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!
Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday weekend!
Nov 7th, I arranged for a birding tour in Turks and Caicos with a local birding guide. We were picked up at our resort 7am and we drove to the Wheeland Pond not too far away. It was a short outing, in 1 hour and 20 minutes we saw 41 species and 291 individuals, most of the birds I was able to take a photo of and a few I missed the shot. These are some of the birds we saw, I did see a few lifers. One lifer was the Mangrove Cuckoo, I saw it through my binocs but I could not get a good photo.
1. On the way to the main pond, we stopped along the road to see the juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Gray Kingbird and the Royal Terns.
Click on photos for larger viewing.
2. Below are the Black-necked Stilts and shorebird friends.
3. Plovers, Sanderlings, Ruddy Turnstone and the 4th bird in front is another lifer the Wilson's Phalarope.
4. Another lifer is the Thick-billed Vireo.
5. A lifer, the White-cheeked Pintails. They are very cute, I like their colorful bill.
6. A closeup of the White-cheeked Pintails, it is a lifer for me. The White-cheeked Pintails are sitting close to a Ruddy Turnstone and a Killdeer.
7. More of the same, the Black-necked Stilts, Plovers, Killdeer and the White-cheeked Pintails.
8. Plovers, Killdeer, Ruddy Turnstone and more.
9. Black-bellied Plovers and an American Golden Plover.
10. A view of the pond, mangroves and native plants.
I hope you enjoyed all the birds I saw in Turks and Caicos, it was a short and fun 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 linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post.
Plovers in numbers look impressive
ReplyDeleteThank you Roentare, for your link and your comment.
DeleteTake care, have a wonderful weekend.
Happy Saturday and Merry Christmas, Eileen! Looks like that you had a wonderful birding trip :-)
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas Angie! Thanks for the comment and visit!
DeleteTake care, have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you dear Eileen, happy Christmas to you Aloha
ReplyDeleteThank you Cloudia, for your link and your comment!
DeleteTake care, have a wonderful weekend.
Dear Eileen, that was a really productive bird watching trip! And I'm very happy that you even saw some of the lifers, even if you weren't able to photograph them all. The memories still remain!
ReplyDeleteI wish you and everyone you love (people and animals) a wonderful Christmas ⛄ππ―️ and a happy new year ππ!
All the best, Traude
https://rostrose.blogspot.com/2023/12/winter-wunderland-und-frohe-weihnachten.html
π❣️π§Έπ ❤️⛄ππ
Thank you Traude, for your link and your comment.
DeleteIt was a fun outing! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.
There is such a beautiful variety of birds, big, big WOW and thank you for sharing, dear Eileen!
ReplyDeleteMother Nature is so creative! To a happy day - hope yours is not as cold and rainy...
Thank you Iris, for your link and your comment!
DeleteI am always in awe of Mother Nature!
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.
Passeio maravilhoso e bem aproveitado! Lindas fotos!
ReplyDeleteDeixo aqui os meus desejos de um Natal lindo e abençoado e que 2024 chegue com muita luz e paz!
beijos pra ti e teus, chica
Thank you Chica, for your comment and your visit.
DeleteI wish you and your family a very blessed Christmas and a very happy New Year!
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.
Hello Eileen,
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos and collages of your birding trip.
I really enjoy seeing the juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron.
The pintails with white cheeks and the red beak are also beautiful, again two species that do not occur here in the Netherlands.
I enjoyed his photos and I wish you a Merry Christmas and especially a healthy 2024.
Greetings Irma
Merry Christmas Irma, Thank you for your link and your comment!
DeleteI enjoyed seeing these birds on our little getaway.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.
Hello Eileen,
ReplyDeleteAll the birds are so beautiful. The White - cheeked Pintails was new to me. I understand why you like it. It's a very pretty bird.
Take care, and enjoy the weekend!
Thank you Marit, for your comment and your visit.
DeleteThe Pintails were adorable.
Take care, have a wonderful holiday weekend.
You really saw a lot of birds in such a short time! Nice photos. And thank you for another year of Saturday Critters. Have a great Christmas.
ReplyDeletebest, mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thank you Mae, for your link and your comment!
DeleteIt was a short outing, I was happy with all our sightings.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.
I liked to see this collection of cute shorebirds. The Pintails are really pretty and of course new to me.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.
I wish you and yours a peaceful Christmas time! ππ π€Ά
Thank you Luisella, for your comment and your visit.
DeleteThe Pintails are cute ducks, I was happy to see them for the first time.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.
Beautiful blog
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmasππ
Thank you for the visit and comment. Merry Christmas to you!
Deleteevery one of these is beautiful and I am so happy for you that you saw that many lifers in one place. that pond is a paradise for birds, and it looks like the weather was perfect for your photos. Only a few of these today that I have seen before, the majority would be lifers for me.
ReplyDeleteThank you Sandra! This pond was a great spot to spend just a bit of time birding. Many of these birds I am able to see close to home in the summer months. Take care, have a safe and happy holiday weekend.
DeleteThank you very much for your wonderful photos... unfortunately I am not able to take photos of animals of this quality and so I am always very happy to see them in Blockland, especially when they are specifically explained.
ReplyDeleteI thank you very much for your recordings and send you a warm greeting.
I wish you a happy holiday... if you celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas.
A wonderful time until the turn of the year and into the new one. Viola
Thank you for your visit and comment.
DeleteI do not always go into the details and descriptions of my birds, the photos are a great memory of my sightings.
I wish you a happy and safe holiday weekend.
Such beautiful pictures, the White Cheeked Pintails are my favorite, thanks fo much for sharing! Looks like you had a lovely trip!
ReplyDeletexoxo, MIDORI
https://www.midorilinea.com/blogs/midori-linea/designer-life-to-mommy-life
Thank you for the comment and visit. I did love seeing those cute Pintails. Have a great weekend.
Delete...the White-cheeked Pintails are show stoppers! Eileen, I wish you a Mery Christmas. ☃️ π ❄️ π πΌ
ReplyDeleteThank you Tom! The Pintails were my favorite sighting! Merry Christmas to you and your family.
DeleteA lovely selection of photos, Eileen. Best wishes for a Merry Christmas to you and your family. Thanks for hosting.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nick, for your link and comment. I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!
DeleteThank you for sharing your birds and critters! I love the opportunity to see photos of birds I shall likely never see. Thanks for hosting. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThank you Jenn, for your link and comment. Merry Christmas to you and your family!
DeleteWhite-cheeked Pintail and Thick-billed Vireo would have been lifers for me. We searched for Thick-billed Vireo at Cayo Coco in Cuba, without success, and White -cheeked Pintail is a rarity there. All the best for holidays and the New Year.
ReplyDeleteThank you David! The White-cheeked Pintail are beautiful and I was thrilled just to see them. It was a great outing.
DeleteSorry you missed seeing these birds in Cuba. I wish you and your family all the best in 2024, a happy and healthy New Year.
What a nice variety of birds you captured. Thanks for sharing and have a Merry Christmas and a fantastic 2024.
ReplyDeleteThank you Bill, for the link and comment. Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year to you and yours.
DeleteBeautiful birds, Eileen. Merry Christmas to you.
ReplyDeleteThank you William, I appreciate the comment and visit. Have a great weekend!
DeleteThis may be a stupid question but what is a "lifer"? The first time you have seen that species? I consider myself knowledgeable in waterfowl identification, but I have never heard of a white face pintail before.
ReplyDeleteHello,
DeleteYes, a lifer is a bird seen for the first time. This White-cheeked Pintail is not a native bird that would be seen in our country. Thanks for the visit and comment. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
You made the most of your trip. What a great variety of birds you saw including a lifer for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting.
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Thank you Alan, for the link and comment. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. Take care, have a safe and happy holiday weekend.
DeleteMy very best wishes to you and your family , for a Merry Christmas...
ReplyDeleteThank you Ana! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
DeleteGreat photos!
ReplyDeleteA wonderful variety of birds!
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas Lea! Thank you for the link and comment on this holiday weekend. Take care, have a great day and happy weekend.
DeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteI have no offerings to join in for a while, Eileen, but I will be here to 'watch'! Have a wonderful Christmas, with Love, YAM xx
Thank you Yam, I appreciate your visit and comment. I wish you and your family a wonderful Christmas!
DeleteWhat a treat to see and get such a nice shot of that juvenile Yellow-Crowned Night Heron! Wishing you and your family a very merry Christmas, Eileen!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ellen, for the visit and comment. I wish you and your family a very Happy Christmas!
DeleteSuch a beautiful array of nature photos from your journey ~ always very professional like photos here ~
ReplyDeleteThanks, Eileen and Merry Christmas to you ~ Xo
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Thank you Carol, for your kind words and for your link today! I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
DeleteHello Eileen, thank you for sharing your bird tour. The Thick-billed Vireo is an unknown to me, for sure. Thank you for hosting this meme. Happy Christmas to you and your hubby. Jo
ReplyDeleteHello Jo,
DeleteThank you and Merry Christmas to you and your family. I enjoyed your post. Take care, have a great holiday and weekend.
Shore birds are very busy and fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteThank you Red, for your comment and visit. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Happy weekend!
DeleteSo many birds, Eileen. And lifers included. That was a good tour that you took.
ReplyDeleteThank you RedPat! I appreciate the link and your comment. Have a safe and happy holiday weekend.
DeleteI spotted the killdeer! I like them, they always make me smile when I see them run!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Christmas Eileen to you and your family.
Karen, Merry Christmas to you and your family! Thank you for the comment and visit.
DeleteThe Killdeers are so sweet. Happy Sunday, have a wonderful week.
Travelling to Wheeland Pond and being in that exquisite natural environment must be awesome. Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas and more adventures in the New Year. :))
ReplyDeleteHello Maria,
DeleteMerry Christmas and a very Happy New year to you and your family!
Thank you for the comment and visit.
It was a great outing, I enjoyed the pond and seeing their habitat.
Happy Sunday, have a wonderful week.
Hello Eileen
ReplyDeleteAnother great collection of photographs and sightings.
I especially enjoyed seeing the White-cheeked Pintails.
I agree they do look cute, especially with their colourful bill.
Enjoy your weekend, and early wishes for a Merry Christmas.
All the best Jan
Hello Jan,
DeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family!
Thank you for the comment and visit. The Pintails are cute ducks.
Happy Sunday, have a wonderful week.
Always a pleasure to visit Eileen. Thank you so much for sharing all your very special photos over the past year. You give us a lot of smiles out here. Merry Christmas and A Very Happy New Year to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteHello Denise,
DeleteMerry Christmas and a very happy New Year to you and your family!
Thank you for the comments and visits this past year.
Happy Sunday, have a wonderful week.
Siempre es precioso ver tantas aves. Te deseo unas Felices Fiestas. Abrazos.
ReplyDeleteHello Teresa,
DeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family!
It is lovely to see all these birds in one spot.
Thank you for the comment and visit.
Happy Sunday, have a wonderful week.
Looks like the birds are partying!
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas!
Thank you for the comment and visit. The birds did look happy.
DeleteHappy Sunday, have a wonderful week.
Such a lot of first-ers for you! Hope that Vireo had a good song to listen to also!
ReplyDeleteHello Barbara,
DeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family!
The Vireo did have a lovely song.
Thank you for the comment and visit.
Happy Sunday, have a wonderful week.
Delightful water birds! Happy Christmas!
ReplyDeleteHello Linda,
DeleteMerry Christmas to you and your family!
Thank you for the your link and comment.
Happy Sunday, have a wonderful week.
what a lovely collection of birds...and so many lifers, how wonderful. 2 favorites were the black-necked stilts and the white-cheeked pintails, but really all were a thrill to see!! merry christmas eileen, and many thanks for hosting this for so many years!!
ReplyDeleteThank you Debbie, I appreciate all your links and comments over the years. I have enjoyed your blog post and all your lovely photos. Merry Christmas and a very happy and healthy New Year to you and yours.
DeleteWhat a collection of great bird photos. I loved them all. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteHello Inger, Merry Christmas to you. I appreciate your comment and visit. Have a great day and happy week ahead.
DeleteThank you for sharing this delightful birding adventure! The variety of bird species you encountered is impressive, and the photos capture their beauty wonderfully. It's always exciting to spot lifers, even if getting a perfect photo proves elusive. The juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Gray Kingbird, and Royal Terns add a special touch to the experience. Your birding tour in Turks and Caicos sounds like a fantastic way to connect with nature and its feathered inhabitants.
ReplyDeleteVisit https://www.melodyjacob.com/2023/12/what-i-would-love-to-be-gifted-for-Christmas-and-new-year.html
Thank you Melody, I appreciate the visit and comment. Have a great day and happy week ahead.
DeleteHello Eileen,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great places with so many kind of birds. So special and nice to photograph.
It's really nice to see all these pictures.
I wish you a wonderful christmas.
Greetings, Marco
Thank you Marco! I appreciate your visit and comment. Merry Christmas to you and your family! I wish you all the best in 2024, Happy New year!
DeleteAnother awesome post, Eileen! I always wondered what the name of those long legged birds were, now I got it - Stilts. They do walk like they are on stilts. I have in fact seen them around a lake here in DFW. Merry Christmas. Take care.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your link and comment. The Stilts are pretty birds to see. Merry Christmas to you and your family! I wish you all the best in 2024, Happy New Year!
DeleteSuch a delightful array of birds!
ReplyDeleteI especially love the White Cheeked Pintails .
Wishing you a season filled with warmth, joy, and cherished moments. Merry Christmas, Eileen!
Thank you Veronica, for your link and comment. The Pintails are cute birds. Merry Christmas to you and your family! I wish you all the best in 2024, Happy New Year!
Deletewe show Black-necked Stilts in nature several times..... cute bird.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas to you and yours
Merry Christmas to you and your family! Thanks so much for the comment! Have a wonderful week!
DeleteMerry Christmas Eileen! Best wishes to you and your family! John
ReplyDeleteThank you John! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
DeleteAmazing series of photos.
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas, Greetings from India
Thank you for the visit and comment! Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.
DeleteVery beautiful!...
ReplyDeleteContinuation of a very happy Christmas season.
~~~~~
Thank you, I appreciate your comment and visit. Take care, have a great day!
Deletelovely ducks.....
ReplyDeleteMerry Christmas and happy new year to you and yours....
Thank you Tanza, for your link and comment. I wish you all the best in 2024, a happy and healthy New Year!
DeleteUau! Imagens incrΓveis do Lago... e fiquei particularmente fascinada com as fotos dos patos de bico colorido!
ReplyDeleteEstimo que tenha passado a quadra natalΓcia de uma forma muito feliz, Eileen! Como passei grande parte de Dezembro adoentada, andei bastante afastada da Net, pelo que sΓ³ agora, consegui deixar os comentΓ‘rios mais em dia, dos blogues que nΓ£o consegui visitar antes...
Um beijinho! Tudo de bom para 2024, para si e todos os seus!
Ana
Thank you Ana, for the comment and wishes. I hope you and your mother are both feeling better, wishes for continued health for you both. Take care, have a happy day!
Delete