Northern Flicker

Happy Monday, enjoy your day!  Happy November, wishing everyone a great new month.

The USA has two species of the Northern Flicker, the Eastern version is the Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker. The Western US has the Red-shafted Northern Flicker. I have seen both species,  the Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker can be found in the woods around our house and all around the eastern US. These are photos I took of the Northern Flicker in Pennsylvania, near the Cook Forest State Park and a couple together in Erie PA. The yellow and the red colors on the Northern Flicker show up on the birds underwings.

The Northern Flicker is in the Woodpecker family. You can just barely make out the yellow color under it's tail feathers.

Male Northern Flickers have the black moustache and they red at the nape of the neck. They feed on the ground looking for insects.

Below is the female, you can see it is missing the black moustache. They do have the black under the neck and the black spots like the males.

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 #202

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 and your family pets, 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 sharing a mish-mash of images from the end of September to the middle of October. Some photos were  taken in my yard, some on the fire road  and at our lake.

Sept 29th, I was seeing at least two Ruby-throated Hummingbirds at my feeders.

Sept 30th while walking on the fire road we found a toad. Luckily, I did NOT step on the toad, it looked camouflaged in the leaves.

Oct 1st, the Yellowlegs was still being seen at the lake, near the mudflat area.  Great or Lesser, that is the question?

Oct 1st, a group of Canada Geese at the lake.

Oct 1st, a Ruby Throated Hummingbird still visiting the feeders.

Oct 10th Marlow, our neighbor's dog.

Oct 13th an Eastern Phoebe on my deck

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! Thanks to everyone who left me comments on my last post, your visits are always appreciated. 

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!

Quinalt Rainforest, Washington

Happy Thankful Thursday, enjoy your day!



EDIT: I am linking up with Favorite Fotos thanks to Lydia at Where the Wild Things Were


It was time to leave the Quiluete Resort and head south toward Ocean Shores Washington. We made a few stops along the way, some overlooks to see the Pacific Ocean and lots of Surf Scoters way out there. Also the scenic drive to the Quinalt Waterfalls, these falls are seen right from the road.



This beach was seen from one of the overlooks.  The photos do look nicer if you click on them for a larger image.

All those black tiny dots on the top left  are the Scoters and maybe a few other ocean seabirds and ducks. The sky was somewhat cloudy but at least it was not raining. I linked up some of my Scoter link   photos, so you can see up close what they look like.

Merriman Falls, Quinalt Rainforest

Below is the Bunch Creek Falls, Quinalt Rainforest. Half way up the waterfalls is a man climbing around he spooked a couple of Dippers that were next to the water.

A view of the river and Olympic Mountains. I saw a Dipper in the river, but just when I snapped the photo, the bird dipped into the water.

World's largest Spruce tree, Quinalt Rainforest. The old growth forest in the Pacific Northwest are awesome.

These scenes below are from our walk on the Quinalt Rainforest Nature loop trail which was .09 miles.  Best bird seen was the Pileated Woodpecker.

I am thankful for all things nature related, like the old growth forest, beautiful views of the mountains, oceans and rivers.
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!

Solitary Sandpiper

Happy Monday, enjoy your day!

This week I am sharing the Solitary Sandpiper. The Solitary Sandpiper like it's name is usually seen alone, but sometimes small groups may be seen together during migration. They are seen on the edges of muddy ponds, streams and marshes. I found these two Solitary Sandpipers along with a couple of Yellowlegs where a stream goes into our lake. The area is somewhat like a mudflat when the lake is low.

The Solitary Sandpiper is a medium sized shorebird and  has a dark back and white underparts. They wings appear to have little white dots.

They have a white eye-ring and a dark medium sized bill.

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 #201

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!

These are some birds and critters I have not shown,  seen during our Washington Trip in May. We stayed overnight in Ocean Shores and walked on a few of the local beaches. We saw some shorebirds like the Semipalmated Plover, Dunlins, lots of gulls and a hummer and possibly other shorebirds mixed in.

I believe these are the Semipalmated Plovers

A flock of Dunlin, see their black bellies.

Is this a Crow or Raven? My field guide says Raven's have thick bills. Do you think this bird's bill is thick?

Semipalmated Plover.

American Pipit seen on the coast, walking along side the sandy road to the beach.

Rufous or Allen's Hummingbird.  I am not an expert on any hummer except for my local Ruby-throated Hummingbird. This bird was seen flying around the nearby flowers and like to perch on this pine tree.

Sorry, for the picture quality, the bird was a distance away and it was a cloudy day.

Neighborhood deer, near the beach. I think this is a Black-tailed Deer.

There are way too many gull species for me to id, my guess a  Western Gull.

I am not sure if this is a big flock of Dunlins or mixed group of shorebirds. What is upsetting is seeing the cars driving on the beach where these birds were resting.

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!

Ruby Beach, Olympic National Park

Hello and happy Thursday, 

Ruby Beach located on the Pacific Ocean and is part of the Olympic National Park. Hubby and I love the Pacific Northwest, the coastline in Washington state was one of our favorite places to visit. 

The view of Ruby Beach from the trail. 

A Chestnut-backed Chickadee seen off the trail.

A view of the beach, a lovely place for a walk during the low tides.

An arch in the sea stack.

A Wilson's Warbler was one of the common Warblers seen during our walks.

Not sure if this is a female Wilson's warbler or a Yellow Warbler, my field guide says the female Wilson's has the black cap but not as noticeable?

The Bald Eagle was another common bird seen along the Washington coast.

More coastline and sea stacks.

A look back at the ocean while walking back up the trail.

My thankful list for today:
How could I not be thankful for these beautiful blue skies and lovely views of the ocean. 

I am always thankful for your visits and your comments.

"I am awake, it is a beautiful day and I am thankful."

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!

Dunlin

Happy Monday, enjoy your day!

My wild bird this week is the Dunlin.  These images are mostly from my trip to Washington State but I have seen the Dunlin in Maryland, Delaware and Florida. They are shorebirds with a short neck,  bright red back and a black belly. The black belly appears during the breeding season. Their legs and bills are black.

Their foraging has been compared to a sewing machine, with their bills going up and down picking up small food and insects.

I have seen large flocks of the Dunlins, they can be found on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches.

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 #200

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!

Wow, this is my 200th Critter party post. Sorry, I do not have anything exciting planned for this 200th post. I do want to thank all my blogger friends for participating. I love seeing all your critters and I hope you keep those critter posts coming.  Again, I thank everyone for sharing your post and linking up and commenting! I hope you get a chance to visit the blog post and comment.

I am sharing some images from a day trip to Shenandoah Nat'l park. We saw a lot of deer along the Skyline Drive and lots of birds. We hiked on a few trails and enjoyed our lunch at the Big Meadows campstore.

This buck was standing along side the Skyline Drive. It was too busy eating to move away.

A Field Sparrow at the Big Meadows.

Eastern Bluebird at the Big Meadows.

American Goldfinch at the Big Meadows.

A white-tailed Deer next to the Appalachian Trail.

I am joining in with this post to Tom's The Barn Collective

I was able to zoom in on this farm and barns from the Appalachian Trail.

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.
Thanks to Tom for hosting The Barn Collective

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!