Saturday's Critters #324

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!


February 29th, leap year, I read about the Leap of Kindness Day. Can we all do one random act of kindness today, on this extra day February 2020?

Be the reason someone smiles today!  😊

 I am wondering how much can this Blue Jay fit in his mouth.   My yard birds love these little peanut suet balls.  They sell them at Walmart, Home Depot, Tractor Supply and other bird supply stores.

 On Feb 25th I saw my FOY Pine Warbler at my suet feeder.  I did hear one the day before in my front yard.   I will try to get a better photo, this photo only shows his back. 

This squirrel has a bit of reddish fur, I am wondering if it was hurt in this spot and the fur grew back a different color?

Here is linky:



Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their post.


Here is a list of my linky parties;

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

Happy Thankful Thursday

 Happy Thankful Thursday


 It is hard to believe March is only a few days away.  On March 8th we spring forward an hour and it is only 21 days till spring. I am looking forward to more daylight, YAY!  






  Just a heads up, any replies will be done on my blog.  I am trying to cut back on emails and computer time.  Thank you for your comments on my last post, they are much appreciated.


One day I was looking out the window to see a cute Carolina Chickadee fussing at 2 Eastern Bluebirds.  They were arguing about who owned the birdhouse.  I am not sure who won, I am not always looking out to watch took over the house.

 While the Bluebirds were checking out the house, the Chickadee walked around the ledge fussing.  This house made by my son has 4 sections, like a condo.  

Feb 20th, while taking a walk on our local fire road I noticed the GB Herons have returned to the nest. I think this is one of the earliest times I have seen 2 Great Blue Herons on their nest in our neighborhood. 

I am thankful to for each year more herons return to our neighborhood  to nest.  The morning temperature is like 18-19°.  We go from the teens in the morning to temp in the mid 50's during the day.  

Feb 20th, 2 Great Blue Herons flying over the house and to their nest across from our driveway.

 While I was filling up my bird feeders I watched this flock of blackbirds flying over. The line of birds must have gone on for miles. The birds look like tiny black specks below with some tiny white clouds. 

 I tried to zoom in on the, but they were too high in the sky to make out what kind of bird. Most likely Starlings  and Grackles.

 I am thankful for the variety of books available as ebooks from my library. 

These are some of the books I read last week:
Pardonable Lies ( Maisie Dobbs # 3) by Jacqueline Winspear
Messenger of Truth (Maisie Dobbs #4) by Jacqueline Winspear
Find Her (DD Warren series #8) Lisa Gardner
The Body in the library (Miss Marple #3) Agatha Christie
Look for Me ( DD Warren # 9 ) Lisa Gardner
I may skip around reading different authors but I like to read the series in order.



I am always thankful for your visit and comments.
Live simple and be happy!  😊




Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday



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

Our World, My World

 Hello and Happy Monday,

February is flying by, at least it is for me.  I am looking forward to spring and walking in the warm sunshine.  But, for now these are some photos from my world, the nearby reservoir and our neighborhood. I will be happy to see green trees again. 

 "It's the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting." Paulo Coelho



Lately I have been seeing both the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers at my feeders. They both love the suet.  The Hairy Woodpecker is larger in size,  9 inches long. The Downy woodpecker is 6 1/2 inches long. The Hairy is on the left and the Downy is on the right in both of the mosaics below. 

The female Hairy Woodpecker and the female Downy Woodpecker.  The white (wider stripes) around the eye  on the Hairy Woodie also looks different. The suet feeder fits a small block of suet and is not big, you can see the smaller Downy Woodpecker does not take up much room on the feeder compared to the larger sized Hairy Woodpecker. 

 The male Hairy Woodpecker is on left and the male Downy Woodpecker is on the right.   Both male woodies have the red spots on their heads.

A view of the local fire road, one tree is down we either go around it, climb over it or turn back.

 A view of the reservoir, our lake seen through the trees.

 At the lake, way in the distance a saw a few Canada Geese, Common Mergansers and the Hooded Merganser.

"Smile more, Embrace the lessons, Love your life."

On Feb 16th we took a walk to the front part of the lake, we saw more Mergansers, and a few dogs and their humans were across the lake from us.  🌝  Dogs make me smile. 😀

Another cloudy day in the neighborhood, lake view and reflections.

Mergansers seem to be the most common waterfowl seen at our lake.

"Follow your dream, listen to your heart."


Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there.


Check out My Corner of the World  Thanks to Betty the host. 
 
Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks for visiting and commenting, have a happy day and a great new week!

Saturday's Critters #323

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 of my yard birds, I counted last weekend during the Cornell Lab's Great Backyard Bird Count weekend.  The GBBC is an online citizen-science project. Do you watch your backyard birds, have bird feeders set up in your yard and garden? These were all birds just seen from my dining room window. My count varied on Feb 14-17th with 13-15 species of birds seen just from one window. 

 Below some of the birds seen were the Eastern Bluebird, Downy Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, House Finch, Dark-eyed Junco, White-throated Sparrow, Carolina Wren. American Crows were seen flying over the yard. When filling my feeders I heard a Pileated Woodpecker drumming on a tree.

The pretty male Eastern Bluebird.  I was most surprised when 4 Eastern Bluebirds showed up on Feb 15th. They were checking out my birdhouses.

 I am calling this a Downy Woodpecker but it seemed larger in size could it be a Hairy Woodpecker.

 On the feeder below I can see 3 American Goldfinches and one male House Finch.

 A cute American Goldfinch, maybe a female?

the Dark-eyed Junco was sitting on top one our birdhouses. 

Some birds like this White-throated Sparrow likes to sit in our blueberry bushes. 

 I kept my bird count from the comfort of my house, just keeping a count of how many birds from each species was seen at one time. The Dark-eyed Junco took the highest count with 11 Juncos being seen at one time on our deck.





My linky:



Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their post.


Here is a list of my linky parties;

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

Happy Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday!



 My moon photos were taken the morning of February 9th, this full moon is also called the Snow Moon. The full moon names were adapted from the Native Americans, they gave  names to each month's full moon. Some Native Americans called February's full the Hunger Moon or the Storm Moon.   February is known to be the snowiest month. I am not sure if that is true now. 

In the mosaics, I sharing the sky and clouds seen from our deck and the forest across from our driveway.

I am always thankful for a blue sky day, even with some clouds around. 

"When you come to know nature is when you become one with our living world. One life, One World, One Sky. " Sioux Quote


I've been watching the treetops across from our driveway, I am hoping to see the Herons return to their nest.  I can see the old Great Blue Herons nest from my kitchen window.

 I had to laugh watching the smaller Downy Woodpecker waiting patiently for a chance at the suet feeder. The Red-Bellied Woodpecker took his time.

Two woodpeckers, the Red-bellied at the top and just below a Downy woodpecker..

 I like this Apache prayer.

"May the sun bring you new energy by day, May the moon softly restore you by night, may the rain wash away your worries, may the breeze blow new strength into your being, may you walk gently through the world and know it's beauty all the days of your life."

I am thankful for the small things, like being able to see the full moon during a clear sky. 

I am always thankful for your visit and comments.
Live simple and be happy!  😊




Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday




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

Our World, My World

Happy Monday,

I hope everyone is having  a happy long weekend, today is Presidents Day a holiday for most Americans. Also, it is the last day of the GBBC, the Great Backyard Bird Count. 
 
I have been trying to get outside for a walk, even with the cold weather. On this day hubby and I took walk on the NCR bike trail. It seemed like we were not the only people wanting to be outside this day. 
 

  Some bike riders passed us on the trail.

White water along the rocky section of the river. Every once in awhile we could hear the Kingfisher's rattle.  There were not many others birds around, I think I heard some Titmouse and Chickadees.

 Me and my shadow on a bridge over the river.

 Gnome land is a private garden at a home that borders the NCR bike trail. In the spring and summer there are flowers in this garden with the gnomes.




"Every child is a different kind of flower and altogether make this world a beautiful garden." unknown

 It was a pretty sky day, if only it was just a bit warmer, I did ok and kept warm with a brisk walk.

"Follow your dreams, they know the way."

What's happening in your corner of the world? Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there.


Check out My Corner of the World  Thanks to Betty the host. 
 
Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks for visiting and commenting, have a happy day and a great new week!

Saturday's Critters #322

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!


Happy President's Day weekend!
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!

Just a heads up if you are interested this is the weekend Feb 14-17th for the (GBBC) Great Backyard Bird Count. You can click here for more GBBC info.

I am sharing some more Florida birds, these Brown Pelicans were seen at the Port Orange, Dunlawton Causeway Park. This park is small but you have views of the Port Orange Wildlife Sanctuary.  It is a popular place for the local fishermen. The Sanctuary is a 4 mile stretch of islands in the Halifax River/Intracoastal Waterway.  This critical wildlife area is a nesting site for 400 pairs of Brown Pelicans.

 

The Snowy Egrets were calm, I think they were waiting for some left over fish. 

 I think this little girl was chasing the Brown Pelicans, the Great Egret did not seem to mind.

 Snowy Egret, perched on the fishing pier.

 Little Blue Heron

 The Brown Pelican below was having problems swallowing, the bird rescue was called. 

The Brown Pelicans were hoping for some handouts, the fishermen nearby maybe have been dropping bait or fish parts? 

 Brown Pelican and a Great Egret. 

My Linky






Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their post.


Here is a list of my linky parties;

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

Happy Thankful Thursday!

 Hello & Happy Thankful Thursday!

 Wishing everyone a 💕 Happy Valentine's Day 💕 !  

I hope everyone has reasons to be grateful and thankful, I am always thankful for the little things. One of the little things is to hear the Cardinal singing outside my window.  He is a happy bird to be singing so often and so loudly. Slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures in life.  

The male and some what hidden female Cardinal.  These two are daily visitors to my feeders.  

"My wish is to stay always like this, living quietly in a corner of nature."   Claude Monet  

 Sunrise seen from my kitchen window. 

 A raptor seen in the woods across from our driveway, it was a big hawk. I am guessing a Red-Shouldered Hawk? 

It was a cloudy day, as you can see the sky behind the  hawk.  I think I am getting used to cloudy skies lately. 

I am thankful for our local libraries and to be able to download library ebooks from the app called OverDrive. 

My most recent books I have read are:
The Whisper Man by Alex North
A Share in Death ( 1st in the Duncan Kincaid series) by Deborah Crombie
The Mummy Case (3rd in the Amelia Peabody series) by Elizabeth Peters.
I am now starting The Grave Talent (1st in Kate Martinelli series) by Laurie R. King.





If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere..I am thankful for the beauty of nature!
I am thankful for my hubby, he is my 💕 Valentine. 

I am always thankful for your visit and comments.
Live simple and be happy!  😊




Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday




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