Sunday, August 18, 2013

Birding the Riley's Lock

  I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday 

For this week's post I am sharing Saturday's walk at Riley's Lock on the C&O canal trail.  It is a pretty trail for walking, biking or jogging with beautiful views of the Potomac River. The 184 mile C&O canal trail goes from Georgetown, Md to Cumberland Md. I have birded parts of this trail at various times of the year.


Above the Potomac River, a Great Egret and Double-Crested Cormorants.



These are the Eastern Painted Turtles..part of the pond turtle family. The have bright yellow spots on either side of the head. It's skin can be olive to black with red, yellow or orange stripes.



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Above is the Green heron, Wood Ducks and a few turtles.


The Red-eared Slider turtle gets its name from the red stripe behind its eye. The sliders leave the water to bask in the sun.


The Green Heron is my favorite heron and I can almost be guaranteed to see a Green Heron at this spot during this time of the year. I was not disappointed hubby and I quickly found 6 Green Herons hunting out in the open. After leaving Riley's Lock we drove further down River Rd to one of our other favorite places the Vie de France bakery and cafe. We picked up a Turkey&Brie on a french roll along with some drinks and I can not forget their yummy chocolate chip cookies. We took our lunch down to the Great Falls Nat'l Park for our picnic and another walk on the trail.

Above scenes from the Great Falls National Park, C&O Canal, towpath horses, canal boat, deer.

There are seven locks along the Potomac River including Riley's Lock and the Great Falls National Park which is located on the Maryland side of the Potomac River.


As always, I hope you enjoy my post and thanks for visiting my blog. I always appreciate your comments.

Join in on the fun and for more wonderful photos please visit  Mosaic Monday and more
 from  Our World Tuesday

 Thanks to our host: Mary our host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer.  I wish everyone a happy week!




77 comments:

TexWisGirl said...

beautiful green heron shots! really nice!!! i love the clean turtles you have up north - even with the duck weed clinging to them, they're not covered in gunky algae like our southern ones are. :)

Unknown said...

Wonderful! The turtles are so cute.

Bob Bushell said...

The Green Heron is my fave too Eileen.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Goodness, could you have a more perfect day-trip? Beautiful sights, perfect photo-ops, and lunch sounds fabulous!

The mahogany feathers on the green heron stand out so beautifully against the duckweed in the pond... and I love the turtles which almost blend in with it.

Lovely post.

Barbara Selkirk said...

Love all those turtles Eileen, and what a great photographic episode this has been. Love all the photos too - and the Green Heron ones in particular. Thanks for sharing!

Debbie said...

oh i just love the turtles and the green slime but my favorite is the buck. they get me every single time!!

another wonderful set of images!!

George said...

It looks like you and hubby found a great place for walking. Betsy and I hope to get to Great Falls next month, but I don't know how many birds (and turtles) we'll see along the way.

DIMI said...

Hallo Eileen!!!
Great shots of the Green Heron bird!
And those cute little turtles!!!Wonderful pictures!!!!Thank you for sharing!!!
Have a lovely new week!!!Hugs!
Dimi...

Icy BC said...

Beautiful photos, and I love the turtle shots!

Pat@BPM said...

You visit the most amazing places!

Brian King said...

Fantastic shots of the Green Heron...one of my favorites! This is a great place!

black eyed susans kitchen said...

Eileen...you get the most amazing shots!!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

The green heron is very colorful and special! Love your photos of the river! What a great view...the water is so calm!

Joanne Olivieri said...

These nature shots are simply gorgeous. Thank you for sharing them.

HappyK said...

Wow, you got some terrific photos. Can't even pick a favorite. I'm 30 miles west of Cumberland. I think I will see where it starts and take a walk there myself. : )

DeniseinVA said...

A wonderful series of photos Eileen, love the heron photos also. Hubby and I used to ride our bikes along parts of the C&O Canal when we were first married, starting from Georgetown. Great memories. Have a great week :) (We're spending the night in Williams, Arizona tonight :))

Anonymous said...

What lovely and peaceful photos. Have a great Monday.

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

I like the green heron, so much smaller than the great blue we find around our lake. You visit the most wonderful places for wildlife and birds.
Judith

betty-NZ said...

Oh, how pretty! I love the turtles and the heron.

Rajesh said...

Beautiful and scenic place with such lovely birds.

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I don't know how you continue to do it--You take such amazing and beautiful photos, and you make me want to visit these places--Great Falls is just a hop and a skip from me! :-)

Lorrie said...

Your photos are beautiful - love the great egret - so white against the background. I've never heard of green herons before but lately I've seen quite a few photos of them. Have a wonderful week.

Stephanie said...

Oh my... green herons and great series of shots! Loved them all.

Unknown said...

So much to see at this place! Glad you caught it all for us:) Seems to be a park where you can spend more than one day.

Life Images by Jill said...

It looks like you had a wonderful day birding, taking photos and strolling - perfect!, and the lunch sounds delicious. Have a great week Eileen.

grammie g said...

Hi Eileen... Love the Green Heron shot a real beauty!!
Turtles in duck weed always make me chuckle , and I don;t know why Lol!!

Looks like a lovely place to visit, I enjoyed tagging along!!
Grace

Our photos said...

The photos are beautiful!
Greetings from, RW & SK

Friend of HK said...

A beautiful place, so peaceful too.
I love the tranquility, great images.
Greetings from UK~

Carole M. said...

you sure get to visit some wonderful locations Eileen; and I love the photos you share - the herons and turtles today just great

Irma said...

Hi Eilleen,
Beautiful picture of a beautiful place.
The Green Heron is great.
Greetings Irma

Nancy said...

You are the Pied Piper of critters Eileen -- you always find the most interesting shots. Have a wonderful Monday!

Joop Zand said...

Very good pictures Eileen...it's a great post again.

Greetings, Joop

Mary said...

What a scenic spot! I got a kick out of the turtles stacked up like a totem pole and love the herons!

yonca said...

OhGosh..love the turtles!!! And beautiful shots as usual! Thanks for sharing Eileen!

Red Nomad OZ said...

LOVE the turtles!!! And you didn't walk the whole 184 miles, did you??!! A marvellous tour (as usual) in a beautiful location with excellent pix. What's not to love?!?!?!

deb @ frugal little bungalow said...

Beautiful shots as usual ...I especially enjoyed the turtles ! :)

Adventures as a Small Town Mom said...

Beautiful captures! I especially love the ones of the Eastern Painted Turtles and the close-up of the Green Heron.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

I LOVE the picture of the Eastern Painted Turtles!! So neat! And I am now subscribed to your blog :)

Gardening in a Sandbox said...

I always love to see where you have been during the week. Loved the photo of the green heron and the turtles. Going for walks such as those is one of the things that makes me sad as since my husbands illness we have not been able to walk down the trails to see what we can see. Valerie

MJ said...

What a beautiful area. What amazing photos. I love the turtles. They are so cute. Hmm.... I wonder how long it would take to walk that 184 mile trail? It would be SO worth it!!

Phil Slade said...

That looks a lovely spot to bird Eileen, the Potomac river something I've only ever read about until now. Guaranteed to see Green Herons must be so wonderful and the turles look so beautiful with all that algae over their shells. Brilliant pictures as usual and thanks for taking us on your river journey.

Montanagirl said...

Beautiful photos, Eileen! I LOVE the Green Heron shots. I hope to see one of those someday, but we mainly see Black-crowned Night Herons here, and the GBH's. They're both hard to get photos of.

Self Sagacity said...

All those photos are fun! They are so peaceful and beautiful, nature is awesome!

Poppy said...

Hi Eileen,

Well, you have managed to capture such gorgeous colour and goings on of this most enchanting land! That green heron is sure something to look at and the turtles are doing a fine job of camouflaging themselves in all that green! The water looks quite peaceful and magical.

Thanks so much for sharing these beautiful photos.

Poppy

Cottage and Broome said...

I love the photo of the bird on the stick, wonderful shot. Hope you have a wonderful week, Laura

Unknown said...

Just love those turtles!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

Anonymous said...

magnificent photography, Eileen and you always find the most beautiful places and wild life ~ thanks, carol, xo

Leovi said...

Nice pictures, that soft, beautiful photographs outdoors, I especially love the heron!

Unknown said...

What a wonderful set of pictures, Eileen!! I, too, love the heron and the turtles! You do indeed find the best shots! Thanks for sharing!! Hope you have a great week!!

Linda Kittmer said...

Wow Eileen, you've got some fabulous shots! Did you notice that the one shot with the turtles (the first one) looks like there's a big eye on the tree? The shadows create lashes and a cat like pupil. Very cool!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Love your pics, I am about to make mission to view a green heron. They are such outrageous looking birds.

Al said...

I love those turtles, excellent shots.

Kusum said...

Nice shots Eileen!

Linda said...

Nice shots! The green heron is superb!

Anonymous said...

Hi Eileen, Looks really nice. I so enjoy seeing all the various birds and animals. That Green Heron is quite spectacular! Great photograph. Have a wonderful day!

orchid0324 said...

Dearest Eileen,
OMG, I really enjoyed these wonderful photos; Green Heron is SO special☆☆☆
For me (or for the Japanese) turtles means a lot as well as cranes for their longevity. http://etymologypage.blogspot.jp/2013/02/animals-in-proverbs-part-1.html
Haha, I'll paste url of related page of mine. Only if you have time, my friend.

Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

Anonymous said...

Fabulous shots! Love those turtles.

Gerald (SK14) said...

great stuff - didn't know turtles could climb trees but these were trying to

Suzan said...

Of course my favorite are your red ear slider shots!! But your green heron is beautiful!! Such a lovely walk you had -- but you two always have wonderful adventures!

Noushka said...

Hello Eileen!
Gee, you are a 'lucky girl' to have all this magnificent wild life and birding facilities close by!
I have to travel far and get into hides for hours on end, the hunters' pressure is so dramatic in France... :(
I can well understand that the Green heron is your favorite, it is gorgeous! We don't have it here!
Great tortoises too, there one Floridian species that is invasive here, released from people in nature... How silly.
Enjoy your week and keep well!

Maria said...

What a great river and scenic views! Lots of nature around there.

Indrani said...

Wonderful collage Eileen! One turtle over the other... great shot.

Stewart M said...

Nice set of pictures - canoes are a great way to get about - birds seem to tolerate them surprisingly well.

Ankle is much better - no big black boot anymore - just some strapping.

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne.

PS: the literary reference is to "The World According to Garp"

magiceye said...

Superb captures as always!!

diane b said...

The green heron is a beauty and the turtles basking and praying to the sun god had me giggling. I would love to walk this trail with you.

islandwonder said...

Those are beautiful shots. I especially like the turtle ones, but I have long admired turtles. What a great place to visit.

Karen @ Pieces of Contentment said...

What a beautiful spot. I love the turtles all in a row.

Carver said...

What a great place for birding. I also love the shots of the turtles, deer, house and water.

Marcia said...

Enjoyed the scenery of the C & O Canal. Haven't been there lately but expect that I will see it more now that daughter #2 has moved to Georgetown.

Birgitta said...

Wow! Beautiful, great and interesting photos!

Giga said...

Miło na takie widoki popatrzeć, ale najbardziej podobają mi się trzy żółwie na konarze drzewa nad wodą. Pozdrawiam.
Nice to look at the view, but the most I like the three turtles on a tree limb over the water. Yours.

Yoshi said...

Great nature photo. It looks like walking in the zoo!
Thanks for sharing.

Our Neck of the Woods said...

Wow, such great shots, Eileen! My favorite is the first one of the Eastern Painted Turtles. They are really neat!

mick said...

Great photos of all the wildlife along that trail. It looks like a very interesting place to walk - or kayak as well.

Mary Howell Cromer said...

Oh Yeah, you got Green Herons too, are they not just beautiful!!! Oh My Goodness Eileen, I have never seen so many Sliders piled high like that before, that is hilarious! The bottom mosaic is outstanding as well~

Mary said...

So great photos! The area is so beautiful! You captured it so well! I just wished to be there!

Liz said...

What a wonderful place! I love the huge expanse of still water. Your Green Heron is very similar to our Striated Heron.
A wonderful post, Eileen. I too, love visiting your blog.

Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a ha ppy new week! Thank you to all Veterans who serve, for protecting our country and our freedoms.  "...