Saturday, March 13, 2021

Saturday Critters # 378

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!

Spring forward, YAY.  Tonight, I will be happy to change my clocks an hour ahead for more daylight.   I am sharing some birds hubby and I saw during a recent visit to Maryland's Eastern shore. We drove the wildlife drive at Bombay Hook NWR along the way.  We are still keeping our safe distance due to COVID, we felt safe not having to get out of our car. So these photos are all taken from my car on the wildlife drive.

1. On the road that leads to the wildlife drive entrance, we noticed what must have been thousands of Snow Geese. 




2. The Snow Geese were far back on the field, I tried zooming in for a closer look.



3. I usually try to check out the fields along side the road leading into the wildlife refuge. Various birds have been seen in the past, this day we saw what I am guessing is a female Horned Lark.




4. At the beginning of the wildlife drive we noticed two Bald Eagles. It looks one was having a conversation with the other eagle. 





5. Further along the wildlife drive we saw the Northern Harrier, Yellow-rumped Warbler and a few Eastern Bluebirds. 





6.  The Great Blue Herons were seen all along the drive, a Snow Goose hidden in the grasses, a second Great Blue Heron seen close to a Belted Kingfisher. 




7.  Yellowlegs, Lesser or Greater?  






8.  Great Egret with a Great Blue Heron.





9.  A pair of Common Mergansers. 



10. A group of Tundra Swans all tucked in with a  couple of Canada Geese.







I hope you enjoyed my birds and post this week. I will have  more post on the bird sightings from this little trip to Ocean City Maryland. I am looking forward to seeing your critter post and photos.  

 

 Thanks to all my visitors and for your 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.

128 comments:

orchid0324 said...

Dearest Eileen; Surprised to see SO many Snow Geese(♡^.^♡) Lovely sweet birdies as always. Egrets and Herons ; I can see frequently p;) Thank you very much for Hosting.
Miyako*

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Eileen what a sight to see so many Snow geese. You certainly saw a lot of critters on your drive. Thanks for hosting, stay safe and have a wonderful weekend.

Mae Travels said...

The snow geese look beautiful. I think they are unusual here in Michigan, but several of the other species you saw have also been seen here recently. Nice photos!

be safe... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Nancy Chan said...

Wow! I have never seen such big gathering of birds in one place! A fruitful drive for you and hubby because you were able to capture so many photos of many varieties of birds. Have a beautiful weekend.

Cloudia said...

What a cornucopia of birds, Eileen! Wow!

Joy@aVintageGreen said...

Thank you Eileen for sharing so many photos of birds in their habitat. Appreciated. The heron is always my favourite.
Joy

italiafinlandia said...

How nice that larks are around! This really means spring.
Here no sign of larks, yet, but I saw a few lapwings.
It has snowed these days so we are still in the middle of the winter, but a lot of light more.
Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your weekend!
Thanks for hosting.

Ella said...

Hello Eileen,
Your photos are very beautiful as always!
The Bald Eagles are gorgeous! I see that there is no more snow and that means that Spring is in sight!
Have a nice weekend!

Irma said...

Hi Eileen,
Wonderful series of photos and collages from your trip.
The bald eagle and the kingfisher are my favorite.
Would you like to post my link I can't do it.
I wish you a good weekend.
Greetings Irma

Marit said...

Hello Eileen,

Beautiful photos as always. So many Snow Geeses! The Bald Eagle is so pretty. The Belted Kingfisher is a very cute and funny bird.
Take care, and have a Happy Weekend!

rupam sarma said...

So beautiful post. Awesome clicks.
Happy Weekend.

Phil Slade said...

Crikey Eileen. That's some picture of the Snow Geese. Hard to get an even approximate count I think. Perhaps settle for “many thousands”?

You saw a little of everything on your drive with raptors, warblers, kingfishers and herons. I'm far from an expert on yellow legs as we don't get them here in the UK. But from memory, I think your photo may have captured both Greater and Lesser.

Thanks for the link today. Stay warm in your still snowy days.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Miyako!
It was great to see the Snow Geese during their migration.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Spotting that wee bird in that big field with that camouflage earns you my medal points for today!!! How lovely to go out and about and find such as these. Have a great weekend! YAM xx

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Margaret! The refuge is a great spot to see the migrating birds.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Mae!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Nancy! It is fun to catch the birds during their migration.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Cloudia!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Joy!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Luisella!
These Larks are seem more in the winter months here. We could possible have a winter mix next week.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ella!
Our winter is not over yet, we may still see a snowstorm next week.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Irma!
I love the Kingfishers, they are cool birds.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marit!
The Kingfisher is one of my favorites too.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the visit and comment!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Phil! The Snow geese are amazing to see, I would not even try to count them.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Yam! I was happy to find the Lark on the field, it did blend in well.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

Jeevan said...

Wow, that's a countless number of snow geese to amaze! And lovely capture on many other birds from the drive. I liked how the swans tucked and eagles conversing type of shots.
Hope you enjoy the weekend. Take care

NatureFootstep said...

how wonderful to see that many birds in one day. The snow geese are such beautiful ones. The mergansers I have seen one pair also. And a few ducks. I envy you your nature and wildlife. When I go out I can count viewed birds on my fingers. They are rare! :( Glad you are safe!

Bill said...

Beautiful captures of the birds. What an incredible sight to see all those snow geese. Nice shots of the eagles! Have a great weekend and thanks for hosting.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

It has been a long time since I saw a flock of Snow Geese like that, Eileen. It is always an impressive experience. Even a single Snow Goose is rare here.

Tom said...

...I've only seem snow geese here once and certainly not as many as you saw. Thanks for sharing, I lost count. Take care and have a wonderful week ahead.

Jenn Jilks said...

All those birds. It is amazing. We are anxiously awaiting ours! Thanks for hosting.

Martha said...

Beautiful critter shots, I especially like the first two photos of the Snow Geese!

Melbourne Australia Photos said...

A lovely selection of birds, Eileen, and an impressive showing of snow geese!

My Desktop Daily said...

PS: Thanks for hosting, Eileen, have a great new week!

Jeanie said...

Wow! I've seen a lot of geese but a murmuration? Wow! Fabulous! (And probably very loud!)

Debbie said...

WoW!!! this looks like the perfect spot for a nature lover to be!! those are spectacular images of the snow geese, i have never seen anything like that. this certainly appears to be a "super fun, ride in the car" how nice that you were able to see so many little song birds as well!! i have never seen a northern harrier although i know of friends who have seen them in this area!!

i think my favorite picture is that of the bluebird. how nice of that bird to sit in front of all those branches for a picture!!

i enjoyed all of your images today eileen. it was so nice to see a post from you today, i have missed seeing you more frequently. i hope you are doing well, enjoy the weekend and many thanks for hosting!!

Hootin Anni said...

All those geese!! I'd STILL betaking photos. What a phenomenal sight!

Rostrose said...

Dearest Eileen,
there really are thousands and thousands of Snow Geese! The group of Tundra Swans and the conversation of the eagles were also wonderful :-) And I was very delighted about the many songbirds and waterfowl!
Lots of hugs from Austria,
Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2021/03/ende-februar-anfang-marz-2021.html

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Traude!
The geese and bird sightings was a treat!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Anni!
Seeing these large flocks of Geese is always amazing, they are so loud.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Debbie!
The Bluebird is always a favorite of mine too.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jeanie!
Yes, the Geese were very loud.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Nick!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks again, Nick!
Have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Martha!
I looks forward to seeing the sight of these geese migrating every year.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jenn!
The spring birds are arriving, I thought I heard a Phoebe this morning.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Tom!
I did not even try to count, there were too many. I could not fit them all onto one photo.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you David!
Seeing these migrating geese is an impressive sight.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Bill!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Monica!
I think you would enjoy this area during the spring migration.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jeevan!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

Barbara Rogers said...

wonderful shots of birds...I laughed at your interpretation of the eagles...I think you're right!

DeniseinVA said...

That must have been amazing to see all those snow geese take flight. Just amazing! Great series of photos at Bombay Hook. Thanks to you I was able to go there a few years ago. It is time we made the trip back. Thanks so much Eileen and have a great weekend :)

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

The Snow geese really are something to get to see! I know you were glad you drove out there! WOW! Amazing! Enjoy your weekend!

Kenneth Cole Schneider said...

An unbelievably huge biomass of Snow Geese! The merganser pair are beautiful. That could be an immature Horned Lark ans the adult females are patterned more like the males but duller. Would not hazard a guess about the yellowlegs-- The bill of one looks slightly upturned but it is not very long as expected with Greater Yellowlegs. Would love to see those Tundra Swans in person.

Inger said...

I love your pictures of all these birds and so admire your knowledge of who they are.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Barbara!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Denise!
Bombay Hook NWR is a great place to visit in the Spring. The Egrets and Herons plus all the shorebirds arrive.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Diane!
It was a great little getaway, wonderful bird sightings.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ken!
We did get to see more Tundra Swans, I did guess at the female Horned Lark.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Inger!
Some of my id's were guesses, I am always learning.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

Red said...

We are on the western edge of the snow geese migration. Sometimes we see them and sometimes we don't.

HappyK said...

WOW so many snow geese!!! So many wonderful photos of the birds you encounter and your knowledge of them is impressive.

Rose said...

I started to look at this earlier on the phone and just thought wait and see on computer. Cannot imagine seeing all of these. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE seeing snow geese like that. Love the Kingfisher...I can never get a decent shot of one. Any day I see an eagle is a great day!

How's that grandbaby? Is he growing like a weed? I hope all things are going well.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Red!
It is cool to see these geese during their migration.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Dee!
It was one of the icy ponds, I am sure their butts were cold.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Karen!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Rose!
It is cool seeing the geese migrating and the Kingfisher is one of my favorites too.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

Diane said...

Greetings Eileen, love the snow geese and all lovely pictures. We are finally starting to have drier days and more sun.

Hugs diane

Jocelyn is Canadian Needle Nana said...

That many snow geese was just mind boggling. So many great captures of the big and the small ...you sure know where to look it seems. I've seen a couple of Canada geese here now and the bird song has just begun so spring is happening slowly but surely here in Ontario.

21 Wits said...

Good morning Eileen, what a group of critter photos you've shared again today, I'm not good with names of them all but the cute little one with the charming tall feathers on top of his head, priceless! I'm hoping to catch some photos of Killdeer which used to nest around here years ago, and I think a family has finally returned. Enjoy your weekend.

RedPat said...

I can't believe the number of Snow Geese, Eileen! That must have been thrilling to see!

Lea said...

Great photos!
Huge flock of Snow Geese - I am amazed!
Have a wonderful weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Diane!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jocelyn!
I am lucky to live in a state that includes the bird's migration path.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Karen!
I hope you get to see the Killdeer and nest.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you RedPat! Yes, it was a thrill to see the Snow Geese.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Lea!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

carol l mckenna said...

Wow! Such a variety of feathered friends ~ amazing amount of geese ~ great photos even from the car ~ lovely drive for you both ~ Happy Weekend to You ~

Living moment by moment,

A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

bread&salt said...

Amazing images! I feel myself that i am in Manyas region / Birds Heaven. Greetings from Turkey.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Carol!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the visit and comment!
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

William Kendall said...

Blue herons are a treat to watch.

Owlfarmer said...

Eileen, these are just great! We have lots of egrets and herons around here, but only see any kind of honkers on flyby. I do envy the abundance of birdlife around you. Thanks for stopping by the Farm, and it looks like you may well be getting a vaccination sooner rather than later.

ellen b. said...

Experiencing those snow geese in person as they all descend together is so amazing. Wonderful photos Eileen. So many great bird photos. thank you Eileen. I hope your weekend is a good one.

Marie Smith said...

The photo of all the snow geese is incredible. It must be incredible to see and hear them. I would love to be there too.

Small City Scenes said...

Love all your bird shot of course but I really like seeing the Northern Harrier. We used to have one hunting in our field almost nightly--loved to watch him/her. And the sleeping Swan---precious. Thank you. Of course the Snow Geese and eagles are special too.
MB

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

That was a wonderful birding drive! Loving all of them , envious of the great kingfisher photo ...I see them but *never * get a decent picture. The snow geese are wonderful. We saw a flyover one fall in New Mexico ...it was awe inspiring!

Linda said...

Wonderful birds! Thanks for hosting.

chica said...

Eileen,tuas fotos muito lindas sempre! E desejo boa nova estação! beijos, chica

baili said...

dear Eileen
thank you so much for transforming my world with such gorgeous feathery friends ,i really love looking at the most flattering part of the Nature through your camera :) wonderful job as always !
blessings !

eileeninmd said...

Thank you William!
Have a great day and a happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the visit and comment!
We hope to get the vaccination soon as possible.
Have a great day and a happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ellen!
Have a great day and a happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marie!
It is an incredible sight to see all these geese, they are very loud.
Have a great day and a happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you MB!
I enjoy watching the Harrier on the hunt.
Have a great day and a happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sallie!
I remember seeing the geese in New Mexico too. They are always a treat to see such a large group!
Have a great day and a happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda!
Have a great day and a happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Chica!
Have a great day and a happy new week!

Anni said...

Eileen, that flock of snow geese would have me speechless. Have a glorious week ahead & thanks so much for linking up at IRBB this week!

MadSnapper said...

The only Critter we have on our post today is Beau! So glad you got to go up there and see y'all this it's really beautiful I know how much you love getting out. Even from the car! It looks like millions of g e s e to me not thousands

Teresa said...

Preciosos pájaros, me encantó verlos. Besos.

Sondra said...

Hi Eileen, really nice post, I love that Kingfisher with the fish...perfect shot. SO MANY Snow Geese, a billion I reckon. What a wonderful place!! I wish they would leave the clock on EDT it's so much better. BUT I am running an hour late already....take care!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Baili!
Enjoy your day, have a great new week!

Yvonne said...

I so love your photos, especially the snow geese. I saw them fly in over my apartment I was at ages ago when I lived in Nevada, and it was spectacular watching them doing their tilting maneuvers before they landed. Must be heaven living close to an area with such an abundance of birds. Thank you for your nice comment on my blog. Take care.

jp@A Green Ridge said...

Absolutely AMAZING seeing all the Snow Geese, Eileen!!! What a remarkable day of birding and enjoying the fresh air...jp

The Padre said...

That Blue Bird Has A Really Blue Head - Way Cool - Gotta Love A Baldy As Well - Happy Pi My Shadow Friends

Cheers

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Anni!
I hope you have a happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks Sandra!
We were happy to get away for a change in scenery and to see the birds.
Have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Teresa!
Have a happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sondra!
Happy Birding, have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Yvonne!
It is a thrill to see these huge flocks of geese.
Enjoy your day, have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you JP!
Enjoy your day, have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the visit and comment!
Enjoy your day, have a great new week!

Rain said...

Oh that Belted Kingfisher...I've had hair days like that lol! All of your photos are beautiful but my gosh...those geese...wow...so many!!! :) Thanks for your comment about Marlene btw...she continues to improve!! :)

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Rain! I am so happy that Marlene is improving, that is great news!
Take care, enjoy your week ahead!

Lowcarb team member said...

I always enjoy your Saturday Critters posts.
A big WOW to seeing so many Snow geese.
I enjoyed all of the photographs you've shared.

Wishing you a good week ahead.

All the best Jan

Lady Fi said...

Those snow geese are amazing.

Jo said...

Hi Eileen, I have finally managed to get here. Thank you for sharing your beautiful birds and for sharing this meme. My absolute favorite is the Belted Kingfisher. I have linked up. Have a great week. Jo

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jan!
Have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda! Enjoy your trip to Chincoteague!
Take care, enjoy your day!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks so much for the comment and visit.
Take care, enjoy your day!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jo! I am always happy to see your critter post and links.
Have a great day!

Maria said...

Saint Michael the Archangel defend us from combat.🙏🏼 Be our shield against visible and invisible enemies.🙏🏼

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Maria!
Have a happy day!

Angie said...

Eileen - oh my goodness, so many fabulous bird photos. I think my favorite is the kingfisher with the fish in its beak! And the bluebirds always make me so happy - it is something about the color that just really stands out for me!!! Enjoy your upcoming weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Angie! I love the Bluebirds too, they have always been a favorite for me.
Take care, enjoy your weekend!

Happy Monday!

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