Saturday, December 17, 2022

Saturday's Critters # 470

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!

We are thankful for our travels. There was no Black Friday shopping for me, we were packing and heading to the airport early Saturday morning. Ya mon, Jamaica !  Hubby and I went on a short trip to Jamaica on Nov 26th through Nov 30th.  Hubby really loves snorkeling and of course I was enjoying the Jamaica birds. We stayed in Rose Hall near Montego Bay. We took a day trips sightseeing, snorkeling and birding. One tour was to Negril, stopping at the Seven Mile Beach and Rick's Cafe where we could watch the cliff diving. We also took a tour to the Rockland Bird Sanctuary ( my favorite tour) and hubby took a snorkel trip to the Montego Bay Marine Park. 

Click on photos for better viewing!

Birds and photos are from the Rockland Bird Sanctuary!

1. Below on the top row: on my finger a Yellow-faced Grassquit, the Red-billed-Streamertail on a perch and on hubby's finger, White-chinned Thrush, Jamaican Oriole. The middle row:  the Jamaican Woodpecker, Mango Hummingbird, Black-faced Grassquits in the bath, Bananaquit, Cattle Egrets. Bottom row: the photos from our resort are the Brown Pelican, Great Egret, White-winged Dove, in flight a Tern with a Gull, Magnificent Frigatebird. 





2. Hubby is feeding the Red-billed Streamertail also known as the Doctor Bird and it is Jamaica's National bird. 





3. The Red-billed Streamertail, these birds seem very calm around people. They flew right up to my camera, zoomed around our heads chasing each other. Below the photo shows off it's pretty scissor tail feathers. 





4. The Jamaican Oriole has a heavy bill with black bib and bold wingbars and additional white on the wings. It is compared to the and resembles the young male Hooded Oriole and the Orchard Orioles. 





5. The Jamaican Woodpecker has a white face and scarlet crown with olive brown underparts. The only other woodpecker seen in Jamaica is the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. 





6. The Jamaican Mango Hummingbird, is a large all dark hummingbird. it has an iridescent dark rosy purple on the head and tail. 





7. Orangequit, the male is a pretty blue and has a pretty color orange throat patch.




8. The White-chinned Thrush, it is a slaty-gray in color with an orange bill and orange legs. It has a small white chin patch. 






9. Perched in a tree were two Bananaquits.




10. The Yellow-faced Grassquits perched on my finger drinking some of the sugar water, hubby and I both had these birds sitting on our legs eating bird seed off our pants. 




I had such a good time at this bird sanctuary, I fed the hummingbirds and the Yellow-faced Grassquits.






11. I had help with the id of these two birds, it was hard for me since they were so wet. They are Black-faced Grassquits. They were not a lifer for me, I have seen the Black-faced Grassquits in Curacao. 




Our Jamaica trip went by so fast, but we enjoyed touring the island, the nice people we met, the snorkeling and the birding.



Life is short, take the trip!


Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.



Here is my linky:


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! Also, I am also linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday  I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post. 

110 comments:

Mae Travels said...

Banana quits are such cute little things -- I would love to see all t hose other birds too.
Have a good weekend and thanks for hosting.

best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

roentare said...

The Oriole looks so exquisite and exotic!

italiafinlandia said...

Hello Eileen and thanks for sharing such new beauties. I mean new for me.
I believe you enjoyed your trip and didn't regret the Black Friday shopping! Ahah!
I agree with you: life is now, take your trips.
Have a wonderful weekend!

DeniseinVA said...

What a fantastic trip and great photos Eileen. Exciting to have a bird feeding from your own hand. Happy weekend to you.

Marit said...

Hello Eileen,
Beautiful photos from Jamaica! The small hummingbirds are so cute, and it must be so funny to feed them.
Take care, and enjoy your weekend!

Irma said...

Hi Eileen,
What great photos and collages.
It's great that the birds come to eat from your hand, I think that's really nice.
Most species are not found in the Netherlands, nice that I can still see them here in the photo.
Would you like to post my link?
I wish you a very nice weekend.
Greetings Irma

chica said...

Que maravilhosa viagem e que lugar encantador esse santuário de pássaros!
Adorei vê-los assim de pertinho, na tua mão, sendo alimentados!
Muito lindo!
beijos, tudo de bom,chica

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
Oh my - what a fun break away!!! To interact so closely with these exotic creatures is one of the joys of life, surely?! YAM xx

Kenneth Cole Schneider said...

That was a wonderful trip with so much to do in such a short time. So many of those birds are exotic to me. The Bananaquit was a "near miss" when one was reported in For Lauderdale. Others saw it before and after me, but it never showed itself when I was there.

William Kendall said...

Beautiful birds, Eileen.

Rostrose said...

Oh, that's a nice surprise for me, dearest Eileen! Because exactly in this Birds Sanctuary we were too! It's been a while - in 2011 - but I'll never forget feeding the hummingbirds! That was pure happiness! Here is a short post to this Jamaica-trip:
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2011/08/madagaskar-kuba-bali-malediven.html
(Should I also link this post in your linkup?)
Best wishes from Austria,
Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2022/12/besuch-im-tierpark-stadt-haag.html

David M. Gascoigne, said...

That was a really brief visit, Eileen, but very productive too. I really must look at Jamaica as a destination for us. There are quite a few endemics for a small island.

Angie's Recipes said...

So many birds that I have never seen before...how cool is it to be able to get so close to them and even feed them!

Melbourne Australia Photos said...

Such wonderful photos of these birds, Eileen. Looks like you had a great time in Jamaica! Thanks for hosting and enjoy the new week ahead and the fast approaching festive season.

Bill said...

Beautiful birds and photos, Eileen. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for hosting.

Jenn Jilks said...

They are lovely, and I enjoyed your travels vicariously. We cannot travel, due to health issues. It will have to suffice!

Tom said...

...Eileen, you saw and did some amazing things on your trip. Thanks for sharing, I feel warmer already. Take care and be well.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Mae! The Bananaquits are adorable.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Roentare! The Oriole is a beauty!
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Luisella! Most of these birds were new to me too, I was a happy birder!
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Denise! It was fun handfeeding the Hummingbirds.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marit! Yes, I was thrilled to feed the Hummingbirds.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Irma! It was fun having the hummingbirds so close, feeding them.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Chica! I always appreciate your comments.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you YAM! Yes, it was a joy just being around these exotic birds.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ken! The Bananaquits are sweet birds, I have seen them on various trips in the Caribbean.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you William!
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Traude! It was a joy handfeeding the hummingbirds. I appreciate both links, your Jamaica trip looks like a fun time too. Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you David! If I had more time just for birding, I think Ann Hayes-Sutton has a place where you can bird and see most of the Jamaica endemics . Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Angie! It was a cool experience to handfeed these birds. They are beautiful.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Nick! We had a great trip to Jamaica.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Bill!
Take care, have a great weekend.

Rostrose said...

Now that was funny, dear Eileen - I couldn't remember that you had already read and commented on my old article :-DD
As I can read here, you stayed in Rose Hall - actually in the "ghost house"??? Have you also seen Annie the witch? We were also in Rose Hall, as you may have read - but only to visit the museum...

eileeninmd said...

Traude, no we stayed in a nearby resort. It was called Rose Hall Beach. It was just up the road from the actual Rose Hall mansion. We did not have time to take a tour of the Rose Hall, we did hear the ghost stories. I guess, in a way I got my wish to hand fed the hummingbirds, after seeing your original post and my comment.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jenn! I am sorry about the health issues. Have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thanks Tom! It did feel good to be in the warm sunshine. Take care, have a great weekend.

Phil Slade said...

Great pics Eileen. Another of your super trips to sunny places. I could do with some of that sun just now. I was intrigued bt why a doctor bird so Googled. Thanks for today's link.

"It has been said that the name was given because the erect black crest and tails resemble the top hat and long tail coats doctors used to wear in the old days. Other schools of thought believe that it refers to the way the birds lance the flowers with their bills to extract nectar."

lesh Stgermain said...

You caught great moments. Never seen a streamer tail:)

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Phil! I thought the name Doctor bird was strange for this hummingbird. Have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thanks so much for the link and comment. Take care, enjoy your weekend!

Andree said...

Oh wow. You personify all that I admire in birders. What memories you have interacting with the birds. I salute you. The birds are phenomenal.

RedPat said...

What an assortment of birds and so many tame ones, Eileen. It looks like a nice trip.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Andree for the nice comment and for the link today! Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you RedPat! It was a fun trip! Have a great weekend!

Barbara Rogers said...

What fun to feed the birds right on your fingers! This is a wonderful trip, and I'm glad you all got the photos to share!

ellen b. said...

Wow! That is up close and personal. What a fun experience for a bird person like you. Glad you could go to Jamaica!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks Barbara! It was fun feeding the birds, the hummingbirds were beautiful too. Have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ellen, for the comment and link this week! I did enjoy Jamaica and it was a fun experience with the birds.
Take care, enjoy your weekend.

Red said...

that was an incredible trip when you see so many birds that you hadn't seen before. It seems that in many cases birds are coming to your hand.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Red! I was happy to see some new birds, they were all beautiful and a fun experience to feed them.
Take care, have a great weekend.

Yvonne said...

Wow, your trip seems so wonderful, and feeding all those birds had to be very special moments. Your holiday season has kicked off very nicely. May this season continue to be extra special for you.

Sondra said...

must be fun hand feeding the birds.

eileeninmd said...

Thank You Yvonne! I wish you and yours a very Happy Christmas! Have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sondra! It was fun hand feeding these lovely birds. Take care, have a great weekend.

Cloudia said...

Look how many love to be here and flock to you. Eileen! Yes Jamaica so special. That was my first time and probably the reason. I live in Hawaii now. So my first hummingbirds there. It is amazing when they go right by your head so close. You can really hear the humming and feel their tremendous energy. Marvelous post. Thank you dear. Hope you're having beautiful holidays

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Cloudia! Jamaica is special, so is Hawaii! Hearing the hummingbirds buzzing around our heads was amazing and fun. Happy Holidays to you! Take care, enjoy your weekend.

Lea said...

Beautiful! Wonderful! Amazing!
Have a great weekend!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

How fabulous! I've been wanting to take a short trip and you've convinced me! lol This really is a great place to see lots of neat birds. I'm glad you went while I stayed home! hahahaha! Hugs, Diane

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Lea! Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Diane! Yes, take that trip! Take care, enjoy your weekend!

HappyK said...

Beautiful photo as always. Wow how cool that you could feed the birds and have them perching on you!!!

Teresa said...

Me encantaron todas tus fotografías y me alegra que lo pasarán bien. Un abrazo.

Marie Smith said...

So many birds I’ve never seen, Eileen. Great post. Gotta love the streamertail, the name and the bird.

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

That red billed streamertail is quite striking. It reminds me a little bit of the scissor tail flycatcher. The other Jamaican birds are quite unique. I don't usually associate Jamaica with birds but it is in a tropical location.

Lowcarb team member said...

Hello Eileen
It looks a fabulous trip to Jamaica.
So lovely to see the birds, they are colourful.

Enjoy your weekend.

All the best Jan

Linda said...

Awesome birds!

rupam sarma said...

So beautiful pics. Thanks a lot for hosting :)

Veronica Lee said...

Such a wonderful trip, Eileen!
The hummingbirds are so cute!

Hugs and blessings ☕

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Alan! I had fun watching these Jamaican birds. Have a great day and happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the comment and the link! Have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Veronica! The Hummingbirds are beautiful. Have a great day and happy new week!

Ana Mínguez Corella said...

Hi Eileen!!! Nice series of images and birds... Happy week ahead and Merry Christmas...

kathyinozarks said...

Good morning, we love birds so I really enjoyed all of your lovely photos-what an awesome experience feeding the birds too-wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas Kathy

Jeevan said...

You seem to have had a fantastic experience caring for the birds at the sanctuary. Excellent bird capture and the Jamaican national bird is unique; its tail reminds me of the black drongo! Have a great week

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ana! Have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Kathy! Feeding these birds was an awesome experience. Have a happy new week! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jeevan! All the Jamaican birds were beautiful. Have a happy new week!

Mascha said...

Wonderful and interesting bird photos! It must been a great trip, thanks for sharing.
Our birds in Germany never come to the humans...
Have a nice Christmas time

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Mascha! It was a great trip, a fun time feeding these pretty birds. Merry Christmas, have a great new week!

carol l mckenna said...

Eileen ~ these are delightful photos and what a great time in the sanctuary ~ Xo

Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative harbor)

Anni said...

I saw the Dr. Bird in Jamaica too. What a glorious beautiful bird!
Thanks for sharing your post with us all and Happy Holidays!!

VENTANA DE FOTO said...

Es curioso ver como comen esas aves en la mano.
Que tengas una feliz Navidad.

Debbie said...

what a wonderful bird sanctuary...not only for taking pictures but to also feed and interact with the birds. it certainly looks like you had a wonderful time.

the images you shared are fabulous, especially the hummingbirds!!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Anni! I enjoyed all the Jamaican birds!
Have a great day and happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Debbie! It was fun feeding and seeing all the birds at the sanctuary. Have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the comment and visit. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Have a great day and happy new week!

21 Wits said...

Hello Eileen, wow what an amazing and incredible experience to be able to feed them, how lucky! Thanks for bringing us to such an exciting and interesting place. I hope your weather doesn't get too severe! Take care.

magiceye said...

Amazing captures!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Karen! It was a fun experience feeding these birds. We are supposed to have bitter cold temps at the end of the week and on Christmas day. Take care, have a great day and happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks so much for the comment and your link! Take care, have a great day and happy new week!

Little Wandering Wren said...

Lovely to see you out and about enjoying the birding delights of Jamaica, what a special trip! Love seeing these birds they are all so different for me. It reminds me of my Dad's joke: My wife's gone to Jamaica,
Jamaica?
No she went of her own accord!
I would certainly be keen to head to Jamaica too.
Happy Christmas Eileen
Wren x

Sharon Wagner said...

We got married in Jamaica. Luckily, we have a local restaurant here in Minneapolis that has great Jamaican food, and a one love special!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Wren! Funny joke. We really enjoyed our trip! Take care, have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks Sharon, for the link and comment. Jamaica is a pretty place for weddings. Take care, have a great day!

Tanza Erlambang said...

The Jamaican Woodpecker looks very unique and adorable.... love it.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Tanza! I enjoyed seeing the Woodpecker! Take care, have a great day!

Laura. M said...

Preciosas fotos. Me hubiera gustado estar ahí amiga y alimentatr pajarillos
Que paséis Buenas Fiestas . Merry Christmas 🎄🕊️ Feliz Navidad Elieen.
Un abrazo.🤗〰〰💕

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Laura! Merry Christmas to you and your family! Have a happy day!

Marco Luijken said...

Hello Eileen,
Great pictures of all these birds. So special to see that they came to drink so close on your hands.
That must be great!!

I wish you a wonderful christmas.
Greetings and a big hug,
Narco

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marco! It was fun feeding these birds, seeing them so close. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Wishing you all the best in 2023!

Rainbow Evening said...

fantastic photo of the Jamaican Mango Hummingbird....
Merry Christmas

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the comment. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Ana Freire said...

Que viagem maravilhosa!!! Terão sido dias inesquecíveis! Grata por estas preciosas partilhas, Eileen! Fiquei rendida com as imagens dos passarinhos! Aquele de cauda tão comprida é lindo! Acho que ainda não conhecia aquela espécie!
Uma daquelas publicações, para ficar apreciando demoradamente! Adorei as fotos!
Um beijinho! Continuação de Boas Festas, para si e todos os seus, Eileen, e um muito feliz 2023!
Ana

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ana! The Hummingbird with the long tail is beautiful. Happy New year to you and yours!

Happy Monday!

  Wishing everyone a great day and a ha ppy new week! "Calm is a super power. Don't let stress kill your happiness." "Jud...