Monday, November 30, 2020

Our World, My World

 Hello, Happy Monday!


This is what's happening in my world,  as usual time is flying by. Can you believe it the last day of November? Hubby and I enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving dinner, just the two of us. We had so many leftovers and I made turkey noodle soup, some had to go in the freezer. 

1. We try to stay active, taking our walks on the local fire roads.  We had some days when I had to wear my heavier winter coat to keep warm. During one of our walks, I could hear a Bald Eagle.  They can make some weird sounds, then I saw it flying away.  Other birds seen and heard, some Canada Geese on the lake and a fussy Carolina Wren. I could hear some Red-bellied Woodpeckers and there was a Northern Flicker nearby.

 

2.  A view of my shadow and the lake in the distance, the trees are now bare except for the pine trees.  This is the spot I saw the Bald Eagle flying away. 


3. I could zoom in on a group of Canada Geese floating on the lake below the fire road.


4.   The Carolina Wren, a common bird seen in my area year round. This bird is around 5 inches and it has the white streak above the eye.




5. We have some hills to go up and down on our fire roads and we usually stop after reaching the top to catch our breath. This fussy Carolina Wren did not like us stopping or it did not like it's photo taken. 

 

After our walk, I am now back in our yard.  I like to check out our the trees and plants and the birds.


6. Bittersweet is a native vine, it has a bloom in spring and the  yellow-orange-red berries in the fall. These berries are a favorite berry for various bird species. The can grow up to 30ft tall, these berries below are on the top of a tree in the back part of our yard.


7.  I recently shared photos of the male Red-breasted Nuthatch below is the female. She has more of a white breast and some paler rusty parts, it has a black cap and a stripe near the eye. This Nuthatch is  a little over 4inches long.

 

8. November 29th's full moon is known as the Beaver Moon. On Nov 29-30 there was a lunar eclipse. The final eclipse of 2020, was the longest lasting eclipse, a total of 4 hours 29minutes and some 59 seconds.  Did you see the eclipse in your area?





Hubby and I continue to stay safe and healthy. The positivity rate in Maryland according to the Johns Hopkins track testing website is at 5.3%. For comparison numbers our neighboring states of Pennsylvania's rate is 26.6% and Virginia is at 8.0% in each of these states the numbers are going up.   A rate 5 or below is considered to be good.  Be safe, wear your mask and keep your distance.  Wishing everyone good health, take care and stay safe!

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.



 
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, November 28, 2020

Saturday's Critters #363

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!


Hello and happy Saturday!


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!


1. The Red-breasted Nuthatch is one of my favorite yard birds. I only see them in my yard every few years. Below is the adult male Red-breasted Nuthatch.

 

 
2. The adult male Red-breasted Nuthatch has more of the reddish orange belly and sides. The female is paler underneath.
 
 

 
3. The Carolina Wren is a year round bird seen in my yard.
 
 

 
 
4.  The white-breasted Nuthatch is another one of my regular year round birds.
 
 

5. Below is a Carolina Chicakdee and you can see the back of a Tufted Titmouse.




 
 
6.  Below some of my yard birds:
Top row are a Red-breasted Nuthatch and White-breasted Nuthatch. 
Second row is the Carolina Wren and the male Downy Woodpecker. Third row is the American Goldfinch and a Carolina Chickadee with a Tifted Titmouse. 


 
 7.  Pine Siskins arrived on Nov 18th.  The Pine Siskins have a thin bill, streaks on the chest with a bit of yellow on their sides. I've been waiting for them to show up, they were being seen all over the state.



 
I hope you enjoyed seeing my yard birds,  bird watching is my simple pleasure. 




Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post.


Here is my linky:



 

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

 

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Happy Thanksgiving!

 Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

May the blessings of this Thanksgiving fill your heart and home! 

Even though we are not all spending Thanksgiving with our families we do have so much to be thankful for! Hubby and I will enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner, just the two of us. I hope wherever you spend your Thanksgiving you stay safe and healthy!



I am thankful for my hubby and for a yummy Thanksgiving dinner. 

I am thankful for all my blog visitors, for your nice comments. 

I am thankful for the meme hosts and themes.

Enjoy every moment. Take care and stay safe! 


Live simple and be happy!  😊 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!!  😊

 

Monday, November 23, 2020

Our World, My World

 Happy Monday!

It is hard to believe it is almost the end of November, Thanksgiving is this Thursday. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.  I have much to be thankful for my hubby,  family and good health.

May all the good things in life be yours, not only at Thanksgiving but throughout the coming year!

On Nov 9th we headed home through Delaware stopping for a short bit at Bombay Hook NWR. We drove on the wildlife drive, it is always fun to do some drive-thru birding.  

Click on photos for better viewing.

1. We did take one short walk, during this time we saw what I think are Yellowlegs and some Ring-billed Gulls.




2.  Lunchtime.. 






3.  These photos were all taken from my car. The American Avocet, you can see the curved bill.




4.  Various shorebirds, some of the longer billed birds could be Dowitchers? 



5.  A couple of Northern Pintails seen a little closer to the wildlife drive. 




6.  A distant view of the Canada Geese, various shorebirds and some colorful trees.




7. I am guessing the birds in flight are the Dunlins, the sunlight would shine on them and they were amazing to watch.



8. The Great Egret tree, a couple of Great Blue Herons are seen one at each end.





9.  The American Avocets


10. The swan below are the non-native Mute Swans. lots of Canada Geese, ducks and coots.


11. I tried zooming in as far as I could with my camera, I still can not id all the ducks below. I do see the Canada Geese, American Coots and Wigeon.




Bombay Hook NWR ended our little getaway, it started at Blackwater NWR in Maryland, then onto Assateague Island and Ocean City Md.  We tend to see and do a lot in a little bit of time. 



Hubby and I continue to stay safe and healthy.  Be safe, wear your mask and keep your distance.  Wishing everyone good health, take care and stay safe!

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.



 
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, November 21, 2020

Saturday's Critters # 362

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!


Hello and happy Saturday!



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!


I wanted to share some more of the Bald Eagles we saw at the Conowingo Dam and Susquehanna River.  I mentioned in a previous post, the Bald Eagles  congregate in this area during their migration in the winter.
 
1. People come from all over to see and photograph the Bald Eagles.  I am not sure if it is happening this year due to Covid cancellations, but they have had Bald Eagle photo contest and an event called Eagle Day. There are 3 Eagles in the photo below. 

Click on the photos for better viewing. 

 

2. There is a rocky area below the dam, where the Bald Eagles like to sit.  Two adult Bald Eagles are seen below. 


 
 

 
 
 
3. Both the juvenile and Bald Eagles are seen along with some Black Vultures.
 

 
 
 
4. I took photos maybe every 6 feet, more adult and juvenile Bald Eagles sitting on the rocks. Sometimes all I could see was a head or their wings.  But, there is at least 7 Eagles in the photos below. 
 
You really have to click on this photo to count all the eagles.
 

 
 
5. It is fun to watch these eagles, flying around chasing each other.  At times it was like a few juveniles had fun playing a game of tag.




 
6. Bald Eagle in a tree above the parking lot. 




7.  The Great Blue Herons  have a rookery at this same spot.  As long as the river does not freeze, the herons may stay year round.  Two Great Blue Herons sitting in this tree.




  I would say there could have been 40-50 Bald Eagles, maybe more on this day, there is an island in the middle of the river blocking some of the view. 
 
 
Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post.


Here is my linky:


 

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

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Happy Thankful Thursday!

Happy Thursday!  

 I  know many people are feeling the Covid stress. Hubby and I get that antsy feeling, we had to get away.  Take advantage of the great weather.  I am continuing to share some photos from our getaway to Maryland Shore and Ocean City Maryland.  I have to say we were in the car most of the time, a few hikes and walks on the beaches.  So I have a few sky photos to share and some bird sightings. 

 

1. the first evening and Sunset at the Ocean City Inlet.  I am thankful for 2 days of beautiful weather for our getaway.

 

2. Everyone was out enjoying this great November weather, we watched the surfers and there were also some Black Ducks or Cormorants nearby.


 


3.  A scene from the Ocean City Inlet, an early morning fishing boat heading out, a Brown Pelican flying by and some color just before the sunrise.

 


 



4.  I never noticed all these locks on the fishing pier at Ocean City. I am guessing the gull is the Ring-billed Gull.

 




5.  The sunrise next to the fishing pier in Ocean City Maryland.





6. Banded Terns on the Ocean City Inlet beach. These are the Royal Terns, thanks to Sondra for the id.





7.  Two Brown Pelicans flying by us at the Ocean City Inlet. 



8. We watched 6 dolphins in the inlet at Ocean City, Md. They would take turns moving in and out of the water.  I am thankful for all my wildlife sightings.





9. A mural on a utility box and a Red Fox crossed the street near us at the Ocean City Inlet. 


 I am thankful for another great getaway. I am thankful we continue to stay safe and healthy. 

I hope everyone stays healthy and safe. 

Go outside and breathe deeply.  Enjoy every moment. 

Take care and stay safe! 


Live simple and be happy!  😊 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!!  😊



Monday, November 16, 2020

Our World, My World

Happy Monday everyone!

Hubby and I are missing our bigger road trips, so we  decided to take  a ride to Maryland's shore. Staying mostly in the car and a few hikes. We visited Blackwater National Wildlife refuge, Assateague Island National Seashore and Assateague State Park and Ocean City.  We did a lot, we saw the Assateague wild ponies and  lots of birds. We walked on the beach, walked on a trail at Blackwater NWR and walked on a boardwalk trail at Assateague Island National Seashore. We were outside during the trip and we were careful keeping a distance from any people and wore our mask if anyone seemed close. 

1. November 8th, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Cambridge Maryland




 

2. A Great Blue Heron on an old nest and a nearby Bald Eagle.

 


 

 

3. The most common bird at Blackwater NWR was the Canada Geese.  We missed seeing an early Snowy Owl that was being seen in Kent County which is just across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in Maryland.

 


 

 

4.  Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland. First time I saw people riding horses bareback on the beach.  They were leaving when we arrived.  The second pony below looks like one of the wild Assateague ponies. 

 


 

 

 

5.  Me and my shadow on the boardwalk trail at Assateague Island National Seashore.

 


 

 

6.  We like to ride through the campground looking for birds, usually various birds can be found on the ground around the picnic tables. This time we saw the campground host, a couple of the Assateague wild ponies.

 


 

 

7. The ponies can be found on the dunes and on the beach at Assateague. It was a warm sunny day. Lots of people enjoying the beach.

 


 

 

8. Sunset at the Ocean City Inlet. 

 


 I have more to share from our little getaway, including more Ocean City Md photos and some from Bombay Hook NWR in Delaware. We did a big loop drive, going through Delaware on the way home.


 Hubby and I are happy and healthy, I hope everyone is doing well too.

 

Wear your mask and keep your distance! 


 

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.

 
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!



Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a ha ppy new week! "One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day." "T...