Sunday, January 17, 2016

Prime Hook NWR


I have a list below of memes I am joining for this week, and to save time I am doing one post for all. They are all fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts. Special thanks to all the wonderful host and their memes, I hope you have some time to check them out.

After leaving Bombay Hook NWR (my previous post) we drove further down the coast of Delaware to the Prime Hook NWR. BTW, the coast of Delaware has awesome birding hotspots and  beaches. You can check out these birding spots on the Delaware Birding Trail.




 The start of the trail and walk at Prime Hook, a Mockingbird, our shadow shot.


With my photo above I am joining Cath @ Cath @ Home  and her
Word for Sunday which is Grateful. Stop by Cat's blog and say hello. You can check out her blog for more info and join in with her word challenge. Thanks Cath for hosting.




The sun reflecting on the water, a Great Blue Heron and some Ruddy Ducks.


The Great Blue Herons were a common sighting at Prime Hook NWR.



The herons were even in the trees.



We were surprised while watching a Common Merganser to see this Red-tailed Hawk fly in and grab it. The Hawk is standing on and holding the Merganser down into the icy muddy water.


For Tom's Barn Collective I found a barn not too far from Bombay Hook as we were leaving. Thanks Tom for hosting.

So far we were having a great day at Prime Hook and Bombay Hook wildlife refuges. Next post, we headed further along the coast to the Indian River Inlet where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean.

As always I appreciate your visits and nice comments. Thank you! Have a happy day and new week ahead!

Thanks for visiting my post and as always I appreciate your comments.

Thanks to Cath for hosting Word for Sunday
Thanks to Tom for hosting The Barn Collective
Thanks to Judith our  host of Mosaic Monday 
Thanks to Monica for hosting NF Trees
Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes
Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday



104 comments:

Tom said...

Eileen, you find some the greatest areas that are teeming with wildlife. Thanks so much for sharing at The Barn Collective this week. I hope that you pass by many more barn on your journeys.

jp@A Green Ridge said...

Imagine seeing that hawk hunt right in front of you!!!! A wonderful collection for the week, Eileen...:)JP

Linda W. said...

Nice photos of the blue heron!

MadSnapper said...

that is one sweet little mocking bird and i love the grasses in a couple of the photos. the hawk is beautiful but bad.. like ours. food chain and i know it but don't like it. he is pretty

vivi ka said...

Beautiful memes and i liked all together! Great post as always! Have a great new week ahead!

ellen b said...

Hi Eileen,
Beautiful scenes. Love all the bird captures!

Marit said...

Lovely photos! The herons are so beautiful.

I wish you a nice week ahead!

Donna@Gardens Eye View said...

I do love watching hawks altho it can be a bit of a surprise as they swoop in. Great shots and love the shadow shot.

Giga said...

I love herons, it's so beautiful majestic birds. It's nice to be close to where they are. I wish you a great week.

Cath said...

hello Eileen....thank you for hearing my call! I love your 'grateful' words and the photo is a beauty!

Michelle said...

I really like seeing the Heron. They are so beautiful.

The Yum List said...

Eileen I like your new banner photo. Great quote about gratitude too. :-)

21 Wits said...

Eileen you always know just the right places to travel to, and it's a double win for us as well! Excited to see more. Enjoy.

genie said...

You’ve got me wondering if the Indian River you were headed to is the same Indian River we had in Florida. Nice barns along the way. You do a really good job of posting pictures in such a way that they will apply to all the memes. Your birding photos are awesome as always.

This N That said...

Great catch of the hawk and the Merganser... Good job!

TexWisGirl said...

the hawk is intense! i liked the shadow shot. :)

Linda said...

Beautiful, Eileen! In my experience the blue heron is quite elusive, not easily seen or captured. Great series!

Rose said...

What a sight that must have been to see the hawk swoop down and nab the duck...I love the heron shots. Specially the one in the tree. Love that old barn. It looks like it needs some TLC, but they pull at the heart even more.

Cloudia said...

You spread a lot of good, Eileen

Author R. Mac Wheeler said...

I loved your feathered friends :)

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

I love the barn photos, and always think that if their walls could talk, the stories they would tell -- Just like the stories the birds could tell too!

Anonymous said...

Wow - stunning shots.

Crissi said...

Very nice shots Eileen!
Happy day
Crissi

Crafty Green Poet said...

Lookslike a great place for birding! The shot of the heron in the tree is very impressive. It must have been exciting (but sad) to see the hawk grab the merganser like that

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

that certainly seems a great place to go birding.Love the Red tailed hawk but pity about the Common Merganser but that is life! Love the reflections in the water. Havve a great week ahead Eileen.

Amanda Peters said...

Lovely photos..
Amanda xx

Francisco Manuel Carrajola Oliveira said...

Fotografias fantásticas uma maravilha.
Um abraço e boa semana.

Christine said...

A perfect day for exploring and you found lots of interesting sights and birds, Eileen! So grateful to be able to enjoy this beautiful world!
Have a great week!

Sara - Villa Emilia said...

Beautiful texts and images and some really impressive shots!
Have a great week ahead, Eileen! Hugs!

Cranberry Morning said...

Just beautiful Eileen. That Gratitude photo with your added text would make a beautiful greeting card!

Lowcarb team member said...

You have another great selection here for us all to look at and enjoy.

Seeing those lovely blue skies has given my Monday a boost, as it's quite grey where I am.

Have a good week

All the best Jan

ann said...

Why are we up so early? Blogging in the quiet of the early morning. I am astounded by your gorgeous bird photos. I imagined that you had a big DSLR with one of those huge telephoto lenses. I like more that you you go for the easy, simple, an uncomplicated with great results. I, too, always shoot in auto because I don't want to take time to fiddle with the settings. The blue heron is spectacular. We have them here, but I have yet to get a good photo of one.

podso said...

Gorgeous photos and a nice quote on the one photo. That's an interesting old barn. Hope you have a good week!

riitta k said...

The birds are so difficult to photograph but your photos are wau! The aforism on gratitude is so wise! Have a nice week!

Nancy Chan said...

Beautiful lake scenery. Always love your birds photos.

Mary Hone said...

Wow, those are all just beautiful. The hawk, he is just stately.

Country Gal said...

All such fantastic photos ! Thanks fro sharing , have a good day !

chica said...

Sempre lindo! Adorei estar de volta, teu carinho e bons desejos! Obrigadão! bjs, chica

Linda Kay said...

Your bird pictures are always so wonderful, Eileen. Thanks for posting them!

handmade by amalia said...

A lovely post, Eileen. I envy you the clear sunny sky, we are in the midst of a dust storm, hopefully rain will come soon.
Amalia
xo

Rajesh said...

You have spotted beautiful birds in the next destination. Very lovely.

Daniela said...

Thank you most sincerely for the beautiful words you've left on ~ My little old world ~ as a comment, I appreciate it such a lot !
I am a passionate photographer and I love Nature, you cannot imagine how much, and love people trying to catch the moments It gifts us, I know they're special !
I'm a new follower of yours with much joy, thank you again !

Have a week filled with love
Daniela

Fun60 said...

That is a stunning photo of the hawk.

DeniseinVA said...

Always fun to come here Eileen, beautiful birds and it looks like a great place for birding. Have a great week :)

Judith @ Lavender Cottage said...

You and your hubby sure know where to hike to find amazing wildlife and birds Eileen.

Elizabeth Edwards said...

oh i love the blog changes. very crisp and clean. way cool. hope you are well this day. i love the shadow shot. that is too cute. you are waving, right? or at least it looks that way. neat-O!! ( :

Sylvia K said...

Always great to visit your beautiful world, Eileen! Such lovely birds and the pic of the hawk is awesome!! Hope you have a wonderful new week!! Enjoy!!

Our photos said...

Very nice ! I really like the Red-tailed Hawk photo !

Nancy's Notes said...

I'm just tickled to be back and to see so many wonderful photographs! They are always a sight to see!

Birgitta said...

Great and beautiful pictures! Well done!

colleen said...

Very peaceful mood shots. And you have a Shadow Shot Sunday meme candidate on that bench!

Jemma@athomewithjemma said...

Eileen,
Beautiful quote and photos-love, love the red barn.
Also, enjoying your refreshed blog-looks fabulous!
Have a lovely week,
Jemma

carol l mckenna said...

Always gorgeous photography here and very hard to pick a favorite ~ You go the best places ~

Wishing you a Happy Week ~ ^_^

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

I love your blue skies! cool barn, and great bird pics including the blue herons

amo sin blogg said...

The birds are bautiful.

diane b said...

A great capture of the moment when you caught the Hawk catching its prey. It sure looks a great place for a walk along the trail.

thomas said...

Wow! Abundance of birds here

Celestina Marie said...

Hi Eileen, just beautiful. Love seeing the Heron and your collages are always special. Beautiful quote! Have a nice week!

Ruth said...

I went whale watching on Saturday and saw a lot of the birds you present in here. It feels so good to be surrounded by nature.

Photo Cache said...

I love looking at and photographing herons.

Worth a Thousand Words

Rambling Woods said...

So happy to have these places kept safe for wildlife... lots of birds... poor merganser....I know..everything has to eat..Michelle

Stephanie said...

Wow, what delightful and beautiful photos! I could spend hours scrolling through your photography :)

Have a lovely week, dear Eileen! Hugs!

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Eileen
Delaware definitely has many wonderful birding spot! I am always amazed by the blue herons. They are so skillful at catching fish. I also liked your image and saying for the important word "grateful"--well done!

Amy said...

hey Eileen, happy new year to you too, loving your photos, how cold is it there at the moment? we are hating the summer heat here, roll on Autumn

Small Kucing said...

Beautiful Eileen. It's amazing how you managed to find so many birds.

Seraphinas Phantasie said...

Hi Eileen,
what a wonderful sunshine and marvelous phtos of the heron !
Best regards, Synnöve

Klara said...

beautiful wildlife.

Beate said...

I'm so fascinated by the shot of the hawk holding down the Merganser. Amazing shot! And it's amazing how nature can be so cruel and beautiful at the same time, he looks proud of his catch.
Your pictures are so beautiful!
I hope you are having an amazing week.
Lots of hugs to you,
Beate

Lea said...

Great photos! Love the Herons!
Good photo of the Hawk, too!
Have a happy day!
Lea

Meta said...

Så vackra de är de stora fåglarna det är inte det lättaste att fånga dom skygga varelserna på bild jag njuter så av det. Ingen snö har ni fått ser jag. här kom 1dm inatt burr så kallt och vitt det är ute nu
Ha det gott i veckan
kram Meta

Debbie said...

that's a really beautiful red barn eileen, i always favor red for a barn!!

lovely nature sightings, i always have a hard time watching a hawk, do what he does. they are so beautiful...i know they must eat, the whole circle of life thing but it shakes me to the core overtime i see it!!!

grateful is an awesome word, we all need to want less and be more grateful!!!!!

beautiful images you shared today!! have a great week, snow friday into saturday??? i am a tad excited!!

Gillena Cox said...

GRATEFULNESS - a good watchword

Have a nice Tuesday

much love...

Andrea Ostapovitch said...

Nature can be so harsh, but it sure is a wonder when we witness it in action like that.

Lynne said...

What can I say that I haven't said . . .
Loved this "Miss Bird Whisperer!"

Andrea @ From The Sol said...

Though it is clearly winter where you are, you still have all of our summer birds. It is surprising to see a Red Tail take a fairly sizable bird. More than he/she can eat alone ... perhaps he is feeding a mate. I don't know about the timing of nesting where you are, it is too early for that here, but could be going on in a warmer climate. Great series, Eileen, as always ...

Andrea @ From The Sol

Silver Parrot said...

Beautiful shot of the hawk - I don't normally think of Red-tails as taking other birds (as opposed to Cooper's Hawks or Peregrines) so interesting to see it in action.

Rohrerbot said...

Happy Tuesday!!! I think you take the best walks and should put them all together in one guide for the birder crowd around your area. I'm not sure how Common Merganser would taste but I'm sure the hawk found it tasty:) Have a great week!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

Wow, that's always kind of a shivery thing to see a hawk do what they do about grabbing lunch; part of the circle of life, but actually witnessing it can be quite a surprise. another beautiful place for your nature hikes and one I don't remember seeing before. I want to go back to Delaware and spend more time.

Debby Ray said...

Such beautiful shots and mosaics! And I just love the barn mosaic at the end! Enjoy your week!

fredamans said...

That sunburst is pretty spectacular!!

Gayle said...

Great variety; great shots. Happy Day.

Bob Bushell said...

Brilliant images, especially the Red-tailed Hawk, superb.

NatureFootstep said...

how interesting, and sad in a way, to see the Hawks catching and drowning the Merganser.

deb @ frugal little bungalow said...

WELL I loved that BE GRATEFUL photo and then later on I had to wince at the hawk being grateful for his meal ! :) Amazing shots as always and such a wonderful variety.

Sonja said...

It looks as if you are having a milder winter this year, Eileen, so it's good that you can be out and about, and that the birds won't be having such a hard time.

Al said...

Beautiful shots. And there is a lot to be said for gratitude!

Margie said...

You captured the birds beautifully, Eileen! Thank you for the visit and birthday wishes!

Indrani said...

Wonderful captures Eileen. Very well taken.

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Wonderful photos, Eileen. Always love seeing the herons and amazing to see the hawk in action. Beautiful barns, too. Hope you have a nice week. x Karen

Betty Manousos said...

good morning eileen, seeing all those beautiful bird photos has given my wednesday a boost!thank you.

big hugs!

Breathtaking said...

Hello Eileen!:) Wonderful captures especially the Herons and the Red -tailed Hawk and those scenes over the water are so lovely and peaceful. Looking out to sea or over any body of water always makes me feel calm and grateful for everything. Thank you Eileen for all your photos of wildlife.

Liz said...

So many wonderful images Eileen! The Blue Heron is stunning. I love that quote... so very true!

Gail said...

Wonderful collection of artful photographs.

HappyK said...

Great photo of the heron. I really miss seeing them - used to see one almost every day by the lake where I used to live.

A Colorful World said...

Love the great blue herons and the red-tailed hawk!

Barb said...

That hawk is beautiful but lethal!

Laura. M said...

The second photo is beautiful and colleges, Eileen. Heron was very pretty :))
Good wednesday.
Besos.

Helma said...

These are again quite some beautiful pictures of birds and animals. Especially the Red-tailed Hawk I find amazing to see.

What is the white on your blog. Your whole background is white. Was this the intention? I could hear and see namely that in several background has turned white.

DeniseinVA said...

Great photos Eileen. Must get back to Bombay Hook one of these days.

Jenn Jilks said...

Clever to do one post! Your photos are eye candy!

orchid0324 said...

Dearest Eileen;
I really am impressed by your beautiful first picture♪ Great scenery and wonderful words, Dear friend.
The Red-tailed Hawk has amazing brave look☆☆☆ And of course I love Great Blue Heron.
I'm happy that I'll be the 100th visitor to you. Also so sorry for my belated comment.

Sending Lots of Love and Hugs from Japan to my Dear friend in America, xoxo Miyako*

Kathy said...

Enjoyed seeing your photos, especially the blue herons and the hawk. Hawks are such amazing hunters.

Anonymous said...

Love that sun shot! Great herons. That would be quite the shock to see the hawk swoop in. Amazing!

Ana Freire said...

I have no doubt of that...
And I have no doubt of seeing here another stunning post!...
A great work as always! Beautiful images, Eileen!
All the best!
Ana

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