Birdwatching & Skywatching

It's time to link up with some of my favorites memes Watery Wednesday II , Skywatch Friday and  NF Winged

My skywatch is a beautiful sunrise we watched while on a birding outing at a local park here in Maryland. This was another wild goose chase I am still looking for the Common Redpolls being seen in Maryland. I missed the Redpolls but the sunrise was worth the visit to the park. We did see lots of gulls and some Scaup, which I believe are the Greater Scaup. Let me know if you think I am wrong on my Scaup id.

 

I love this tree silhouette with the sun rising.

This was one of my favorite shots, with the sun rising and the gulls in flight.

For my NF Winged contribution I am showing the Greater Scaups and below I have a shot with two Goldfinches and one Pine Siskins. The last two have been regular visitors to my deck and feeders.

 I read in my field guide that the Greater Scaup has a round head and the Lesser Scaup has a peaked rear crown. I think these Scaups have the rounded heads.

 

Back at home, here is a shot of two American Goldfinches and one Pine Siskin. They are the same in size but I thought it is a good comparison shot. I hope you enjoyed my post this week.

To see more beautiful photos please visit  Watery Wednesday II  
and pretty skies Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

Thanks to Tricia for hosting Water Wednesday II, Sylvia and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to the host of NF Winged.  Also, thank you for stopping by to see my post. I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.

Bombay Hook Birds

 I am linking up my  post with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

 So far I have only posted the Snow Geese from Bombay Hook NWR. But, I took a lot of photos during our last visit to Bombay Hook wildlife refuge. Some of my favorites were the Hooded Mergansers and one of my better Great Blue Heron shots.

Hooded Merganser couple

I love the colors and the reflections in the shot above and this Hooded Merganser couple look so cute together. And I love the "do" on the female in the front.

More of the Hooded Mergansers.

Here is one of the male Hooded Mergansers by himself. The female is not too far off.

I tried to catch all of four of these Hooded Mergansers together but they went their separate ways.

 

This is one of my favorite photos of the day, a Great Blue Heron hunkered down from the cold. I like the colors and the dazed looked in the heron's eyes.

To see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.
I wish everyone a happy week ahead and Happy Birding!

Winter Walk

 I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday

Saturday, hubby and I took a walk on our local NCR bike trail, it was a cold day with lows in the 30's. The snow we had the day before will be hanging around with temperatures this low.

My Goldie Girl does not seem to mind walking in the cold snow.

The Gunpowder River was frozen in spots and birds were scarce. I did see five or six Eastern Bluebirds, too shy for a photo. Some Tufted Titmouse high up in the trees.

And a cute Brown Creeper. The Brown Creeper blending in so well with the tree, can move along quickly. Those dang branches are always getting in my way, this was the best shot I could get of this cute Brown Creeper.

In several spot we noticed icicles hanging on the rocks along the trail.

It was a beautiful day, the sky was clear and blue.


I had more birds back in my yard. The Cardinals seem to be a popular winter bird. They look so pretty with a snowy background.

 Oh well, not a good birding outing but it was nice to take a walk and leave the house for some fresh air and exercise. I hope everyone had a great weekend and are staying warm on these cold days. I am not really a winter lover so I am looking forward to Spring.

Join in on the fun for more wonderful photos and mosaics please visit Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday
 Thanks to Mary of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy .  Thanks also for stopping by to see my post.  I wish everyone a happy week!

My feathered friends

I am linking up with  Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.

These are some shots from Thursday and Friday. On Thursday we woke up to a light dusting of snow on the ground. We were supposed to be heading for the Jersey shores on these two days but the forecast of snow and such cold weather changed our minds. Also, me waking up with one of my three day migraine would not have been cool. So we stayed home. I did not go out of the house I watched my backyard birds. And when it snows my feathered friends go into a feeding frenzy.  It is great because I get to see the birds up close. So here is an assortment of my yardbirds. The dusting of snow disappeared quickly.

The Dark-eyed Junco is one of my winter visitors and they have been plentiful the last two days. The Juncos look cute sitting in the pine tree they remind me of Christmas ornaments.

More tree ornaments a White-throated Sparrow and a Tufted Titmouse.

A regular visitor is the Redbellied Woodpecker.

One of my many Bluejays.

A pretty female Cardinal.

A cute Carolina Wren. Friday afternoon the forecast was calling for 1-3 inches. It was really coming down at times.

A pretty male Cardinal.

Pine Siskins are around in big numbers the last two days. I hope you enjoy my feathered friends.

To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit:   Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.

If you would like to see some scenes other than my birds you can check out my other blog and scenes from my travels: travelwitheileen

Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I wish everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

Duck, Duck Goose!

It's time to link up with some of my favorites memes Watery Wednesday II , Skywatch Friday and  NF Winged

These are shots from last weekend and our trip to Bombay Hook NWR in Delaware. I took a lot of shots of the Snow Geese and other ducks seen at Bombay Hook.

It was a beautiful day to be out, the skies were blue and clear. And at times the sky was filled with Snow Geese!

The first Snow Geese we saw landed on this field. This view is a common scene around the Bombay Hook NWR.

This shot above shows just how large the flock is, my photo is not showing able to show all the Snow Geese.

Coming in for a landing, make way for me.

I enjoyed watching these Northern Shovelers following each other in a row.

A view of one of the ponds at Bombay Hook, the sunlight was reflecting across the water.

When we first arrived at the refuge there was ice and the geese and ducks were skating on sections of the pond.

I am not sure why my photo has these red spots, maybe a reflection from the car window. I kind of like how this photo turned out.

The sun was heading down as we left the wildlife refuge. I hope you enjoyed my ride around the wildlife refuge.

To see more beautiful photos please visit  Watery Wednesday II  
and pretty skies Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

Thanks to Tricia for hosting Water Wednesday II, Sylvia and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to the host of NF Winged.  Also, thank you for stopping by to see my post. I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.

Crested Caracara

 I am linking up my  post with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

More from my archives..the Crested Caracara is a bird of prey and is in the family Falconidae. I am not sure who reads different state listserves for birds that are being seen. But, it appears a Caracara has made it to New Jersey and is being seen near Cape May. So, I was reminded of the Crested Caracara I have seen on my previous trips. I wanted to share my Crested Caracara with my followers who might not know what this bird looks like.

The Northern Crested Caracara seen during our trip to Curacao.I believe these birds are also seen in the Texas area of the United States.

They kind of remind me more of a Turkey or Black Vulture than a bird of prey. I did read they are kind of sluggish and can even be scavengers. The shot above was taken during my trip to Costa Rica. Not the best flight shot but I thought is was neat to see two together.



To see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.
I wish everyone a happy week ahead and Happy Birding!

Let it Snow

 I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday

Let it Snow, Snow Geese that is!

My long holiday weekend got off to a great start yesterday, hubby and I went to Bombay Hook Wildlife refuge in Delaware. The sky was beautiful, temps were in the low 50's a perfect day to do the wildlife drive. On the road into the wildlife refuge we were treated with possibly a thousand or more Snow Geese landing in the field next to the road.

The adult Snow Geese is white with black primaries which is visible in flight.

The Snow Geese winter in fields and marshes of the US.

I pull over off the road and we watched as more and more Snow Geese landed in the field next to the road. Their sounds getting louder and louder

After they land the Snow Geese look like a blanket of snow covering the ground.

Let it Snow, let it Snow Geese!

Seeing the Snow Geese was the highlight of the day, even though we saw many sparrows, bluebirds, ducks, eagles, herons, swans and hawks.

To see more wonderful photos and mosaics please visit Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday
 Thanks to Mary of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy .  Thanks also for stopping by to see my post.  I wish everyone a happy week!

More backyard skies

It's time to link up with my favorites memes Skywatch Friday and  NF Winged.

Gee, I am coming up with some of the best titles.  But, that it is just what I am posting... my evening sky from this past weekend and some more backyard birds.  The one good thing about my yard is I do see lots of birds. I am combining my NF Winged post with my Skywatch Friday , so I hope you do not mind seeing my birds and skies.

This is a shot taken from my dining room window, a pretty female Downy Woodpecker.

I love this shot of the White-throated Sparrow.

This shot was from this past Saturday, the sky was mostly clear but some pink clouds appeared in the west. Of course after Saturday we have had fog, rain, cloudy skies and more rain.

So, these are the last of my pretty skies from my backyard for this week anyway. I hope the weather is better over the coming weekend. It is a long holiday weekend I am off Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday.


To see more beautiful photos and pretty skies please visit Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

Thanks to Sylvia and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to the host of NF Winged.  Also, thank you for stopping by to see my post. I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.

Pelicans..White & Brown

 I am linking up my  post with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

Other then seeing my yardbirds I have not been anywhere for birding, sad but true. So, I am pulling some photos from my archives to do a post on the Pelicans.  They are one of my favorite birds to see, the Brown Pelican is more common for me to see here on the Maryland beaches. During my travels to Wyoming, I have seen the White Pelicans in both the Grand Tetons and in Yellowstone National Parks.


The White Pelicans nest in colonies on lakes, on marshes and in the winter can be found in sheltered saltwater bodies.

The White Pelican rivals the Trumpeter Swan as the largest bird native to North America.

The plumage is most white except for the black that only show up while they are in flight.  The White Pelican forages for food by scooping fish and other prey while swimming.

This White Pelican was seen in Tetons National Park. But, the White Pelicans can and have been seen in Maryland. One place being the Blackwater National Wildlife refuge.

 This is a juvenile Brown Pelican, adult plumage in seen in their third year. Unlike the White Pelicans, the Brown Pelicans plunge dive for fish.

Cropped shot of one adult Brown Pelican with three juveniles.

They are cool to see in flight, they kind of remind me of a prehistoric bird. I have seen the Brown Pelicans up and down the Atlantic Coast from Maryland and south, on the Pacific Coast, the Caribbean, Costa Rica and in Panama.


To see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.
I wish everyone a happy week ahead and Happy Birding!