Saturday, April 1, 2023

Saturday's Critters # 485

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. March 7, while visiting Puerto Vallarta Mexico I arranged a birding tour, we were picked up at our hotel and drove about 45 minutes through the "real" Mexico to the tropical forest. Our guide is Gerardo of Nature Vallarta Birding Tours. Gerardo was terrific, his knowledge of the local birds is amazing. I added 15 lifers to my life list.  We saw plenty more that were not lifers, Gerardo was nice to email me check list of all the birds we saw. 

In my mosaic below are the Golden-cheeked Woodpecker, San Blas Jay, female Violet-crowned Hummingbird, Crane Hawk, Streaked-back Oriole, female Varied Bunting, female Blue Grosbeak, male Varied Bunting, another Oriole, Inca Dove, Great Kiskadee, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, Groove-billed Ani, Mexican Parrotlet, Vermilion Flycatcher, Masked Tityra, Stripe-headed Sparrow.

Click on images for better viewing!




2. The male Varied Bunting is a beautiful bird and a lifer, love the mix of colors on this bird. 




3. Ferruginous Pygmy Owl a lifer , is a small owl only 5.9 inches. This owl was a treat to see out in the open in a tree next to the road. 





Various angles of the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, this owl has patches on the back of it's head that resemble eyes. These false eyes often fool or confuse the owl's predators. The bottom middle photo shows these false eyes, known as ocelli. 



4. One of my lifers was the Rose-throated Becard below is a young male and under the first mosaic is the female Rose-throated Becard. 




5. Below is the female Varied Bunting.





6. Branches are always getting in my way, below is one of the 5 species of Orioles we saw and a female Blue Grosbeak.






7. The Mexican Parrotlets were a fun find and a lifer, we watched a flock of these little parrotlets eating some fruits in a nearby tree. They are only 5.5 inches with bright yellow-green bodies. They blend in well with the leaves. Adorable birds, I am so happy to have seen on this trip.





8. They may not all show in my mosaic below but we saw 5 different species of Orioles.  The Orchard Oriole, Hooded Oriole, Streak-backed Oriole, Bullock's Oriole and the Baltimore Oriole. 





9. The Groove-billed Ani, is not a lifer I had a quick look at one in Costa Rica.  I was happy to take a few photos of this bird posing nicely in a tree along the road. 




10. The Yellow-winged Cacique a lifer were one of my favorites, they make their presence known, they were noisy birds. 




11. I watched 3 of the Yellow-winged Cacique flying away, there were more in the trees next to the road. 





" I haven't seen all the birds but they are on my list."


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. 

130 comments:

  1. Your bird list for that day is really impressive. I love seeing all those birds and hearing about your adventure. Thank you for being the host for Saturday Critters.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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    1. Thank you Mae, for the link and comment! Take care, have a great weekend.

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  2. Such a beautiful and colourful collection of critters! What's the red one? American robin?

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    1. Thank you Angie, for the visit and comment! Take care, have a great weekend.

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  3. Love Pygmy owl the best. Great birds on show as always.

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

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  4. How nice to see these exotic birds! Thanks for sharing.
    I appreciate your explanations too.
    Have a nice and warm weekend! 🌞

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    1. Thank you Luisella, for the comment! Take care, have a great weekend.

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  5. Lovely captures as always! Have a super weekend!

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

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  6. How wonderful to see the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl and a lifer and also to see the Varied Bunting another lifer. Both wonderful sightings Eileen. Certainly a great day's birding. Thanks for hosting and commneting. I hope you have a lovely week ahead

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    1. Thank you Margaret, for the link and comment! The Owl was one of my favorite Mexico birds. Take care, have a great weekend.

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  7. Hi Eileen,
    What great photos and collages these are.
    I really like the Orioles, we don't see this species here like so many other species you show.
    I wish you a very nice weekend.
    Greetings Irma

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    1. Thank you Irma, for the link and comment! The Orioles are beautiful, such a lovely pop of color. Take care, have a great weekend.

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  8. The pygmy owl was especially exciting! Thank you, Eileen

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    1. Thank you Cloudia, for the link and comment! The Owl was one of my favorite birds too. Take care, have a great weekend.

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  9. You had a very fruitful sightings of so many different types of birds from your birding tour. Thank you for hosting, Eileen. Happy weekend.

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    1. Thank you Nancy, for the linking up and for the comment! Take care, have a great weekend.

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  10. Hello Eileen,

    I love to see the little owl. It's very pretty. How strange it is with the false eyes.
    Beautiful photos.
    Take care and have a great weekend!

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    1. Thank you Marit, for the link and comment! The owl was a great sighting for me. Take care, have a great weekend.

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  11. my visit to your place always enriches my day with joy and serenity dear Eileen :)
    each bird is captured awesomely ! i can look at these little friends for so long !
    thank you for bringing me what i love so much .
    more blessings to you and loved ones!

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    1. Thank you Baili, for the visit and comment! Take care, have a great weekend.

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  12. the birds in Mexico are the bright colors I think of when I think of Mexico.. Brilliant and Beautiful

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    1. Thank you Sandra! I enjoyed seeing all the colorful Mexican birds. Have a great weekend.

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  13. Quantos pássaros lindo conseguiste observar e clicar pra aqui trazer.
    Coisa boa! Cores, tipos diferentes, lindos todos!
    Adorei!
    Foi um belo passeio de observação!

    Feliz ABRIL! beijos, chica

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    1. Thank you Chica, it was a beautiful birding tour! Have a wonderful weekend.

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  14. Love the Pygmy owl! Beautiful photos as always, have a great weekend.

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    1. Thank you Bill, for the link and comment!
      The owl is a favorite of mine!
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  15. That was certainly a productive trek. It was great to have a guide who was so accommodating and helpful. At first I swore there was no bird in the parrotlet photo in the mosaic! Good thing you published the full size image.

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    1. Thank you Ken, for the link and comment!
      The Parrotlet does blend in well with the leaves.
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  16. Hi Eileen!!! Beautiful birds and shots... Happy April.

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    1. Thank you Ana, for the visit and comment!
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  17. It's always great to have the services of a local guide, who not only knows the birds but knows where to find them. I have to say that some of the images in the collages become so small it's hard to appreciate the bird and sometimes even hard to identify them.

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    1. Thank you David, for the link and comment!
      Some of the mosaic images are not the best for larger viewing, a little blurry.
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  18. Beautiful birds in a bright blue sky

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    1. Thank you Marianne, for the link and comment!
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  19. What a great trip! I saw a photo of a Pygmy Owl on Twitter. It had just taken a robin. It is a powerful little bird! Thanks for hosting!

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    1. Thank you Jenn, for the link and comment!
      I was surprised to see how small this owl really is up close.
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  20. ...Eileen, you have more birds today that I have seen in my entire life! They are lovely, thanks for sharing. Enjoy your weekend.

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    1. Thank you Tom, for the link and comment!
      I do love seeing all the birds, in new places.
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  21. Hari OM
    Oh my word... what a haul for a birder!!! You definitely scored with this trip, Eileen. Extra special!!! YAM xx

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    1. Thank you Yam! I was happy with my bird sightings in Mexico. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  22. What a magnificent collection of wonderful birds you managed to see and photograph, Eileen! Thank you for hosting and have a great new week.

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    1. Thank you Nick, for linking up and for the comment. Enjoy your day and the new week ahead.

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  23. Such beautiful photos! Thank you and have a grand weekend!

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    1. Thank you Cathy, for the visit and comment!
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  24. Hello Eileen :=)
    This is a super post. Congrats on the 15 lifers you saw. Such wonderful and colourful birds! I never knew there are 5 different species of Orioles. I confess to not seeing the Mexican Parrotlet, at first as I thought it was a leaf. The Groved-bllled Ani is an unattractive bird because of it's beak, but I would love to see it in the wild, as I would love to see all these birds, especially the Pigmy Owl, so small and cute. The expression "He has eyes in the back of his head" certainly applies here. They could really fool a predator into having second thoughts about attacking the Pygmy Owl. I'm glad your guide was so helpful, it makes such a difference to your vacation.
    Wonderful post Eileen, and I thank you most sincerely for hosting each week. It is such a pleasure to view your photos and see other creatures from around the world.
    Have a great weekend.
    All the best.

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    1. Thank you Sonjia, for the link and comment!
      It is interesting to learn how many Oriole species are seen around the world.
      The Pygmy Owl was a favorite sighting for me.
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  25. I'd say your birding tour was a spectacular success. Sounds like you had a great guide. And you got some great photos as well.
    Thank you for hosting.

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    1. Thank you Alan, for the link and comment!
      I was thankful for the guide, I was able to see many new birds.
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  26. Wow dear Eileen, 15 lifers, that's great!
    Fascinating, the fake eyes of the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl and really beautiful, the color mix of the male Varied Bunting. Oriole are so beautiful sun yellow and parrots are always a show anyway! You saw so many beautiful birds and were able to photograph them - I'm so happy for you! Unfortunately, I know the branches that are always in the way very well, in Costa Rica we constantly had to struggle with them. But the most important thing is that you 've SEEN all these beautiful animals ❤️!!
    All the best from Austria, happy weekend and a good start into April!
    Hugs, Traude 😘
    https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2023/04/ruckschau-auf-den-marz-2023.html

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    1. Thank you Traude! I am always happy to see new birds, even happier if I can take their photo. Those branches tend to get in the way, but they are good for protecting the birds. Happy April to you, have a great new week!

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  27. Wow … that is a lot of first-time sightings! I was drawn particularly to the owl and find Mother Nature so clever in how it tries to protect it with fake eyes.

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    1. Thank you Maria! Those fake eyes on the owl were really interesting to see. Happy April, have a great weekend.

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  28. What a wonderful tour that you had, Eileen. And so many lifers. I love that owl.

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    1. Thank you RedPat! The owl was one of my favorites. Have a great weekend.

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  29. Wow! What a great tour you enjoyed and finding new birds too ~ Wonderful series of photos ~ always a delight here on your blog ~ thank you ~ Eileen

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

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    1. Thank you Carol! I did have fun finding the new birds. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  30. I love that quote! We are always so anxious to see more birds. The little owl would have been worth the trip for me. Love the real Mexico and all the beauty it holds. Seeing new sights make our travels worthwhile! Happy weekend!

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    1. Thank you Diane! Happy April! The Owl was my favorite from that day along with the cute Parrotlet. New sights are always a treat for the eyes and memories. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  31. what an awesome guided tour. this is probably the best way to see the unusual birds of mexico!! the birds there are beautiful vibrant...many of these you may have missed without the tour guide. have a great weekend (i think today is a washout for both of us) and many thanks for hosting!!

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    1. Thank you Debbie! Happy April! Having a guide know where to find the birds was a fun time. I enjoyed seeing all the birds and the guide was a great birder. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  32. Lovely collection of birds today! So glad you had Geraldo to tour you to them in Mexico. Happy April!

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    1. Thank you Barbara! Having a bird guide was great, we saw so many birds, new and familiar birds. Have a great weekend.

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  33. You found a very good guide there Eileen. I'd never heard of the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, its fake eyes and how it's a safety adaptation. The male Varied Bunting is very beautiful, so too lots of the birds you picture. Nice too to meet up with familiar birds in their winter period. Many thanks for the link today, and enjoy your Sunday.

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    1. Thank you Phil! The Owl and the Varied Bunting were both great birds to see. Have a happy weekend.

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  34. Another great collection of birds that you have seen. Those yellow winged ones were fun to see. I always am excited to see an owl. Happy April to you!!

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    1. Thank you Ellen! I do love seeing any owl, they are a treat to see in the wild. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  35. Wow! What a wonderful assortment of birds!

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    1. Thank you Lea, for your link and comment!
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  36. What an amazing trip! We have pygmy owls in the pacific NW too. I left a link for your link up party.

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    1. Thank you Linda, for your link and comment!
      It was a great trip!
      Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

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  37. Gracias por estas fotografías de aves tan preciosas. Feliz fin de semana.

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    1. Thank you Teresa! I do love the birds. Have a great weekend.

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  38. Wow a wonderful collections of critters. Love the bird mosaics. The green parrot sure can hide among the leaves!!

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    1. Thank you Karen! The parrot did blend in well with the leaves! Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  39. Love the pygmy owl. Owls are a favorite of mine.

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    1. Thanks Michelle for the visit and comment. I love all the owls too. Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  40. I love the photo of the small owl, all owls are gorgeous. Thanks for stopping by Arya's Channel and for hosting. See you next week.

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    1. Thank you KB! I appreciate the link and comment. I love all the owls. Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  41. Amazing bird pics. Loved the post.

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    1. Thank you for the comment and visit. Take care, have a wonderful week!

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    1. Thank you William! Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  43. What a great variety of birds!

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    1. Thank you Linda, for the link and comment this week! Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  44. Hi Eileen, beautiful collection of birds. Especially the owl. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a nice sunday !

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    1. Thank you Caroline, I appreciate the link and comment. Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  45. I thoroughly enjoyed this post, Eileen. Such variety and unusual, for me to see, birds included. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you Maire! I appreciate your visit and comment. Take care, have a happy new week.

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  46. Eileen this was just amazing! All those lifers and so many beautiful birds whether new finds or not. What a terrific guide you had. If we ever go back to PV I would love to do something like this. Your photos are wonderful.

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    1. Thank you Sallie, I appreciate the link and comment. Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  47. We had a varied bunting sighted down near Brownsville..
    .never did there to 'hunt'
    For taking time to share this post with us at IRBB, I want to thank you.

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    1. Thank you Annie, for the comment! Take care , have a wonderful week!

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  48. You captured so many beautiful birds.

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    1. Thank you for the comment! Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  49. Hello Eileen
    What a wonderful guide you had.
    A lovely selection of photographs, such beautiful birds and a wonderful pygmy owl.

    Happy April Wishes.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thank you Jan, for the comment and visit! I loved seeing that owl. Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  50. Hello Eileen, and once again you've delighted me with such beautiful captures, of incredible birds I am thankful you name, because I don't always know what they are. I need a guide to follow along, and have in past years, and it's so amazing how they can tell you what's up that tree by their song. I do know some especially Killdeer! Enjoy what's left of this weekend, this is a late entry for me but I worked this weekend so time is short! Take care.

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    1. Thank you Karen, for linking up and for the comment! Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  51. Oh, Eileen, you've seen some beauties here this week. What a wonderful collection!

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    1. Thank you Jeanie! Take care, have a wonderful Easter week!

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  52. Such incredible sightings dear Eileen. I can't wait to share this weekend's birding images with you and I also managed to see a few lifers like flocks of Red headed buntings, Pied Avocets, Spotted Eagle and many more. Will share the images in the next link up.

    Lovely to see all the varieties of Orioles you get to see there. We see the Golden Oriole which is quite a dazzling stunner too!

    Always a pleasure to stop by here. Thank you.

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    1. Thank you Natasha, for linking up and for the comment! Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  53. cute pygmy owls... love them...
    Have a great day

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    1. Thanks so much for the comment and link! Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  54. Hi Eileen, I think you will get a kick out of this. I’m looking at your first image, March 7, mosaic, as you were in Puerto Vallarta. I’m thinking how neat it is that you saw so many birds, and got so many into the mosaic, but I keep looking at the bottom row, 3rd pic from the left side. I keep asking myself, is there a bird in there? What am I missing? 😊 As I scroll down the page, I’m stopped by the Ferruginous Pygmy Owl, with the patches on the back of the head that resemble eyes. I have to reflect for a while about that bird and the evolutionary process. Were the backward looking false eyes purely a random happening OR was Nature in control and adding the ocelli as a protective measure for the species? I could go on and on about this, but better not. As for myself, I will consider it part of Nature’s plan! 😊 Now, I continue scrolling and get to image 7. OMG, I’m stopped again. The Mexican Parrotlet – yes, a perfect match to the leaves and I see what I was missing in image #1. 😊 Great Saturday’s Critters post. I almost had a post ready to link up, but will have to wait until next week. Thank you for sharing and hosting Saturday’s Critters. Happy week ahead to you and yours. John

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    1. Thank you John! The Puerto Vallarta birds were all beautiful. The Pygmy Owl and the Parrotlet were two of my favorites. The ocelli is nature's way of protecting these little owls. It will be nice to see a critter post from you, whenever you are able is good. Take care, have a wonderful week!

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  55. I enjoyed seeing all those birds and reading about your adventure.
    Such a glorious series of photos!

    Hugs and blessings, Eileen

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    1. Thank you Veronica, for linking up and for the comment. Take care, enjoy your day!

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  56. Preciosas fotos. Un gusto poder oler y ver el mar.
    Te deseo un buena semana Eileen.
    Un abrazo.

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  57. I enjoyed seeing all the photos. I like the majestic Groove-billed Ani and the beautiful male Varied Bunting. I was so glad to find your visit and a comment on my return from long blogging break. Have happy days ahead.

    Yoko

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    1. Thank you Yoko! I appreciate your visit and comment. Have a great day and happy week ahead.

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  58. Replies
    1. Thank you for the visit and comment. Take care, have a wonderful day!

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    1. Thank you Monica! Take care, have a wonderful day!

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  60. Loved catching up today! Thank you for another wonderful series. Happy day and rest of the week to you :)

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    1. Thank you Denise! I appreciate the visit and comment. Have a great day and week ahead.

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  61. I'm sorry for the delay..
    . I was amazed by the variety and colors of these beautiful birds... Thank you, Eileen.
    I wish you a very happy Easter.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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    1. Thank you for the comment. Take care, enjoy your day!

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  62. both bunting and flowers are cute....
    Have a great day

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  63. What an incredible birding trip, I reckon you must have seen more birds than anyone I know. I love that you keep a lifers birding list. Here's to a happy weekend, and I hope you see lots of birds! Wren x

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    1. Thank you Wren! I do like keeping track of what birds I see and the life list. Take care, have a great weekend.

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  64. Estas imagens estão o máximo, Eileen! Repletas de preciosos detalhes, e sobre espécies que não se encontram com facilidade...
    Grata por mais um belo desfile de beleza e diversidade! Adorei todas as imagens!
    Um beijinho grande! Continuação de uma feliz semana, repleta de bons motivos para fotografar!
    Ana

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    1. Thank you Ana, it was wonderful being able to see all of these birds. Such a treat for the eyes. Take care, enjoy your day!

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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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