Monday, July 30, 2018

NCR Bike Trail

Hello and happy Monday! 

These are some images from 7/13 and 7/18, our walks on the local bike trail known as the Northern Central Railroad Trail. On this day we saw some wildflowers and lots of birds. Two Great Blue Herons, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers and a Catbird seen from the trail. Lots of bird sounds like the Scarlet Tanager, Woodpeckers, Common Yellowthroat Warbler was heard fussing in a few different spots. 

This was the first bird we saw, the Great Blue Heron seen standing in a tree. 






Gnome land, a private house next to the NCR trail.


A Great Blue Heron on the hunt.


I am pretty sure this was a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, it was catching bugs on the ground and flying back to the trees.


Some more wildflowers


Eastern Phoebe or Eastern PeWee?


The NCR bike trail.


Bee Balm growing along the trail.


I enjoyed seeing a lot of these Hosta blooms along the trail and near the river. 






Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.



Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!
I hope to see you there. Thanks to the host today. Enjoy your day and new week.

As always I thank you for stopping by and  I appreciate your comments.

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Saturday's Critters #241

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!


If you love all God's creatures 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 photos from our last visit on July 7th to the Conowingo Dam and Susquehanna River trail. We saw lots of Eagles, a few Cormorants, Osprey, Great Blue Herons, Black Vultures and a deer.

Bald Eagle on the tower and I believe the other bird is a Black Vulture.


Bald Eagle in flight


An adult Bald Eagle standing next to a juvenile Bald Eagle.


Great Blue Herons were seen up and down the river, great views from the river trail.


More Great Blue Herons, there is a heronry or rookery located in the trees across the river. 


Two Eagles and 5 Great Blue Herons, can your find them all?


Black Vultures hang by the parking lot, some were on top of the cars that were parked. 


I zoomed in on this white-tailed deer, it was on the island in the middle of the river. 



I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments! 








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

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday!


These are some images from our visit to Maryland's Western Shore, we visited the Piney Point Lighthouse located on the Potomac River near the Chesapeake Bay. Beside the lighthouse there is the Keepers House and a Museum. 

Osprey with two young. 



It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in sight. Only blue sky!


 Piney Point Lighthouse and the Keepers House.











Trail to the water.



The pier and view of the Potomac River. There are 50 major rivers that pour into the bay. Everything flows downstream that means we need to keep our rivers, streams and creeks clean. 


A group of Terns and Gulls



In this one area we saw 4 Osprey nests and close to 6 Osprey.  There was a sign on this pier that had info on the Chesapeake Osprey. It said the Chesapeake Bay estuary supports the largest breeding Osprey population in the country. I am not sure if this is still true, I hope so. 



Sharing a Google map of our Maryland Western Shore trip. 





I am thankful for blue skies and pretty views. 

I am thankful Maryland wants to keep the Chesapeake Bay clean. 

I am thankful for all your visits and comments. 




Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday
Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Happy Monday, enjoy your day and new week!

Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!

Monday, July 23, 2018

Maryland's Western Shore

Hello and happy Monday!

Hubby and I took an overnight trip to Maryland's Western Shore, visiting and staying at Solomon's Island Maryland. Our first stop was at the Ann Marie Sculpture Garden in Dowell Maryland. 


The Ann Marie Sculpture Garden consist of 30 forested acres with a walking path. The sculptures can be found all along the path and there was a collection of Fairy Gardens found in the forest. Some of the sculptures are permament and some are on loan. I am sharing a few of my favorites and a mosaic of the fairy homes and gardens. 



Triple Sheep


Name: Large head with Beard


Resting


The Cardinal


The Hand



Various fairies houses and garden were found along the path. 



The Junk Art made out of soda cans and tops and recycle trash. 




The wood carvings were awesome and some of my favorites found in the sculpture garden. 


I like this cute painting on the tree. 


Cute sculpture in the garden. I heard and saw some real birds walking on the trail through the forest like the woodpeckers and other song birds. No photos of the real birds.





Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.



Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!
I hope to see you there. Thanks to the host today. Enjoy your day and new week.

As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

Saturday, July 21, 2018

Saturday's Critters #240

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!


If you love all God's creatures 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 images from my visit to North Beach, Maryland.

Snowy Egret


Barn Swallow


I am guessing this is a Yellowlegs, not sure though.


Osprey,  one of many seen around the Chesapeake Bay.


The Osprey was perched on this tower.


Double-crested Cormorants.



I am again guessing, this is a Snowy Egret.



I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments ! 






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

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday!


During our one night two day visit to the New River Gorge Bridge and National Park we visited the Sandstone Falls and the visitor center. They were working on the road back to the Sandstone Falls so it took a while to drive there. It was worth putting up with the road work to see this pretty spot of the park. Sandstone Falls is 1500 feet wide and is made up of a network of boardwalks and little islands.

Early morning fog was hanging around the mountains near the New River.




The Sandstone Falls at the New River Gorge Park. It was a pretty day for a hike at the park and waterfalls.


Sitting in the car waiting our turn for the road to open back up, I noticed a few Baltimore Orioles in the trees in from the car.


Some of the birds seen on the Sandstone Falls island walk. Great-crested Flycatcher, Chickadee, Cardinal and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo.


I watched two Yellow-billed Cuckoos in a tree top. I was only able to capture one in my photos. 


The beautiful Indigo Bunting. 


The boardwalk trail leads to several islands at the Sandstone Falls. 


Swallowtail butterflies were hanging about.


The Great-crested Flycatcher posed for a photo. 


Sandstone Falls is part of the New River Gorge National Park, we stopped at the visitor center for a quick visit. There was this pretty Trumpet Honeysuckle outside the visitor center. I like the display of stones with the message:

"Our Parks, our watersheds, they belong to us all. Each one of us must help to protect the watershed we live in."







I am thankful to all the people who keep their parks, towns and neighborhood clean. 

I am thankful to visit our National Parks, our country is beautiful. 

I am thankful for the road crews, they have a hard job. 

I am thankful for all your visits and comments. 




Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday
Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Happy Monday, enjoy your day and new week!

Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!

Happy Monday!

  Wishing everyone a great day and a ha ppy new week! "Calm is a super power. Don't let stress kill your happiness." "Jud...