Saturday, April 10, 2021

Saturday's Critters #382

 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 have some more photos from our late February getaway to Maryland's Eastern shore. On the way home from Ocean City, Md we stopped at Blackwater NWR for a ride on their wildlife drive. These photos were all taken from our car. 

1. As soon as we entered the wildlife drive we saw the Canada Geese and Tundra Swans were sharing these wetlands. 

Click on photos for larger viewing.  




2. Below are the Canada Geese in front but just past the geese is a group of Ring-necked Ducks. You can see the ducks better if you click on photo for a larger view.



3. The Mallard Ducks seem to be a common sight on these wetlands.



4. I was amazed at how many Tundra Swans were seen on this day, they migrate north for the spring/summer season. 





5. More Tundra Swans mixed in with the Canada Geese. 



6. A pretty male Northern Shoveler. 



7. The Great Blue Herons can always be seen at the wildlife refuge. They may have a rookery nearby. 





8. Another view of more Tundra Swans. 



9. There may be a controlled burn in the distance but there are even more Tundra Swans on the river and nearby wetlands. 



We saw a few eagles, the trail in the forest is closed while the Bald Eagles are nesting. I hope you enjoyed our visit to Blackwater Wildlife Refuge located in Cambridge Maryland.  

 

 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:

1.





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

130 comments:

  1. Happy Saturday to you too. Great shots of the feathered critters from the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge. Thank you for hosting.

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    1. Thank you Nancy!
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  2. Yes I certainly enjoyed seeing all the birds you saw at Blackwater Wildlife Refuge . I am amazed at the amount of Swans there were That image os the Shoveler is fantastic Eileen. Thanks for hosting, stay safe and havae a wonderful weekend.

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    1. Thank you Margaret!
      I was surprised to see so many Swans in one spot.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  3. Good population of Tundra swans. You got some great pictures, I like the Northern Shoveler and the Ring-necked and Mallard Ducks.

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

      Delete
  4. Northern Shoveler has interesting beak. I thought it's a common duck at first, but I enlarged photo. Very nice. Have a good weekend.

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    1. Thank you Klara!
      The Shoveler's bill is huge compared to other ducks.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  5. Excellent shots. Eileen. Specially like the Northern Shoveler.
    MB

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  6. Amazing number of swans, indeed. They are multiplying also here in Finland. The Northern Shoveler is a cutie, with its funny bill.
    Enjoy your outings and the upcoming weekend! Stay well!

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    1. Thank you Luisella!
      The Shoveler's bill is funny looking.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  7. wow, that´s a LOT of swans and geeze! I certainly would have loved seeing it. And the Northern Shoveler, I hope there will be some in my part of the land this season. There is more water this spring so, maybee......
    It is never fun to see burns even if controlled.
    Hope you get a great week.
    Take care!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Thank you Monica!
      I hope you see some great Spring birds moving in.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  8. Hello Eileen,

    Beautiful photos! There are huge numbers of the Canadageeses. It must be special to see so many of them.
    Happy Weekend!

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    1. Thank you Marit!
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  9. It seems fitting to see Canada Geese and Tundra Swans together, both heading for Canada's northern breeding grounds, although I suspect that at least some of the geese are non-migratory.

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    1. Thank you David!
      Yes, we see the Canada Geese here year round, some do not migrate.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  10. Excellent captures of all the critters. Beauty everywhere in nature, enjoy! Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for hosting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Bill!
      Nature is beautiful!
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  11. Lovely pictures of the birds! Happy weekend!

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    1. Thank you Ranten!
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  12. They are with so many, beautiful pictures!

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    1. Thank you Marianne!
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  13. i have a couple of times seen 3 or 4 canadian geese, but never flocks and never even seen a single wild swan. these are amazing

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    1. Thank you Sandra!
      I do love seeing the huge flocks of geese and swans in the winter months.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  14. Tão lindas tuas fotos sempre! Como vai teu netinho? Aproveitando bem pra curtir e brincar com ele? beijos, lindo fim de semaa,chica

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    1. Thank you Chica!
      Our grandson Wyatt is great, he is precious. We are keeping a distance until we are fully vaccinated.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  15. ...I don't think that I've ever seen a Northern Shoveler or Tundra Swan. they sure are neat. Thanks Eileen for hosting and I hope that you are have a wonderful weekend.

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  16. Wonderful photos. Loved the post.
    Have a great weekend. Stay well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for visiting and for the comment!
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  17. It's such a relief to see the critters out and about here!
    Thanks for sharing yours and hosting! Have a great one!

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    1. Thank you Jenn!
      You are seeing lots of critters there.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  18. Hari Om
    to see birds en masse is always mesmerising, I feel - you got some fab shots! YAM xx

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    1. Thank you YAM!
      Seeing the huge flocks of birds is amazing.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  19. To see so many Swans and Canada Geese is just amazing! Sure makes for an exciting day. We have the control burns here too and they help keep things under control. Enjoy your weekend! Thanks for the fun party!

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    1. Thank you Diane!
      Yes, the burns are needed to clear out the non-native grasses.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  20. These swans dwarf the geese. Wow. How fortunate you are to see them and in such numbers.

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    1. Thank you Marie!
      I was happy to see all the birds. :)
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  21. It would be wonderful to live near this place just to be able to see all the migratory birds passing through.

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    1. Thank you Rose!
      I wished I lived closer to this refuge.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  22. Fantastic shots Eileen. I don't recall ever seeing so many birds in one place. Have a great weekend and thanks for hosting! :)

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    1. Thank you Martha!
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  23. Wonderful photos as always ~ Have never seen so many swans in one place ~ awesome! Xo

    Living moment by moment,

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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    1. Thank you Carol!
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  24. Lovely captures, Eileen. Now that Spring is springing in your neck of the woods, I am sure you'll be out and about a lot more.

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    1. Thank you Nick!
      I hope to get out for more walks, if only the rain and wind would stop.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  25. A huge flock of Swan!! They are fun to observe especially in breeding season as they become very territorial and start with all sorts of antics...Enjoy your weekend.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Sondra!
      It is cool to see all the swans migrating.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  26. oooooh i did enjoy and all of this from the comfort of your car?? i enjoy seeing the tundra swans, i don't get them here and have never seen one (and that's a lot!!). i also never saw my shovelers this past winter, i usually do - awesome capture, it is a beautiful duck!!

    have a great weekend eileen, although it may rain a bit, and many thanks for hosting!!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Debbie!
      The Tundra Swans are native birds for this area. I like the Shovelers too.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  27. Replies
    1. Thanks again nick!
      Have a great new week ahead!

      Delete
  28. Fantastic! Great to see all these birds and always am grateful for the share. Thank you Eileen, have a super weekend :)

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    1. Thank you Denise!
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  29. That Shoveler photo really shows off its colors. What an amazing collection of Tundra Swans!

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    1. Thank you Ken!
      There were a lot of Tundra Swans. More than I could ever fit in one photo.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  30. Tundra swans are very majestic birds.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Red!
      They are beautiful swans.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  31. I see many a Canada Goose here with Mallards, and the geese look so big but if a Tundra Swan were to appear...they are huge! Thanks for sharing these beautiful wetland birds. Hope you have a great rest of the weekend.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Barbara!
      The Tundra Swans a big birds.
      I hope all is well, take care!
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
    2. HI Barbara,
      I have enjoyed seeing your post, I am sorry I am not able to comment on your blog.

      Delete
  32. Good morning Eileen! What lovely nature moments, you've captured the essence of spring breaking its way into our lives. This possibly my most favorite season of all. New beginnings to discover. Enjoy your weekend!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Karen!
      Spring is a great time of year, seeing beautiful new beginnings.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  33. Hello |Eileen. You have so many birds on that wetland that it must be very difficult for anyone to take regular counts. But then I imagine that February will be a peak month with much smaller numbers by now (and different species). I rarely see a Shoveler nowadays so I enjoyed looking at your close capture. Good news too that the walking trails are closed when the eagles nest. I think that is a great idea and one that we in this country should adopt for some species so as to help their breeding success.

    Thanks for the link today Eileen. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Phil!
      Yes, I am glad the trail is closed, even though it is one of my favorite trails. I do not want to see the Eagles disrupted or harassed. Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  34. Wow Eileen, that is an amazing amount of swans! Great photos! I love the one with the 2 Canada geese over the Tundra swans!! I went for a hike yesterday by a duck pond, hoping to see some...out of luck! None there!!!

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    1. Thank you Rain!
      You never know what you will see, I am glad you had a nice walk.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  35. That's a lot of Tundra Swans for sure. We happened upon a very large group of Canadian Geese that all decided to fly off at the same time. So fun to see. Hope you are having a nice weekend!

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    1. Thank you Ellen!
      I always enjoy seeing the large flocks of birds flying by or on the ground.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  36. I'm amazed at the number of Tundra Swans that you saw, Eileen! I don't think that I have ever seen such a large group of birds.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you RedPat!
      It is amazing to see these huge flocks of birds.
      Take care, enjoy your weekend!

      Delete
  37. Hi dearest Eileen!
    Oh, so many tundra swans! I am very impressed with the large amount - and I hope the fire was actually controlled. You are offering us very nice waterfowl impressions again! I think I've never seen a Northern Shoveler before.
    All the best from Austria,
    Traude
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2021/04/marillen-erlebnisweg-und-gottweig.html

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    Replies
    1. Hello Traude!
      Thank you for visiting and for the comment!
      Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!

      Delete
  38. I adore rambling around with you!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Cloudia!
      Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!

      Delete
  39. Hello Eileen, I have been away from Blogger but back now again. It's so great you got a trip in in February. I love your waterbird images. Thanks for hosting this meme. I am linking to you. Have a great week. Jo

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Jo!
      It is good to see you posting again!
      Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!

      Delete
  40. Yes we love everything in the nature/world because of they are God's creatures. Pictures are great! Happy Day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for visiting and for the comment!
      Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!

      Delete
  41. I have a great fondness for herons. I haven't seen any yet this year, but they should be back soon.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you William!
      I love the herons too!
      Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!

      Delete
  42. Wow what a treat to see all those swans in one place!!

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    1. Thank you Karen!
      Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!

      Delete
  43. Me encantó ver tantas aves. Besos.

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    1. Thank you Teresa!
      Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!

      Delete
  44. Nice visit! I've only been there one time because that pesky bridge is such a bottleneck.

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    1. Thank you Linda!
      It is a pain to drive across the bridge, they are doing a lot of work on it.
      Take care, enjoy your day! Have a great new week!

      Delete
  45. Oh my goodness Eileen... those numbers is swans are incredible!!

    Thanks for a most wonderful series of images shared ...

    ~Anni @ I'd Rather B Birdin'

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Anni!
      It did look like a record number of Tundra Swans.
      Have a happy day and a great new week!

      Delete
  46. Hope the controlled burn doesn't affect the visiting birds, and you got beautiful photos of the flock of birds! Have a nice week ahead

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Jeevan!
      Take care, have a great new week!

      Delete
  47. Replies
    1. Thank you Nick!
      Take care, have a great new week!

      Delete
  48. The Shoveler is an especially handsome bird. Oh, I do hope that is a controlled burn. The creatures must wonder, too.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for visiting and for the comment!
      Take care, have a great new week!

      Delete
  49. Hi Eileen...A lot of birds... Beautiful pictures... Happy Sunday and week ahead 😊

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Ana!
      Take care, have a happy day and a great new week!

      Delete
  50. Amazing pictures and wildlife Eileen. Lovely place to visit.

    Hugs diane

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Diane!
      Take care, have a happy day and a great new week!

      Delete
  51. Hello Eileen, So sorry I just forgot to comment when I linked up. Having read all the comments, I'm just as much in awe of seeing so many Tundra Swans all in one place, as everyone else. Its an incredible sight both of the swans and geese. All wonderful images, and I really like the close up of the Shoveler. Thanks for hosting.

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    1. Hello Sonjia, it is so kind of you to comment on the post and swans. It was wonderful to see so many Tundra Swans together in one place, some were spread out through the wildlife refuge. Take care, stay well! I wish you a happy day and a great new week!

      Delete
  52. Beautiful Tundra Swans images Eileen.

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  53. It was a good idea to enlarge the pictures. I have never seen that many swans in my life. Thanks for sharing and also thanks for commenting on my posts so faithfully.I can only wish I was that good to my blogger friends. But I do care. Have a wonderful week ahead.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Inger
      I was surprised to see so many Tundra Swans that day, it is an amazing sight to see. I appreciate your visit and comment. Take care, have a happy new week!

      Delete
  54. Thank you for sharing these lovely photographs from your late February getaway, it looks a very nice place to visit.

    I hope you have had a great weekend, my good wishes for the new week ahead.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jan!!
      Take care, have a happy day and a great new week!

      Delete
  55. beautiful images.... love "a pretty male Northern Shoveler."

    Have a wonderful Monday

    ReplyDelete
  56. Replies
    1. Thank you for visiting!
      Have a great new week!

      Delete
  57. Eileen btw...I live just over an hour away from the Hopewell Rocks. I plan to visit again this summer. It's a magical place on the Bay of Fundy. I used to go there a lot as a teenager when I lived in Moncton...I always felt a special energy from that place. Thanks for reminding me of its beauty! When did you visit?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Rain,
      The photo was from my archives, maybe taken over 10 years ago. It was a fun trip, we stayed in a park that had tiny little cabins. I like walking on the beach during the low tide, it was magical. Thanks for the comment.

      Delete
  58. It's fun to see the geese return, isn't it? An oh, what joy to see the swans!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Jeanie!
      The geese are here year round, but the swans were migrating. A fun sight to see!
      Have a happy new week!

      Delete
  59. I will have to remember this wildlife refuge, when we are traveling from here to Chincoteague. We pass through Cambridge. I will have to allow time for a drive through the refuge. Your pictures are fantastic.

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    Replies
    1. Hello Linda,
      It is a little drive from Rt 50 in Cambridge but well worth the visit. The wildlife drive is great, winter time there are lot of Canada Geese, Snow Geese and the Tundra Swans and other ducks. Then there are the Bald Eagles, Waders and shorebirds, sometimes the White Pelicans are there. We see something every time we are there. Thanks for the comment. Enjoy your day!

      Delete
  60. I think these birds near the water are amazing and your photos are great showing their color!!...jp

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    Replies
    1. Thank you JP!
      Have a great day and week ahead!

      Delete
  61. So nice to see the birds enjoying their swim.
    Amalia
    xo

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  62. Mucha vida nueva. Preciosos los cisnes.
    Buen miércoles. Cuidaros.
    Un abrazo.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Laura!
      The Swans are beautiful.
      Have a great day and happy week ahead.

      Delete
  63. I love this drive Eileen. There is something so special about seeing different species of birds together that way ... and incredible to see so many of them. What a wonderful place.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Sallie! It is a great wildlife drive, we always see something.
      Have a great day!

      Delete
  64. Eileen - migrations are a fabulous time for bird-watching! Great shots!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Angie! Yes, it is fun watching the large flocks of migrating birds.
      Have a happy day!

      Delete
  65. Wow, How mesmerizing to see such large flocks of swans. In my city's park we can see many swans swimming in the lake there. I remember enjoying seeing them when I was little. Your kindness of hosting this link page sometimes makes me remember these days ;))
    Lot's of thanks to you from Japan, Miyako*

    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

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