Saturday's Critters # 392

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

Hello and happy Saturday!

Happy Father's Day weekend!  Sending out my happy Father's Day wishes for my hubby and son. This will be my son's first Daddy's day, I know he is really happy to be a Dad! 

 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 am sharing some photos from our local walks, a visit to a local county park called Hashawha Nature Center, most of the photos are from walks on our local fire roads. 

Click on photos for larger viewing or slides.

1.....May 21st...We took a walk on the fire road to the lake. the following birds were seen or heard Osprey, Eastern Phoebe or Wood Pewee, White-breasted Nuthatch, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Scarlet Tanagers, Ovenbirds and Wood Thrush were calling. I could see fish swimming right next to the lake shore. A Great Blue Heron flew across the lake and landed on a tree and the wild Azaleas were blooming. I noticed an American Toad on the trail and a few cute tiny flowers. 

2. While sitting by the lake, I watched this White-breasted Nuthatch going in and coming out of a hole in the tree. Maybe a nest?

3.  May 26th...another fire road walk. We watched the Osprey fishing at the lake, I saw various wildflowers and flowering shrubs, a Great Blue Heron and my first time seeing a Prothonotary Warbler at the lake shore.  The Prothonotary is a bright yellow bird with dark wings. My warbler photos did not come very good, I watched it for a while moving around catching bugs. 

4. My terrible photos of the Prothonotary Warbler, on the largest image below you can see his beak, his bright yellow color and the dark wings. Can you find the Warbler? He landed on a downed tree in one of the coves and then he flew across to where I was standing and went inside a shrub. 

5.  May 28th, we are back on the same fire road to the lake. The Gray Catbirds seemed to be out in numbers, we saw a Belted Kingfisher banging a fish on a tree branch, some pretty ferns and yellow iris and the ugly cicada shells.  The sounds of the cicadas are so loud, I could not hear the birds singing. 

6.  June 1st, at another part of the lake we hiked the local George's Creek trail, the creek flows into our lake.  On this day, we saw a young Barred Owl right above the trail. He/she looked down at us and then flew off, a view of the George's Creek, a Gray Catbird, A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, flowering shrub with a Canada Goose family, a log with a group of Turtles. 

7. June 1st.. I missed the shot when this Barred Owl turned his head and looked down at us.  

8.  June 2nd.. Another local walk on the fire road and to the lake. Prettyboy Reservoir, a Green Heron with a turtle, wildflowers, Green heron again, the lake trail, Cicadas and a view of a lake cove.

9. June 2nd...this was my first sighting of a Green heron at our lake.

I know other birders have mentioned seeing it here, it is just my first time seeing the Green Heron in our neighborhood.

10.  June 2nd.. a couple of back yard birds. The Eastern Blue couple and an American Goldfinch. 

11.  June 5th.. Hashawha Nature Center..waterlilies and wildflowers, Indigo Bunting, rabbit, Black Rat Snake and a view of Lake Hashawha and the trail.

12.. Hashawha. Indigo Bunting. 

13.    June 6th..a view of the reservoir, turtles on a log, Canada Geese, Swallowtail Butterfly, male Downy Woodpecker, more Canada Geese.  

I am also linking up to Anni's blog party found here I'd Rather B Birding   Anni always has some beautiful birds to be seen on her blog, check it out!

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:

YOU are all # 1.