Saturday's Critters #198

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

If you love critters like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!

Can someone tell where September went, this month just flew by. These are some images from our more recent fire road walks and walks around the lake.

This Great Blue Heron was way across the lake and the photo was fuzzy, so I used Lunapic to make more of a watercolor painting of my Great Blue Heron.

This may be a snapping turtle swimming in the lake. It looks kind of big.

We found a Red-spotted Purple Butterfly sitting on the fire road near the lake.

The Double-crested Cormorant can be seen on our lake.

Some of the birds seen along the fire road, the Indigo Bunting, American Goldfinch, I believe the bottom right is the Eastern Wood-PeWee

I had a problem with my latest blogger "theme" , it was not compatible with Mr Linky for my  Saturday's Critter party. So once again I had to change my theme. I am not sure if it will stay this way, maybe just until I find one I like better that will work for the linky. 

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments! I hope you enjoy my post and photos too!

Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Cook Forest State Park

Happy Thankful Thursday! 

Last week, hubby and I visited the Cook Forest State Park in Northwest Pennsylvania. My tree hugging hubby enjoys seeing old growth forest and this park is known for it's Forest Cathedral of towering White Pines and Hemlocks. We enjoyed walking the trails for a day and half, staying at a local hotel in Clarion Pa. 

Walking the trails, I checked out the birds, mushrooms and the trees. Below, you will see some of our sights while visiting this park. In the mosaic, a Hairy woodpecker, Wren, the only bear we saw, Northern Flicker, Wooly Bear Caterpillar, Wood Thrush, Butterfly and a Robin. 

We walked over the swinging bridge on one of the trails.

Tall pines, moss covered rocks and lots of mushrooms.

The Northern Flickers were seen often. The skies were clear and a pretty blue.

Turkey Feathers, it is amazing even to see what grow on a fallen tree. The mushrooms and fungi are beautiful.

The creek near the picnic pavilion, a pretty orange leaf fall tree.

We saw a few different woodpeckers while walking the trails, I believe this is a Hairy Woodpecker. It seemed larger in size than the Downy Woodpeckers.

After leaving Cook Forest State Park we made a slight detour and met blogging friend Linda of Thebeautyaroundus  at the Kinzua Bridge State Park.  I will be doing a blog more about this park and meeting Linda on my Travel blog

For my skywatch, I view of the sky and destroyed bridge in Kinzua Bridge State Park. If you look hard you can see part of the bridge laying on the ground. That is from the tornado. 

I am thankful for our for the people who acquired this land and turned it into a place for all the public to enjoy. The trees years ago could have been logged but one person saw that these trees needed to be saved and made sure that they were protected. 

I am always thankful for your visits and your comments.

Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments. Have a happy day!

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Happy Monday everyone!


I am sharing the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, these are various photos I took thru the summer. By now, some my hummers are on the way south for the winter. I wish them safe travels.  I may see a straggler come thru and I will leave my feeder up just in case.

The female has all white underparts and is emerald green above.  They can hover at the flowers due to their high wingbeat frequency.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is 2-3 inches long.

These hummingbirds have heart rates up to 1260 beats per minute and have been able to fly 20 hours non-stop.

You can see they have a forked tail below and have that long bill.

A shot of the male below, it is hard to get the ruby-throat looking colorful without having some sunlight shining on this pretty hummer. They are feisty birds, I have seen them chase away larger birds if they think they have to share their feeders.

I will look forward to next spring and to see these beauties in my yard.


I hope you enjoyed my hummingbird photos and post.
As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.


Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Saturday's Critters #197

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

If you love critters like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!

I am playing catch up with all my blog reading, hubby and I took a short trip to Pennsylvania. I finally met up with Linda, her blog is  Thebeautyaroundus. I hope to return visits and comments asap.

'I am sharing some photos of critters and birds seen from our walk at the local Hashawha Nature Center. We walk a loop that goes by several ponds, their raptor center, wildflower field and back past the larger lake.

A couple of Slider Turtles sunning themselves.

Some views from our loop hike around the nature center.

From the Raptor Center, the Red-tailed Hawk and a Barred Owl. These birds are hurt and can not survive in the wild.

Some scenes from the larger lake, included the Great Blue Heron, wild hibiscus and a turtle.

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments! I hope you enjoy my post and photos too!



Here is a list of my linky parties;
Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Hoh Rainforest, Olympic National Park

Hello, happy Thursday,

I thought I would take you back to May and our visit to the Hoh Rainforest in the Olympic National Park. We walked a few trails, one trail took us close to the Hoh River. The Hoh Rainforest is lush and green from all the rain received in this area. There is a mix of coniferous and deciduous trees, lots of mosses and ferns. 

A view of the Hoh River and a pretty sky. 

Fern and mosses growing on a downed tree.

An Elk trying to hide from us just off the trail.

Below a line of trees growing out of one old fallen tree on the ground.

Wood duck couple and some very green reflections.

Another look at the Hoh River.

Looking up at the sky thru the tall trees. 

Below is the cute Wilson's warbler, easily id from the black line on the top of it's head.

The Northern Rough-winged Swallows were seen near the Hoh River.

There were a few ducks in this pond, but the Wood Ducks were a little closer for a photo. 

Beautiful view of the Olympic Mountains and the Hoh River. 

The Hoh Rainforest and the Olympic National Park was one of my favorite places to visit in Washington State. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend a visit.  I hope you enjoyed my photos.

My thankful list for today:
I am thankful for all the national parks in our country.  
I am thankful for your visits and your comments.

"Be thankful for all the troubles you don't have." 

Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments. Have a happy day!

Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday

Sandwich Tern

Happy Monday everyone!

Terns, Terns and more Terns. There are 15 various Terns listed in my field guide book for North America. But, on this post I am only sharing the Sandwich Tern. My first sighting of the Sandwich Tern was at Chincoteague. I was happy to see the Sandwich Tern again while In Florida near Daytona Beach. These photos were taken just south of Daytona Beach at the Ponce Inlet and Lighthouse Point Park.


You can't miss the Sandwich Tern with it's sharp black bill with a yellow tip. It is small to medium sized seabird and gull like in appearance. They have long pointed wings, grey above and white below. and legs are black.

They have a shaggy black crest. The Tern plunges and dives for their food.

Below two Sandwich Terns and bottom right I believe is the Royal Tern with the orange bill.

Just to show an assortment below is a gull, a few Royal Terns and one Sandwich Tern in the middle.

Closer look at the bill of the Royal Tern compared to the bill of the Sandwich Tern.

I hope you enjoyed my photos and post.
As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.


Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Saturday's Critters #196

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

If you love critters like I do and also like to blog about them and take critter photos this is where you can share your critter post. Link up your post and share your critters, join in with my critter party ! You can share any kind of critters the real ones, pretend ones, statues and paintings, a new or old post!

On this day hubby and I took a walk on the local fire road to the lake. We have lived near this lake going on 28 years now and this was the first time we saw a snake in the water. It looked like it was checking us out.

I zoomed in on this Turkey Vulture high up in a tree.

We saw a nice group of Canada Geese floating on the lake.

A couple of Eastern Kingbirds seen in the tree off the fire road.

There was a family of the Eastern Kingbirds in this one tree, can you find three Kingbirds in the tree below. Click on photo for a larger view.

A mosaic with the birds seen during our walk. The Turkey Vulture, the lake, snake, leaves turning colors, a not so clear shot of a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Kingbird, Canada Geese, more Kingbirds and the lake.

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments! I hope you enjoy my post and photos too!



Here is a list of my linky parties;
Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

North Point State Park

Hello and happy Thursday!

These are some images from our walk at the North Point State Park in Baltimore County, Maryland. It is great seeing the Little Blue Herons at this park, usually we can see  the juveniles Little Blues too. The Ospreys and Swallows were plentiful on this day and we had pretty views of the Chesapeake Bay.

One of the first Little Blue Herons was on the hunt for food.

A lunapic landscape edit of the Rose Mallow or Wild Hibiscus.

A tree full of swallows.

Another Little Blue Heron.

Osprey, we saw 3-4 Ospreys at the park. Some must be juveniles.

A juvenile Little Blue Heron.

A view of the pretty sky and Chesapeake Bay.

A dead tree and a few osprey high in sky. In case you did not see the Osprey, one is on each side of the tree high in the sky.

This is a Lunapic Landscape edit, I like the reflections of the sky on the marsh water. 

My thankful list for today:
I am thankful for the simple things, like a pretty sky and beautiful views.
I am thankful for the beautiful birds and wildlife I see all around me.
I am thankful for your visits and your comments.


I hope you enjoy my photos and the pretty birds and sky. Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments. Have a happy day!



Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday