Saturday's Critters #159

Saturday's Critters #159

I wish everyone a happy, healthy New Year! All the best for 2017! 

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

I mentioned in a previous post that Circle B Bar Preserve is one of my favorite nearby birding spots. We are never disappointed with our walks there and the awesome wildlife sightings.

The Green Heron is a common bird we see on almost all our Circle B visits.

Just a neat view from the blind. The eagles nest across the way can be seen from this blind.

There are two Bald Eagle nests at the Circle B.

The Belted Kingfisher can usually be seen or heard around the preserve.

Another common bird seen at the Circle B is the Anhinga.

The turtles are seen on the sunny days.

Various butterflies are all around the preserve.

I hope you enjoyed this visit to the Circle B Bar Preserve, these images are from Nov 5th.

As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.

Lakeland, Florida

Hello,

"You will never have this day again, so make it count." unknown

Wow, can you believe it is almost the end of 2016. I wish everyone a very Happy, Healthy New Year. I want to thank everyone who has visited my blog and commented over the past year. I hope to see you all in 2017.

These are images from our neighborhood, a sunrise on Nov 7th, the neighborhood Sandhill Cranes and Red Shouldered Hawk

It was a beautiful sunrise on our way to the gym.

I believe this is a Red-Shouldered Hawk, we have a nesting couple that terrorize the neighborhood birds.

The Sandhill Cranes near my sunrise viewing spot.

The Sandhill Cranes walk all around the houses and in the streets. This is their neighborhood too.

For Michelle's Thankful Thursday, here is my list of thankful things.  Simple things that we may all take for granted.

Fresh air to breath
Clean drinking water
Sunshine that brightens my day
A good book
Friendly neighbors

I hope you enjoyed my post and photos. Thank you for your visit and comments on my post. Enjoy your day and the weekend ahead!

Thanks to Michelle for the meme Thankful Thursday
I am also linking up to Skywatch Friday, I hope to see you there.
Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.

Saturday's Critters #158

Saturday's Critters #158

Wishing a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah or Happy Kwanzaa to all my blog friends. 

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party. I am not sure what happened with Mister Linky, just add your name at the bottom of the list. 


These are from Nov, 19th another one of our visits to Lake Morton in downtown Lakeland. There are always lots of birds to see, a nice variety of swans, ducks and waders. I have tons of photos from this lake, it is hard to choose which to share. I hope you enjoy.

A pair of Wood Storks.

Three American White Pelicans.

A variety of egret, geese and White Ibis.

American White Pelican

Black Swans

A Ruddy Duck.

The Black-necked Swans.

Mute Swan front center has the orange bill, but the swan in the back right has the dark black bill is a different swan species.

A Wood Duck couple.

As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.

South Lake Howard Nature Park

Hello,


Merry Christmas and a happy healthy New Years to all.

Each day hubby and I are in Florida we try to visit a new park for our walks. It is our way of exercising, they say walking is good for you. On Nov 3rd, we visited the South Lake Howard Nature Park in Winter Haven. They have a nice paved path and boardwalk for our walking pleasure. Of course while walking I am checking out the birds.

Before our walk we usually do our gym routine and try to see a sunrise. This shot is from our neighborhood clubhouse.

A pretty sky and boardwalk. I think a White Ibis is on the railing.

A Little Blue Heron

 A Great Blue Heron

I believe this is the Red Shouldered Hawk

A Roseate Spoonbill and an alligator in the water below. There are warning signs to warn people the gators can come out of the water, some times to lay in the warm sunshine.

A Roseate Spoonbill on the railing.

A Tricolored Heron on the railing.

The Roseate Spoonbill showing off it's pretty color and wings.

A skywatch over Lake Howard. This quote says exactly how I feel and some of the things I am thankful for. I am thankful for being able to spend this time in Florida and I am thankful for our good health at this time.

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky, and for everything that is natural, which is infinite, which is yes." E. Cummings

I hope you enjoyed my post and photos. Thank you for your visit and comments on my post. Enjoy your day and the weekend ahead!

Thanks to Michelle for the meme Thankful Thursday
I am also linking up to Skywatch Friday, I hope to see you there.
Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.

Saturday's Critters #157

Saturday's Critters #157

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

Hi everyone, are you ready for Christmas? In case my blogging friends are away this holiday week, I wish everyone a blessed Merry Christmas.

On Nov 4th,  hubby and I visited the Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County Florida. Most of the birds were far away, even for my super zoom Canon SX40.

A snowy Egret and a Great Egret wading into the Gulf of Mexico.

A large group of Terns with some Brown Pelicans on a sandbar in the gulf. 

We saw numerous Brown Pelicans near the beach and pier.

A couple of gulls and Pelicans. I love the beachy colors on the photo below, the pretty blue waters and sand.

 Below possibly a Willet and in the distance a Great Blue Heron and a gull?

White Pelicans

Below is distant look at various Terns and a large group of Black Skimmers.

A view from the pier, the pelicans and terns in flight.

On the pier the Snowy Egrets are catching some free food from the fishermen.

As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.

Lake Mirror, Lakeland Florida

Hello,

"Don't look back, you're not going that way." unknown

I have found a lot of different birding spots and places to walk from reading various posts on Florida Facebook groups and from Ebird. This post is on our walk at Lake Mirror in Lakeland Florida. We saw various ducks, swans and a few Palm Warblers.

Thankful Thursday: I am thankful for each sunrise and sunset, a simple pleasure. I am especially thankful for my family and friends. Thanks to Michelle for the meme Thankful Thursday

I will start off with our lakeside sunrise for my Skywatch photo. November 2nd, it was a beautiful start to our day.

The walkway around the lake, some parts have the stone wall for protection.

A Palm Warbler on the walkway

The Common Shelduck is a Eurasian bird but can be purchased in the USA. They may have been purchased by the city of Lakeland. They hang out at Lake Mirror in downtown Lakeland.

Add caption

 The Mandarin duck below, the male is gorgeous. It is another non native duck for the USA and Florida. They seem to be able to move around freely.

Various ducks, Muscovy, White Ibis and some Geese hang out at this lake.

One of many sculptures that can be seen around Lake Mirror. A pretty sky and a cool sculpture.

Downtown Lakeland has a few lakes and in and around these lakes are hundreds of birds all for my viewing pleasure, lol. I hope you enjoyed my photos. Thank you for your visit and comments on my post. Enjoy your day and the weekend ahead!

Thanks to Michelle for the meme Thankful Thursday

Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday. I hope to see you there.