Saturday, May 27, 2023

Saturday's Critters # 493

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

Hello and happy Saturday!

Happy Memorial Day weekend, remember and honor!


 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!

And we were off again, this time a trip that has been on my bucket list for a long time. May 5-17th we went on a 9 night 10 day tour of Ireland. We did have to fly in a day early and stay an extra nights for the plane flights coming and going. Arriving a day before our tour we were able to walk around the city of Dublin, checking out all the highlights and of course I was looking for all the birds.  Fun Times.

1. Below are the River Liffey and various streets scenes around Dublin. Our walk took us on a loop across the O'Connell Bridge and coming back on the Ha'penny Bridge. 





Dublin Castle and the gardens.




We spent a few hours walking around St. Stephen's Green Park. I found the Eurasian Wren, Hooded Crow, European Goldfinch, Tufted Ducks, Mute Swans with Mallards and Gulls





Tufted Ducks were seen in a pond at the park.  



Eurasian Blackbird, it is a pretty blackbird. 





European Goldfinch, very different than our American Goldfinch. 




Eurasian Magpie, looks similar to the Magpie I have seen in Yellowstone Nat'l Park in Wyoming.





Hooded Crow, a handsome crow. 




Mute Swan, Gulls and Mallards these are all common birds seen around the world. 




Eurasian Wren looks similar to our Caroline Wren.  I was happy to catch this one singing. 




More later on our Ireland trip, the tour was a small group of twelve in a large van. A great tour, visiting towns of Westport, Clifden, Doolin, Dingle, Killarney and Kilkenny. We saw so much in the time we were there. 

I am sharing more scenic photos on my travel blog


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. 


136 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

The garden looks so beautiful and truly a nice place to relax a bit! Enjoy your long weekend, Eileen!

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Hello! Hello! Hello! I said to myself. All these birds looks very familiar!!! Wow The land of the Fairies and 40 shades of green - Ireland. However I am SO disappointed you did not contact me and I would have love to have met both of you. Thanks for hosting and I hope you have a lovely week ahead Eileen.

Cloudia said...

What a dream trip! Love the pictures

Irma said...

These are such beautiful photos and collages Eileen.
You can see from the photos that you enjoyed it.
Beautiful gardens you have there.
The hooded crow is really very beautiful, I have never seen it here.
I wish you a very nice weekend.
Greetings Irma

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari Om
It's wonderful that you got to make this trip!!! Ireland has a special charm no doubt about it! YAM xx

italiafinlandia said...

I am happy for you that you enjoyed your trip. Ireland is a unique place with a strong identity.
I visited there long time ago and unfortunately have just old paper photos.
Thanks for sharing the lovely birds.
Happy weekend!

Marit said...

Hello,

Beautiful photos from Ireland! I can see that many of the birds are identical to those in my garden. Happy weekend!

roentare said...

Lest we forget. The garden looks so full of energy

rupam sarma said...

Great post, Beautiful pics.
Happy Memorial Day weekend _()_

David M. Gascoigne, said...

I have visited Dublin twice, both times for business reasons so had no time to explore the town, and I have few memories unfortunately. If I were to return today I would get out of the city as fast as I could and out into the country for the birds! Hope you will have more to show us next week.

MadSnapper said...

Wow! now that is a getaway trip! looking forward to more photos of the Isle of Green... love the tufted ducks

Phil Slade said...

Top of the morning to you Eileen. I'm so glad you enjoyed your trip to Ireland and meeting some of our British and Irish birds. Dublin is a great city and you did it proud. Thanks for the link and enjoy your week.

s.c said...

All beautiful photo's and that header is really smashing.

Linda said...

Lovely to see birds in another country.

Penelope Notes said...

What a fun adventure, perhaps walking over the Ha'penny Bridge and seeing many charming towns in Ireland.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Angie! Take care, have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Margaret. I would have loved to meet up with you in Ireland. Most of our trip was a planned tour, we were moving along at a quick pace, we knew of the areas we were visiting but we did not know the names of hotels or B&B's we were staying. It would have been hard to plan a meeting time. I did think of you, wondering how far away you were from us. It was a great trip! Take care, enjoy your weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Cloudia! It was a dream trip for me, happy memories now. Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Irma! I enjoyed all the birds I saw while in Ireland, the crows were handsome. Have a great weekend.

Tom said...

...Eileen, your critters are fabulous, but the sunset is the show stopper. Thanks for hosting the party, enjoy your weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Yam! Ireland has been a dream trip for me, I am so glad we were able to visit Ireland. Have a happy weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Luisella! Ireland is a beautiful country, a lovely place to tour. Take care, enjoy your weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marit! I was happy to see all the birds I saw Ireland, they were all new to me. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the comment. The gardens were lovely. Take care, have a great day and happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you David! I enjoyed all the birds we saw in Ireland. I wish I had more time just for birding. Have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sandra! The Tufted Ducks are pretty. Take care, have a great weekend.

Black Knight said...

Dublin is a very beautiful city, I spent wonderful time there too. Thanks for sharing the photos. I see a pic of Temple Bar: a lot of pubs with folk irish music!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Phil! We had a great trip to Ireland and the birds were all wonderful too. Have a great weekend.

KB said...

Love the photos. I was born in Engiand and have visited Scotland and Wales but never Ireland. It's on my list. Thanks for hosting ❤

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marianne! Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda! It was fun looking for the birds in Ireland. Have a happy weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Maria! We really enjoyed our visit to Ireland. Have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Tom! Have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the visit and comment. The Temple Bar was packed, we could not even fit inside. The Irish music is fun and very popular. Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the comment and for the link this week. Hubby and I enjoy traveling and Ireland was on my list. Take care, enjoy your weekend.

chica said...

Eileen, que linda viagem! Dos sonhos, realmente! Adorei ver cada das fotos!
beijos, tudo de bom, que venham sempre mais! chica

Francisco Manuel Carrajola Oliveira said...

Belas fotografias, gostei de ver.
Um abraço e bom fim-de-semana.

Andarilhar
Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
Livros-Autografados

Jenn Jilks said...

It's fun seeing birds in other continents! Thanks for hosting!

Lea said...

Wonderful! Beautiful! Fantastic!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Chica! Take care, enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the visit and comment. Have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jenn! I enjoy seeing birds everywhere I go. Take care, enjoy your weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Lea! Have a happy weekend.

Shiju Sugunan said...

Amazing trip, Eileen! So dreamy! I loved seeing each of the photos!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you, for the link and comment. Take care, have a great day and happy new week!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Sounds like a great tour you went on. Ireland is on my bucket list as well. You saw an amazing variety of birds on your walk around Dublin.
Thank you for hosting!!

magiceye said...

Wonderful holiday! Happy weekend!

Kenneth Cole Schneider said...

Nice see the new species and compare them to North American counterparts. With Irish relatives on both sides of my family, I would have enjoyed a visit to Ireland. My sister has gone there three times and made many connections with our extended families.

Melbourne Australia Photos said...

Happy travels, Eileen! Ireland is a lovely country and Dublin full of things to see and do. Your great photos brought back happy memories of our times there. Thanks for hosting.

Bill said...

Glad to hear that you had a great time visiting. I only been to Dublin a few times to pick up my daughter but I'm a fan of the western part, lots of beautiful scenery. Thanks for sharig you lovely photos and have a wonderful long weekend.

Jeanie said...

If Rick and I go to the UK this fall, we may do a couple of days in Ireland/Dublin area. I may be picking your brain as to what the best "don't miss" things are! The photos look great and I have a feeling if we did ANY of what you shared, our time would be well spent. It sounds terrific and the photos are wonderful.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Alan, for the comment and visit. We really enjoy our trip to Ireland, it is a beautiful place to visit.
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the comment and link.
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ken, for the comment and visit.
It is nice your sister has connected with your Irish relatives.
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Nick for the comment and link.
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Bill, for the comment and link.
Ireland is beautiful!
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jeanie! There is lots to see and do in Dublin, we only had a short time there. Have a great weekend.

William Kendall said...

Such beautiful birds!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you William! Have a great weekend.

Barbara Rogers said...

Great that you had a get-away to Ireland. There are so many comments by bloggers already here! I'm sure they all are earlier risers than I am! I just realized my blog about cats could be added today to your Critters!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Barbara, I appreciate both the link and comment. Take care, enjoy your weekend.

Breathtaking said...

Hello Eileen :=)
My late Husband and I always wanted to visit Ireland but never made it, and now it's too late. Lucky you to have spent 10 days in Dublin and other places. The castle looks grand and the gardens are beautiful. I remember seeing some of those birds in Scotland where we did manage to visit. Thank you for showing your photos and for hosting Eileen. I look forward to seeing them and participating in it every week.Thank you so much.
All the best.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sonjia! I am happy that hubby and I were able to take this trip. Like you mentioned you never know how much time you have left to do things you really want to do. I am sure Scotland was a beautiful place to visit too. I appreciate your link and comment. Take care, have a great weekend and happy new week ahead.

Red said...

Great photos. You got some of the interesting birds that we don't have here.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Red, I appreciate your comment! Have a great weekend.

Debbie said...

i have always wanted to see ireland, i am so happy to have seen some of it here!! your images are beautiful, i enjoyed all of it, even beyond the wildlife!! have a great weekend and many thanks for hosting!!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Debbie! Ireland is a beautiful place to visit, I am so happy we were able to do this trip! Have a great weekend.

RedPat said...

I've always wanted to go to Ireland too so I loved seeing these shots of some of the birds that you saw there. A cousin of mine leaves for a tour there in a couple of weeks - it must be a busy time of year.

carol l mckenna said...

Great photos of Dublin ~ I enjoyed the city and Stephen's Green and you got great photos of the lovely birds there ~

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

Mae Travels said...

Ireland is a wonderful place — looks as if you enjoyed good weather for your tour! We have enjoyed all our trips to Ireland including some of the historic places and places connected to the great writers like Yeats and Swift, but the countryside is the most beautiful experience.
best, mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Karen @ Beatrice Euphemie said...

Always wanted to go to Ireland! Thanks for the lovely tour! I really like the hooded crow and all the pretty buildings. Hope you have a nice holiday weekend. x K

Teresa said...

Tengo ganas de conocer Irlanda, me parece preciosa. Me alegra que lo hayas pasado bien. Las aves son preciosas, casi todas están aquí, pero nunca vi al cuervo encapuchado. Besos.

eileeninmd said...


Thank you RedPat, for the comment and link.
Spring and Summer are popular times to visit Ireland.
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Carol, for the comment and link.
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Mae, for the comment and visit.
Ireland is beautiful, we did get to visit lots of historical sites, castle, abbeys, monasteries and the gorgeous coastline.
Have a great weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Karen, for the comment. It is great to see a post from you.
Have a great weekend!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

You get to see so much when you travel! And a trip to Ireland sounds fabulous! I'm so glad you got to go. Love the birds, especially that little Wren! Happy weekend and thanks for the party!

HappyK said...

Beautiful photos of your trip to Ireland. We went back in 2006 on a walking vacation and walked the Ring of Kerry. Best ever vacation.

Marie Smith said...

Love Ireland and all its creatures great and small. Great photos as always, Eileen.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Hi Eileen Sorry to be late linking up! We were working all day in our gardens==so much clean up and planting to get done. I loved seeing your photos from Ireland! They brought back many memories to me Have a great week!

Linda said...

Nice looking birds! Have a pleasant Memorial Day.

diane b said...

Enjoy your holiday in the Green Isle. Hope you see lots of birds.

Adam Jones said...

Nice that you were this side of the pond Eileen. I holidayed in Ireland last year and visited Dublin too. Also nice that you can see some of the European birds that I post about. Have a great weekend.

Stefania said...

Bellissime queste fotografie del vostro tour. Buona domenica.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Teresa, for the comment and visit.
Take care, enjoy your day, have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Diane, for the comment and visit.
Take care, enjoy your day, have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Karen, for the comment and visit.
Our tour included driving around the Ring of Kerry. The scenic views were beautiful.
Take care, enjoy your day, have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Pat, for the comment and for linking up your post.
Take care, enjoy your day, have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda, for the comment and link.
Take care, enjoy your day, have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Diane, for the comment and visit.
We enjoyed our trip!
Take care, enjoy your day, have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Adam!
It was great to see some of the Ireland and Eurasian Birds.
Have a great day and happy new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for the comment and visit.
Take care, enjoy your day, have a great new week!

stardust said...

Your travel to Ireland looks perfectly lovely, Eileen. I’m happy to have a glimpse into your experience in your beautiful mosaics. And besides, you always capture birds wonderfully no matter where you are.

Yoko

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Yoko! We enjoyed our trip and I loved seeing the birds of Ireland. Have a wonderful week!

ellen b. said...

Oh how wonderful that you were able to take this trip to Ireland, Eileen. It looks amazing. Fun to see the birds of Ireland that you saw! Cheers!

EricaSta said...

Uiiiii... Dublin! I love this City. I was four times there, it was always greatful. The People are very nice .... and I drive with a car through the streets, even though left driving.

Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful time.
Hugs by Heidrun

Michelle said...

I love Ireland! We were there about 4 years ago and stayed on the western side. I enjoyed seeing your photos on FB.

Bob Bushell said...

I have never been to Ireland, though, I wanted to. Beautiful pictures Eileen.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ellen! Hubby and I enjoyed our Ireland trip, so much to see. Have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Heidrun! I could not drive in Ireland, it is scary. Have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Michelle! I remember reading about your Ireland trip, it is such a beautiful country. Have a happy Memorial Day and a great new week!

Angie said...

Eileen - we were almost in the same neighborhood!! LOL! Isn't it fun to see new birds in a different environment? During our visit here, I have seen quite a few wrens, and yesterday was blessed to see a Great Spotted Woodpecker!

I look forward to seeing more photos from Ireland! Thanks for visiting my blog and leaving a comment!

Nancy Chan said...

It is indeed a lovely place. Beautiful landscapes and birds. Thank you for hosting.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Bob! I was happy to be able to take this trip to Ireland, we had a fun time. Take care, enjoy your new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Angie! Congrats on your woodpecker sighting, I was looking for one myself. But, no luck finding a woodpecker. I was happy with the birds I did get to see. Have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Hello Nancy
Thanks so much for taking time to link up and comment. I hope you are feeling better, sending prayers. Have a great new week!

Lydia C. Lee said...

In lockdown I did an online scavenger hunt around Dublin - it is nice to see some of the places we 'went' (having never been there in real life) Lovely pics.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Lydia! It was fun visiting Dublin. I appreciate your link and comment. Have a great week ahead.

Rainbow Evening said...

I just know that a lot of nice objects to see in Dublin......
Thank you for sharing photos and details....

Sharon Wagner said...

Have a meaningful Memorial Day!

Gillena Cox said...

Thanks for sharing your lovely scenes.
Happy you dropped by my blog today. Have a nice week.

Much💖love

eileeninmd said...

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

Anne Seltmann said...

Hallo Eileen!


I think it's nice that you're out in nature a lot and let us be part of it. It's fun to see your pictures. Thanks also for the willingness to link our pictures!


Best regards

Anne

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sharon! Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Gillena! I appreciate your visit too. Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Anne! I appreciate the link and comment. Have a happy day and a great new week!

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

What a wonderful trip. The travel pictures are fabulous and I love how you find (and identify!) birds everywhere you go. Thanks so much for all you do!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sallie, I appreciate your link and comment. Have a great week ahead.

Ornery Owl of Naughty Netherworld Press and Readers Roost said...

Fabulous old buildings and gorgeous birds as always. Your pictures always look so alive.

Lowcarb team member said...

Hello Eileen
What a wonderful trip to Ireland.
I've never visited but friends who have always said they'd like to go again.
Really enjoyed your photographs and mosaics.

Happy Memorial Weekend.

All the best Jan

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jan! I really enjoyed our trip to Ireland, it is a beautiful place to visit. Take care, have a wonderful week!

Tanza Erlambang said...

I enjoy to see your beautiful photos and read the text...
thank you for sharing

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Tanza, I appreciate the visit and comment. Have a great day and happy week ahead.

baili said...

wow what a delightful trip dear Eileen !
loved each sight you shared
and find no words to explain my joy when i see these beautiful feathery friends on your blog :)
thank you sooo much
God Bless

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Baili! I do enjoy finding new birds in new places. Have a great day and happy week!

Veronica Lee said...

Such a wonderful trip!
I enjoyed seeing all the gorgeous photos and collages.

Hugs and blessings, Eileen

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Veronica! I appreciate the comment and visit. Take care, enjoy your day!

Soma @ InkTorrents.com said...

That sounds like an amazing vacation, and must have been fun to see all the birds there. I really like the blue colour of the Tufted Duck beaks. So pretty! The pattern on the hooded crow is also amazing. Beautiful photos. Thanks so much for sharing them.

-Soma

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Soma! I appreciate your comment. It was fun finding new birds in new places. Take care, enjoy your day and happy weekend.

DeniseinVA said...

Thank you for this great tour around Dublin, must have been a marvelous trip. I also wanted to thank you for your other posts. Always enjoyed :) Have a great day and weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Denise, I appreciate your visit and comment. Have a great weekend.

~Kim at Golden Pines~ said...

As always, great photos! You know Eileen, Potomac MD and the Great Falls are my corner of the world, and another place I've not visited in a very long time - And your post reminds me that I should venture more out of Loudoun County! --Did you have a lot of smoke this week?

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Kim! Yes, our skies were very hazy from the wildfire smoke. It is getting better now. Take care, have a happy new week!

Saturday's Critters! # 575

  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 ...