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!!  😊

93 comments:

Marit said...

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!

MadSnapper said...

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

David M. Gascoigne, said...

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.

Tom said...

...the first image is fabulous!!!

DIMI said...

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...

chica said...

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

Hootin Anni said...

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

Barbara Rogers said...

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

Yamini MacLean said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Tom! Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

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!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Chica! Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Anni! Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Barbara! Take care,stay safe! Have a great day!

Stefania said...

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

Marie Smith said...

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

rupam sarma said...

Amazing views. Beautiful pics.
Stay well.

Irma said...

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

Sondra said...

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.

Jean said...

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!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

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!

Rose said...

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.

Vera said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you YAM! Have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the comment!
Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks so much,Irma!
Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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!

At Home In New Zealand said...

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 :)

Bill said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thanks Vera!
Take care, stay safe! Have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

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!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

beautiful blue skies

Su-sieee! Mac said...

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!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

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

italiafinlandia said...

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!

RedPat said...

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

Cloudia said...

A wonderful cure for what ails us, E

A Bit of the Blarney said...

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

Red said...

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

Jenn Jilks said...

Youare right. Simple pleasures!

ellen b. said...

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!

Jeanie said...

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!

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

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

Kay said...

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.

Nanda kumar said...

Fantastic cool blue skies

Susie of Arabia said...

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!

Marco Luijken said...

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

magiceye said...

Beautiful captures as always!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Carol! Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Alan! Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks so much for the comment!
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you! Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Dee! Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Cloudia! Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank You Red! Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jenn!
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Kim!
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the comment.
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marco!
Have a great weekend!

Sharon Wagner said...

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

Lowcarb team member said...

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

This N That said...

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

HappyK said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jan!
Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Missy!
Enjoy your day, wishing you a happy weekend!

J C said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thanks Karen!
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

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

Diane said...

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

Hugs Diane

Debbie said...

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!!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Diane! Take care, enjoy your day!

eileeninmd said...

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!

Helma said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

chica said...

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

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