A Vulture Sky

January 30, 2014

Linking up with NF Winged   and  Skywatch Friday 

I am sharing Vulture Sky over my backyard...

The Turkey & Black Vultures are back to roosting in the trees next to my yard.

In the evening I can see them fly back toward the trees or sometimes just fly around in circles. I have become so used to seeing the vultures they are easy to tell the Black Vulture from the Turkey Vulture while they are in flight. The Black Vulture's wings seem shorter and more rounded edges. In the daylight the Black Vulture's wings have a white edge. 

I cropped the image above to get a closer look at the v-shapped Canada Geese. They were a lot higher in the sky then the Vultures.

It was a neat sky to watch with the Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures, the contrail and the sunset. Also if you look at the top right corner you will see a large flock of black birds flying past.

We have the deer hunters to thank for all of these Vultures hanging in our neighborhood. The vultures have a feast on the deer carcass left behind. I do not mind the Vultures, they look pretty in flight.


Thank you for visiting my post, I hope you enjoyed my birds and skies.

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

Thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to Monica the host of NF Winged.   I wish everyone a safe and happy long weekend.

Red-Breasted Merganser

01/28/14

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

I am sharing the Red-breasted and Common Mergansers.  The Red-Breasted Mergansers were seen at Barnegat Lighthouse and they can be found all along the Atlantic coast. Sorry for the lighting, it was a gray day.

I am pretty sure these are female Red-breasted Mergansers with their shaggy crest.

Above are the Red-Breasted Mergansers. The male has a rusty breast, white neck and a shaggy crest.

 Common Mergansers have been seen on our lake in the winter. They are rarely found in salt water.

Above for comparison the male Common Merganser in the front left has a brilliant white bottom and a green head. The females have  a rufous head with a neat crest.  I think both Mergansers females have weird looking do's.




Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Around the yard_Jan 26

  I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday 

These last two weeks of January seem to be making up for the previous two mild winters we had. The temperatures have been in the single digits and the teens during the day.. With these cold temps the snow is just not melting..I am longing for spring and warmer weather. The birds seem to be adapting to these cold and snowy days.. I am keeping them all well fed.

My Cardinal tree..

A cardinal tree, female and male cardinals and two Grackles.

A pretty male Cardinal

My Redbellied woodie, more cardinals and some Starlings.

A redbellied woodie and a junco outside my window.

The birds have been a treat to watch on these snowy days when I am stuck in the house. I hope everyone is staying warm and safe during this arctic weather we are having.

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 ahead!

Saturday's Critters #8

Saturday's Critters #8

Good Morning, everyone..So happy to see you here on Saturday's Critters..If your blog post has a critter post..please join in and link up to my Saturday Critter party.

Here are a few of my favorite ducks..seen at Edwin Forsythe NWR. Above is the pretty Northern Pintail.

Another one of my favorites is the Hooded Merganser. I hope your enjoy my ducks and I hope you enjoy the critter party.

The Common Loon were plentiful at the Barnegat Beach.

The Red-breasted Merganser, they have a shaggy crest..

An InLinkz Link-up

 To see more beautiful birds and cute critters

Also please visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin. Also, sharing with Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting.

 Thanks for stopping by and  I wish everyone a happy weekend.

Birding is fun

 January 24, 2014

Today my post for January is up click here for my  birding-is-fun-in-florida   I would love if you could visit me there. Just click on the link above.

My post for  Birding is Fun is a review on my Florida trip back in April 2013. I shared my Florida lifers and more. I hope you can stop by and check out my post.

Thank you and I always appreciate your comments.

EileeninMd

Jersey Birds

January 23, 2014

Linking up with NF Winged   and  Skywatch Friday 

I am sharing more New Jersey skies and birds from our visit last week. We were up early to check out the sunrise. We were hoping for a clear and pretty sky, we were not disappointed.  Before heading for home we made a quick stop back the the Edwin Forsythe NWR.

A view of the moon setting from our room.It was a day after the full moon.

Sunrise rising above the Atlantic Ocean

A flock of Brant

A couple of Brant..they are a small goose. I think they are more attractive than the Common Canada Goose.

A view of Atlantic City and sky from the Edwin Forsythe NWR.

Some Snow Geese seen at the wildlife refuge.

On this morning the Snowy Owl was out on the field or marshy land.  We saw it flying some landing in different places along the wildlife drive.

Thank you for visiting my post, I hope you enjoyed my birds and Atlantic City sunrise.

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

Thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to Monica the host of NF Winged.   I wish everyone a safe and happy long weekend.

Long-tailed Ducks

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

January 21, 2014

I am sharing more of the Long-tailed ducks that we saw on the Jersey shore last week. They are one of my favorite ducks. They are found wintering on the Atlantic coast and they breed in the northernmost Canada and Alaskan tundra. 

The male has a white head and a tan face with a white body. The female has dark brown crown with a white cheek patch.

These cute long-tailed ducks are close behind my all time favorite Black-bellied Whistling ducks for their adorable faces.

I cropped a few of these photos. It was hard keeping the camera still on this cold and blustery day at the beach.


I hope you enjoyed my Long-tailed ducks. Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Birding the Jersey Shore

I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday 

January 19, 2014

I am linking up with Lydia of Where the Wild Things Were and the Favorite Fotos linky. Thanks Lydia for hosting the party.

On Thursday, hubby and I went on an overnight visit to the Jersey shore. We drove as far as Barnegat Lighthouse Beach, then we headed south to Edwin Forsythe NWR and our somewhat of a free night at Trump's Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

At the Barnegat Lighthouse beach  we saw the Common Loon, Long-tailed Ducks and Harlequin Ducks. Lots of Scoters, Brants and Sanderlings and gulls.

Two Long-tailed Ducks with a Harlequin duck in the middle.. This was one of the only Harlequins I sighted at Barnegat this visit. In past years I have seen higher counts.  I wonder if something is happening to them?

 

At Barnegat the Mergansers were plentiful..

Snowy Owl on the roof of the Edwin Forsythe NWR visitor center.

This is this third Snowy Owl I have seen since late November. The first sighting was in Delaware, second sighting was in Maryland and this last Snowy Owl was in New Jersey.. They seem to be everywhere  this winter..

 

 Above is a view of the sunset from our room, a shot of the Trump tower and the almost full moon.

I am sure I will be doing more on our Jersey shore visit..Including some beautiful sunrise shots for Skywatch Friday..

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 ahead!

Saturday's Critters #7

Saturday's Critters #


Hello, I want to thank everyone for joining in on the critter party..

One of my prettier male Mallard shots.

A lot of Great Blue Herons do not migrate south they stay in our area for the winter. I assume they are able to find food year round.  I hope you enjoyed my post and are able to visit with some of the other bloggers linking up their critters..

An InLinkz Link-up

 To see more beautiful birds and cute critters

Also please visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin. Also, sharing with Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting.

 Thanks for stopping by and  I wish everyone a happy weekend.

Around the yard- Jan 16

January 16, 2014

Linking up with NF Winged   and  Skywatch Friday 

My shot of the moon with satellite dish in the way, I love the pretty blue evening sky.

My moon shot on Jan 9,  I love my camera..SOOC..no extra lenses and handheld..

A flock of Canada Geese flying over the yard and house.. Hubby has been seeing large groups of the geese hanging out at the lake.

Not sure why, but I love the wing spread on the Turkey Vulture shot over our lake. I have been seeing the Turkey & Black Vultures roosting in the trees next to our house. I think they know where the hunters leave the deer caucus. 

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

Thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to Monica the host of NF Winged.   I wish everyone a safe and happy long weekend.

A few More Sparrows, Part 3

January 14, 2014

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

I know I am no way near seeing all 35 Sparrow's . But, I have a few more I can add to continue with my Sparrow post.

More Sparrows from my archives.. I am sharing the LeConte's Sparrow.. It is a small sparrow with a large head. It has a buffy yellow-orange face with gray cheeks.

LeConte"s Sparrow was a special sighting. They more of a rare sighting to be seen in Maryland. The LeConte's Sparrow to me is one of the prettier Sparrows.

This is a shy Lincoln Sparrow hiding in the bush. I manage to get a shot of him peeking out. They are similar to the Song Sparrow with a brown cap and  gray stripe in the middle. They also have a finer bill.

The Song Sparrow one of the most common sparrows I do see just about everywhere. The Song Sparrow has dark upperparts and streaks. Also, has the dark spot in the middle of its chest.

I try to throw in some descriptions of the sparrows I have seen maybe it will help with iding the sparrows.

Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!