Thursday, July 30, 2020

Happy Thankful Thursday!


Hello everyone,

Can you believe we only have only more day left in the month of July?   These are some sky images from our most recent visit to the Blackwater Wildlife refuge in Maryland.  I hope you are not tired of seeing birds, because I took a lot of photos. Mostly birds, some shadow and  scenic shots.  


This is a peaceful Blackwater NWR scene. I love the clouds reflecting on the water and the line of trees in the distance.




 Hubby and I are always thankful to be able to getaway, even if it is only for a short time.  During these stressful Covid times, we needed a change of scenery.  I am always thankful for all thing nature related, nature is soothing for my mind.  They say nature sounds can relax your mind and ease stress.  



Me and my shadow at Blackwater NWR, Red-winged Blackbird, Blackwater wetlands, the Marsh lookout.




"The more grateful I am the more beauty I see." Mary Davis




 Is it a Five-lined Skink? Is it missing a tail? 


 We saw lots of Ospreys on the nest, this Osprey is busy taking care of 3 young. 


 The Bald Eagles were seen near and far, this one was on a pole that held the wildlife web camera.


 There was a Great Blue Heron rookery, I could hear the babies clicking and clacking..


 The Great Blue Heron looks very hot, cooling off with it's beak and wings open. 


 A Bald Eagle seen far off the wildlife drive. 




Keep your soul rooted in gratitude and your branches open to blessings." Mary Davis

The Osprey also known as the Fish Hawk, Sea Hawk or River Hawk. They live near open water that has an abundant supply of fish.


 Lone Gull, Blackwater reflection..


 I am thankful for the simple pleasures. I am guessing this is the  Pennant dragonfly. May we find joy in the small things.



Be Kind! Kindness changes the world, one heart at a time!!  Take care and stay safe! 


Live simple and be happy!  😊 Take care, keep smiling!


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


Thank you for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!!  😊

94 comments:

  1. Hello,

    Beautiful photo of the clouds! They look very pretty. All the birds are pretty too. The Osprey are called Fish Eagle here in Norway.
    Enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Marit,
      I have the Osprey being called Fish Eagles. Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  2. These are all amazing. I love the shadowshow out of y'all on the deck in the green. And those baby Osprey are adorable! I've never seen a hair and sit or stand like that that's pretty cool

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Sandra! I have fun with our shadows.. The Osprey were cute.
      Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  3. It is rarely that I see Osprey with three young. It probably speaks to the biomass of fish available that they are able to bring three young to fledging.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello David,
      We saw 2-3 young Osprey on every nest. The fishing must be great at Blackwater NWR!
      Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  4. ...the first image is fabulous!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Tom! Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  5. Hello Eileen!
    Great post and stunning pictures!
    The truth is that nature sound can relax the mind and the soul too!
    Such a lovely place you visit! Everything looks so beautiful and peaceful!
    Like the birds shots,the great reflection in the lake and the Ospreys with the little ones on the nest!
    Thank you for sharing this beauty! Have a lovely day! Stay safe!
    Dimi...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Dimi,
      Anything nature related is peaceful for me. It felt good to getaway.
      Thank you for the comment and visit. Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  6. Maravilhosas fotos e sabes bem que como tu, adoro céus e a natureza toda olhar! beijos, chica

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Chica! Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  7. My favorites today are the 1st one of the clouds & the osprey trio.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Anni! Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  8. What wonderful pictures...thanks for the quotes too. Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Barbara! Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  9. Hari OM
    Oooh, I love hour photos purely from the photographics of them today - particularly the first one and also the second-last... they'd look great framed on the wall! YAM xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. Eh già, Luglio è "volato via", ormai si stà preparando per fare spazio al mese sucessivo.
    Complimenti per le splendide fotografie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  11. Such beautiful creatures. Time in nature heals the spirit for me. Thank you for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Marie,
      Thank you for the comment! I agree about time spent in nature, it is healing.
      Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  12. Amazing views. Beautiful pics.
    Stay well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the comment!
      Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  13. Beautiful photos and collage Eileen.
    Photo 5 is my favorite.
    Best regards Irma

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much,Irma!
      Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  14. Hi Eileen, that is a wonderful place, I hope you get to go there often...the puffy clouds and the bird photos so great. I have been ill so all week on the couch...hope to be back out there soon and really need some lower tempts, I feel like that Heron with my wings up and my tongue out.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Sondra!
      I hope you feel better soon, Thanks for visiting!
      Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  15. Your photos are gorgeous! And those quotes, the one about kindness is so true! Glad you were able to getaway a bit. Have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the visit and comment.
      Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  16. So many beautiful photos in this post. Love the baby Osprey and Eagle of course! The Heron is a funny pose and I like the Lone Gull...that would be a beautiful photo to have printed. Enjoy your day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Diane,
      The Heron did look funny, it was hot that day.
      Thanks so much for the comment.
      Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  17. Oh, my, Eileen! I so love these...love the osprey shots, love the eagle. And I love that first shot, too. And a great dragonfly shot. I don't know why I like dragonflies so much, but they fascinate me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Rose,
      I did love the first scene, it is a beautiful place to visit.
      Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  18. I always enjoy your pictures. Love red winged blackbirds - that's a great shot showing the red and the yellow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Vera!
      Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  19. I have seen skinks lose their tail when caught by a predator as it gives them a chance to escape. I believe it usually grows again.
    Thanks for the lovely post - nature is so restorative :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello,
      It is good to know the skink's tail will grow back. Thanks for the comment..
      Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

      Delete
  20. Beauty everywhere! Your photos are always a pleasure to the eyes Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Bill!
      Enjoy your day, have a great weekend ahead.

      Delete
  21. Thank you! Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Very cool photos, Eileen. The reflection photo is my favorite among this bunch. The photo of the cooling bird cracks me up. The bird looks like it has a good story to tell :-) I never tire of seeing birds, especially ones I've never seen before, and probably won't because I live in the wrong part of the world. Cheers, Eileen!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Susie! I always love seeing the birds and any wildlife.
      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  23. I love the shadow selfie in addition to the other great photos. You certainly know how to make the most of an outing.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Awwww!...The Osprey with its chicks is awesome.
    You certainly deserved a getaway, these times are so stressing!
    Take care always and have a nice rest of week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for the comment!
      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  25. A lovely post, Eileen! I particularly like the shadow pic of you two against the reeds! I always like seeing your bird pics!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Poor little lizard. Looks like he had a rough day.

    Love the photo of the osprey. Looks like she has about had it with her babies today. LOL

    ReplyDelete
  27. A wonderful cure for what ails us, E

    ReplyDelete
  28. Wonderful photos! The Blackwater reflection is just amazing and the blue is sooooo vivid! Have a wonderful day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the visit and comment.
      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  29. You've found some biggies here. I also like red winged black birds as they are so noisy.

    ReplyDelete
  30. How very wonderful that you could have a little getaway! I'm thinking our next getaway will be after Dear's shop is fully enclosed. LOL! You got to see some amazing birds and your photos are fabulous. Happy end of July to you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Ellen!
      Good luck with the shop.
      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  31. It sounds like a lovely and needed excursion -- and any time you have a heron in the picture, you know I'm right on board!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jeanie!
      I love the Herons, all the birds actually.
      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  32. Hi Eileen! Another fun post with great pictures and perfect quotes! I love the Osprey family!

    ReplyDelete
  33. You have some outstanding shots here, and what an abundance of beautiful birds and scenery! This truly looks like a perfect place to soothe the soul. You came to the right place for an outing away from it all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kay! It is a beautiful place, a great spot for birding.
      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  34. Replies
    1. Thank you for the comment.
      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  35. The clouds in the very first photo appear to just be hanging there in the sky. That skink is interesting - don't think I've ever seen one. We have osprey here in Saudi Arabia too - a few years ago we were fortunate to see a nest with three hatchlings too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Susie! It is not often I see a skink.
      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  36. Hello Eileen,
    What a fantastic post you show again.
    Great to see the first two pictures (and collage) of that beautiful nature area. So amazing.
    And fantastic shots of the birds, the ospreys are so nice. I have enjoy this post Eileen.

    Greetings, Marco

    ReplyDelete
  37. Replies
    1. Thank you for the visit and comment.
      Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy weekend!

      Delete
  38. I love the blessings quote. And all your nature photos. It was a good day for ospreys and such. Florida's finest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sharon.
      Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy weekend!

      Delete
  39. July has gone by so quickly.
    Lovely photographs in your post, such a great collection of different things and wonderful views.
    It is so nice to be out in natures beauty.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jan!
      Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy weekend!

      Delete
  40. I never get tired of your birdies..That Dragonfly is amazing..Have a happy weekend..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Missy!
      Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy weekend!

      Delete
  41. Fantastic photos. That first one is my favorite. Picture perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  42. This is a most beautiful, peaceful post. I enjoyed being with you on your trip.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for the comment and visit.
      Have a great weekend!

      Delete
  43. My gosh what great pictures, it is like being there. What fun you must have seeing all the wildlife.

    Hugs Diane

    ReplyDelete
  44. you are right about july, it flew by...how could we possibly be right on top of august?!?! this is a great post eileen, you sure do have the best spots for viewing a lot of wildlife. i love the mary davis quote, it just has a way of making me feel good.

    i have been seeing a lot of osprey, both in posts and along the way when we are out on drives! i think the first picture is my favorite, clouds and reflections, they go so well together!! i have figured things out with my blog, so i will see you tomorrow!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Debbie,
      The days, months and the first half of the year have gone by so quickly. I enjoyed the Ospreys, always great to see them doing so well. Thanks for the comment and visit. Take care, enjoy your day!

      Delete
  45. Hello Eileen,
    great pictures of the ospreys !!!!
    Great to be able to photograph it so beautifully. Many a photographer would have liked to be in your shoes :-)
    I enjoyed it again :-)
    Greetings, Helma

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Helma! It was great seeing all the Ospreys and their nest! Enjoy your day!

      Delete
  46. Eileen,vim avisar que acaba de entrar um céu teu! Obrigadão! Podes ver aqui:

    https://ceuepalavras.blogspot.com/2021/01/blog-post.html

    bjs, tudo de bom,chica

    ReplyDelete

Hello, thank you for visiting my blog. I always appreciate your comments.

BTW, Anonymous comments unless a name is included will not be published. Also, comments with links will be deleted.

Have a happy day, Eileen

Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a ha ppy new week! "Sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts." Rick's Cafe, N...