Saturday, March 23, 2024

Saturday's Critters # 536

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!


On the last day of our getaway on the way to Bombay Hook NWR, we made a quick stop at the Silver Lake In Rehoboth Delaware. Usually this lake is full of the Canvasback Ducks. I was surprised at the low numbers of ducks on this day.  I checked out my previous years visit to this same lake and the Canvasback duck numbers looked way higher.  I included present and previous pictures in this post. 

The Canvasback Ducks, are large ducks that winter on the coast of the USA. The adult male has red eyes and a redhead, they have bright white sides, wings and back. They have a long sloping forehead and bill. The female has the same bill but has a tan/brown head. 

Feb 10th 2024, the Canvasback Ducks seen on the Silver Lake, Rehoboth Delaware.









Not many birds/ducks are seen this year, where are they?







These are photos from my visit on Feb 7th 2023, just one year ago. You can see the number of ducks was higher during our 2023 visit. 










These are photos of the Canvasback Ducks seen on the Silver Lake Rehoboth Delaware on Feb 13 2018.






On this day there were so many ducks I could not fit them into one photo.  





These are images from my Nov 29th 2013 visit to Silver Lake, Rehoboth Delaware. During this visit In November 2013, we saw more Canada Geese than ducks. The bird and ducks seen in the mosaic below are the American Black Deck, Double-crested Cormorants, Common Loon, Ruddy Duck with a Canvasback, not in a close up view were some American Wigeons. 




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.





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.




Thank you for sharing your critters and post!


Here is my linky:





100 comments:

Mae Travels said...

Interesting idea to show photos from several different February visits to the lake. Could migration be somewhat differently timed this year? Do various sites that track bird counts show this?
Thanks for hosting!

best,mae at maefood.blogspot.com

Angie's Recipes said...

Such a beautiful and relaxing place! Maybe they found another lake somewhere else.

Yvonne said...

Beautiful photos! Perhaps the changing climate has something to do with the lower count, or even habitat loss. It was a nice day anyway to enjoy the ducks that were there.

rupam sarma said...

Beautiful birds photos. Thanks a lot for hosting.
Have a nice weekend.

Katerinas Blog said...

Aileen, beautiful photos!! I follow..

EricaSta said...

Being on a beach is one of the finest things in life. We love the water too ... but have only lakes around. Thank you for hosting, dear Eileen. I enjoyed reading with each picture.

Here it's raining now... best time for visiting blogs.

Have a wonderful weekend, hugs by Heidrun

italiafinlandia said...

Thanks for sharing the Canvasback Ducks, which are new to me. We haven't seen any migratory birds back to Finland yet. It is still too cold here.
Happy weekend and enjoy your days!

Marit said...

Hello Eileen,
Beautiful photos from Silver Lake. It was many ducks there! It must have been a wonderful sight.
Take care, and have a great weekend!

Penelope Notes said...

It's a mystery as to what the changing number of ducks/birds signifies in a particular area. In my world, I've noticed far fewer seagulls than I recall from previous years.

Irma said...

What a difference in the numbers of Canvasback Ducks compared to last year.
I think things are going very badly everywhere for several species of birds.
The photos are beautiful Eileen.
I wish you a good weekend.
Greetings Irma

roentare said...

so many ducks in the lake. They are in swarms.

NatureFootstep said...

what a wonderful sight! So far I have only ween one pair. I hope more will come.

William Kendall said...

Beautiful views.

Iris Flavia said...

In the owl book I learned that numbers of birds showing up in different numbers over the years must not mean anything bad happened. And there are still enough cute critters :-) Have a great Saturday, Eileen!

chica said...

Observar a migração dos pássaros é lindo e tu mostraste muito bem! Lindas fotos! beijos, ótimo fim de semana e já semana santa! chica

MadSnapper said...

my senior eyes first read Cashback Ducks, wow! I need to slow down, the views of the lakes are so beautiful and that is a LOT of canvas backs in one place... the photos look so peaceful and quiet, something we lack in the city

eileeninmd said...

Hello Mae,
Thank you for your link and comment. I checked the Ebird website and it appears 150 Canvasbacks were seen at the lake in January. That is a lot of ducks, previous years as many as 400-500 of these ducks were seen. Not sure why?
Take care, enjoy your weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Angie, for your comment and your visit.
I hope that is the answer that these ducks found another lake.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Yvonne, for your critter link and comment!
It is a pretty lake, always worth a short visit.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for your critter link and comment.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for your comment and your visit.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Heidrun, for your critter link and comment.
I enjoy seeing the water views too, either the ocean, a river and or a lake.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Luisella, for your critter link and comment.
I hope your weather is warming up soon and the birds return.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marit, for your critter link and comment.
It is a wonderful sight, to see the lake and all the ducks.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Maria, for your critter link and comment.
Nature is a mystery, I am hoping they moved on.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Irma, for your critter link and comment.
The climate, available food and humans all have an effect on nature.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Roentare, for your critter link and comment.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Monica, for your critter link and comment.
I hope you get to see more than the one pair.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you William, for your critter link and comment.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Iris, for your critter link and comment.
I hope there is not a bad reason for the decline in the duck population.
Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sandra.
It is a pretty little lake that attracts all the winter ducks.
Take care, have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Chica, for your comment and your visit.
It is great to see the birds migrating.
Take care, have a blessed Easter week.

Stone Cottage Adventures said...

It does seem like fewer ducks in the more recent photos. I love visiting this party. Thank you for hosting! -Marci @ Old Rock Farmhouse

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marci, for your link and comment. It does look like there has been a decline in the duck numbers.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

Pamela M. Steiner said...

Hello, Eileen, This is my first time visiting your blog, and I had some interesting nature photos to share so decided to link up with you today. I discovered you from my friend Aritha over at Moments, Frozen in Time. Thank you for doing this! I love nature and all the beauty that God has provided for us to enjoy! Looking forward to getting better acquainted here!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Pamela, for your link and comment. It is nice to see you and your post, sharing the cranes and their babies was a fun experience. Take care, have a great weekend.

Jenn Jilks said...

I wonder if they didn't migrate as far as in previous years. Some years we have flocks that hang around. One year we had a dozen robins who chose not to migrate!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jenn, for your link and comment. I hope that is the reason for their low numbers this year, the warmer weather may stop them from migrating. Take care, have a happy weekend.

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Canvasback is a very handsome bird, occurring in good numbers every year on Lake Ontario.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you David, for your link and comment. It is good to know the Canvasbacks have good number on Lake Ontario. They are beautiful. Take care, enjoy your weekend.

Intelliblog said...

Hello, Eileen. Lovely shots. We can attempt to decipher the reducing bird numbers in many ways. However, climate change, reduction in habitat areas, increased pollution, human interference, etc, etc all play a role. Thanks for being a great host.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Nick! Yes, there are many reasons for the decline in many species of birds. For some reason, I think of the phrase " Canary in the coal mine". Take care, enjoy your day and have a great week ahead.

Marie Smith said...

That’s quite a difference in the bird population this year! I haven’t ever seen many Canvasbacks here.

Lea said...

Interesting comparison of different years.
Have a blessed day!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marie, I appreciate your visit and comment. Take care, have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

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

Tom said...

...Rehoboth is an interesting name, which means "The Lord has given us room and we will flourish in the Land." The water fowl have taken that to heart. Thanks Eileen for hosting, enjoy your day.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Tom, for your link and interesting comment sharing the meaning of Rehoboth. Take care, have a great weekend.

Barbara Rogers said...

Such pretty ducks, and after all, maybe that was their day to visit a neighboring cove. Sorry there weren't as many for you though. I have a wonderful dog to present today (along with other folks).

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Barbara, for your comment and visit. I love the dog you shared, it is beautiful. Take care, enjoy your weekend.

John's Island said...

Hi Eileen, Truly fascinating comparison of this year with previous years re the Canvasback Ducks. “Not many birds/ducks are seen this year, where are they?” Now I am wondering if it has anything to do with the unusual weather the whole country has been experiencing the last couple of years. I’m thinking climate change, how about you? Thanks, as always, for sharing and hosting Saturday’s Critters. Happy weekend and week ahead to you and yours. John

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

It's interesting to look back and see what we've seen in years past. It sure changes here year to year but it can be more or less...either way. Nature has a way of sorting things out. Happy weekend! Hugs, Diane

eileeninmd said...

Thank you John, your comment is appreciated. Climate change and loss of habitat, pollution and humans using poisons, the list could be longer. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Diane, for your critter link and comment. I love all things nature related, I hope all is well.
Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

RedPat said...

Maybe because of the mild winter many of the birds didn't stay south for long or didn't go south at all. They would be in for a surprise today as we got a lot of snow yesterday for the first time this winter.

Debbie said...

wow...what a difference in the number of these beautiful ducks!! it's good that you catalog your images in such a way that you can keep track of them, from one year to the next!! in other thoughts, it sure is a good day to be a duck!! many thanks for hosting us critter lovers, stay inside today and keep dry!! have a great rest of the weekend!!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you RedPat! The weather may affect their migration. It rained here most of the day. Have a great weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Debbie, for your link and comment. This is good weather for the ducks. Really wet! Have a great weekend.

Pamela M. Steiner said...

Thank you, and I enjoyed seeing your ducks, etc. too!!

HappyK said...

Pretty lake and LOTS of ducks!!

DeniseinVA said...

Wonderful sightings Eileen, thanks for sharing them. Have an enjoyable evening and a great week!

Lowcarb team member said...

Hello Eileen
Many thanks for sharing your photographs.

That is quite a difference in the bird population this year.
I don't think any one reason is to blame as there are many reasons for the decline in many species of birds. For instance a reduction in their habitat areas, climate change, interference from us humans! Sometimes we do more harm than good!
No matter the reason we all need to do our best to protect our wonderful world.

Wishing you a happy weekend.

All the best Jan

Shiju Sugunan said...

Makes you wonder where they all went this year. The photos from previous years are amazing!

Veronica Lee said...

I always enjoy your critter posts, Eileen.
It's interesting to compare the numbers from previous years and wonder about the reasons behind the fluctuations.
Climate change and habitat loss are definitely concerning factors.
Beautiful photos as always and thanks for hosting this wonderful critter party!

Hugs and blessings

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

It is concerning when a population of any animals is reduced drastically especially in such a short amount of time.

Linda said...

Delightful ducks! I did not know about this lake.

GreenComotion said...

I haven't the faintest clue where the ducks went off to. I do thank you for sharing all the photos of these ducks from different points in time, which is wonderful to see. Also, thank you for hosting. Happy WE to you, Eileen!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Karen, I appreciate the visit and comment. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Denise , for your visit and comment. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jan, for your visit and comment.
I agree, there are multiple reasons for the decline in the bird populations.
As humans we need to protect all things nature related.
Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Shiju , for your visit and comment.
Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Veronica , for your visit and comment.
You are right on about the concerning factors another one is pesticides that people are using, it is poison for the birds.
Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Yogi, for your visit and comment.
I hope they can recover. All wildlife needs to be protected.
Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda, for your visit and comment.
The Silver Lake is one of the birding hotspots in Reboboth.
Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you, for your visit and comment.
I am happy to see you participating with your critter post.
Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and have a great new week!

Caroline said...

Beautiful photos of the ducks. So many. Have a nice sunday !

Mbul Kecil said...

Very beautiful view with ducks population and they are swimming happily....Have a great day

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Caroline, for your critter link and your comment. Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks Linda, for the comment. I guess you never know when the bird are migrating.
Happy Sunday, enjoy your day and have a great new week!

eileeninmd said...

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

Bob Bushell said...

Wow, a magnificent view of the Canvasback Eileen. Beautiful images.

carol l mckenna said...

Lovely series of photos of our 'feathered friends' ~ hugs,

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Bob, for your link and comment. Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Carol, for your comment and for the link. Take care, have a wonderful week!

Jeanie said...

Those canvasback ducks are especially beautiful. Happy Easter week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jeanie.
They are beautiful ducks.
Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.

Sallie (FullTime-Life) said...

I wonder if the climate change has anything to do with the fewer number of Canvasbacks? Or just a year when migration pattern was different for some other reason. You never know these days. Anyway it makes me happy to see any of these pretty ducks and I love your pictures.

EricaSta said...

Ducks are always very welcome. We love to observe them here on a lake nearby our home...
...thank you for sharing at MosaicMonday

Hugs by Heidrun

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sallie, I appreciate the comment. The ducks are pretty and always a great sight to see. Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Heidrun, for your comment and visit. I agree, the ducks are welcome. Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.

ellen b. said...

Ha! That's a lot of ducks! I've seen Canadian Geese out and about but haven't seen ducks yet. That probably means I should get out for a nice long walk! Happy Easter week to you and yours!

Teresa said...

Es un placer para mí visitar tu blog, me encanta ver todas las aves y todos tus reportajes. Te dejo un abrazo fuerte.

eileeninmd said...

Happy Easter Ellen! Thanks for the comment. A long walk sounds nice! Take care, have a wonderful day!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Teresa, for your comment and visit. Take care, have a wonderful day!

Majo Dutra said...

Your publications are always very beautiful, I appreciate them...
I've been having health problems...
However, I want to wish you blessed holy days and a very happy Hallelujah Sunday.
A Easter hug. 🌿🐇🌷💌
~~~~~~~

eileeninmd said...

I am so sorry you are not feeling well, sending prayers and well wishes for you! Thanks for visiting and for the comment.
I wish you a very blessed and happy Easter!

baili said...

thank you for taking along dear Eileen !
lake parks are glorious and tranquil place to visit indeed .
lots of ducks with specific row formation as last image show ,must be exciting to see them from close .thank you for last visit glimpse too ,they show some awesome close ups :)
sending lots of love and best wishes for you and loved ones!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Baili, your comment and visit are appreciated. Take care, have a great day!

This N That said...

Love all your Ducks..Quite a collection..nice pics..ave a Happy Easter..

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Missy! Happy Easter to you and yours!

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

 Merry Christmas! May this season be full of light and laughter for you and your family. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! Happy Ha...