuda's Horseshoe Bay Beach.

Cool sighting and photo of the Barred Owl

I was happy to catch this eagle sitting in the sunshine.

The Redhead Woodie one of my favorite woodpeckers.

Thanks to Drowsey Monkey of Mellow Yellow Monday  and thanks to the hosting group at Our World Tuesday and thanks to Springman of World Bird Wednesday.  All these host have been just wonderful to support the fun memes and I really do appreciate them. I also want to thank everyone that stopped by in 2011 to see my post and for their lovely comments.

I hope everyone has a Happy and Safe New Years and  Happy Birding!!

A Ducky Christmas

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! I hope everyone's Christmas wishes come true!!


I am not sure if there will be a Camera Critters this week but I have my Just Ducky post just in case. A little late but you can check out some winged critters at NF Winged


Yesterday 12/23/11 was a mandatory furlough day for me so I decided to take Thursday as an extra vacation day so hubby and I could head to the Delaware shore. Taking advantage of the warm weather we had a great time walking on the beach and of course I was checking out all the birds. One of the stops we made was at the Silver Lake in Rehoboth Delaware.

The Silver Lake is designated at a waterfowl preserve. Silver Lake is home to various ducks, geese and year round freshwater birds. It is a 40 acre freshwater  lake located directly behind the Atlantic Ocean. One of the most common ducks we saw on the Silver Lake was the Canvasback. We had some great closeup looks too.

I believe the ducks coming in for a landing are the American Black Duck

The Canvasbacks have bright white sides, the male has a chestnut red head and a black bill. They pair up in late winter on ocean bays.

To see more beautiful critters please be sure to visit Camera Critters and thanks to Misty Dawn for hosting this fun meme. I also want to thank everyone who stops by to see my post and for the comments. And thanks to the host of NF Winged.

I hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Years.

Pileated Woodpecker

I am linking up with World Bird Wednesday  and Nature Notes

Last Saturday I was enjoying the sunrise and watching my yardbirds from my deck. I could hear the Pileated woodie towards the back of my yard before he started flying toward me.

I was able to take a small video of the Pileated. I am still practicing with the video on my camera so the Pileated is more of a silhouette but it is still a cool yardbird. Next I would love to see the Pileated woodie on my suet feeders. 

The Downy Woodpecker

The Redbellied Woodpecker

RedBellied Woodie and a Pine Warbler

The woodpeckers are some of my favorite birds. So far in my yard I have seen the Downy Woodpecker, Hairy Woodpecker, Redbellied Woodpecker, Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flickers, Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers. The only other woodpecker for this area that I have not seen in my yard would be the Redhead Woodpecker. The Redhead Woodie is being seen above where I live.... like in my sisters yard in Hanover Pa and below where I live in Baltimore County. I wonder if I can bring one home from my sisters on Christmas Day. Santa, can you hear me singing all I want for Christmas is a Redhead Woodie for my yard?

To see more beautiful birds check out World Bird Wednesday   and to
see more nature photos please visit  Nature Notes

Thank you to Springman for hosting World Bird Wednesday and to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.

I also appreciate your visits and comments. I wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a great week. Be safe and Happy Birding!!!! 

Birding Robert E. Lee Park

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I am linking up with Mosaic Monday  and Our World Tuesday

I was able to finish my Christmas shopping on Friday and my Christmas tree has been up for weeks. So, that left Saturday open for hubby and I to take a walk and to do some birding. I have been reading on my listserve for Maryland that Redheaded Woodpeckers and a Nutmeg Mannikin have been sighted at the Robert E. Lee Park in Baltimore. I have been wanting to visit this park ever since it was re-opened after being closed a long time for renovations. So this was my chance to see the park with the new boardwalk and new bridge near the dam and maybe to see some great birds. The newly renovated 415 acre park has multiple trails and nature programs, a dog park, pavillion, waterfrnt activities like canoeing and kayaking. The one acre fenced dog park seemed to be very popular. Goldie Girl would be very upset if she knew that we went to this park without her.

Sad to say I missed both the redheaded woodies and I could not find the Nutmeg Mannikin. I was not even sure what a Nutmeg Mannikin was, it sounds like a seasoning, LOL! I had to look up Nutmeg Mannikin to see what it even looked like. I found out it is native to southeast Asia and I have no idea how it arrived in Maryland. Previous posters listed this bird being seen with WT Sparrows and Song Sparrows. I did see the sparrows in the area near the boardwalk and maybe this Nutmeg Mannikin was there and was just hiding from me.

I did see a Belted Kingfisher, what looks like a Chipping sparrow, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and pretty bluebird. Other birds, seen were Cardinals, Titmouse, Redbellied Woodpeckers, Carolina Wren, Mallard ducks and a large group of crows.

Since, it so close to Christmas I thought I would show off my Christmas birdie ornaments. I hope you enjoyed my mosiacs. And to see more wonderful photos and mosaics please visit Mosaic Monday 
and Our World Tuesday.  Thanks to Mary for hosting Mosiac Monday and thank you to the hosting group of Our World: Sylvia, Gattina, Lady Fi, Arija and Sandy. 

I wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and for those who celebrate Happy Hanukkah.

El Nispero Zoo, Panama

I am linking up with Camera Critters


The El Nispero Zoo was included in our week tour of Panama. The zoo and botanical gardens are located on 7 acres and is home to 90 species of animals.  We saw exotic birds from Asia and Africa and tropical birds like the macaws, toucans and the parrots. The zoo also includes a center for the study of amphibians like the Golden Frog.

A male Wood duck and a Mandarin duck

I do not usually like taking photos of cages, but this rooster/chicken was really pretty.

I just love the look on this parrot.

The four Blue and Gold Macaws are my favorite, gorgeous birds.

This dude was a cutie.

The Golden Frog is listed as critically endangered. Some individual Golden Frogs have been collected to breed in captivity to preserve the species.

The research center is studying the bacteria resposible for the eradication of the Golden Frog

This Ostrich is saying goodbye and thanks for stopping by.

To see more cute critters check out Misty Dawn's Camera Critters.  Thanks Misty for hosting! Thanks to everyone for visiting my critter post, I everyone has a safe and happy weekend.