Saturday's Critters # 582

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!

Click on images for better viewing.

These are images from Jan 2025.  January was a cold month, weeks and days of temps in low 20's for the high and in the teens for the lows.  Wind Chill temps were crazy low.  I tried going out for walks bundling up for the cold weather.  I usually saw more birds in my yard than on any walk.  

1. Jan 3rd, the female Red-bellied Woodpecker waited while I put out some suet nuggets on our deck.

2. Jan 3rd,  photos are from our walk to the lake. The Hooded Mergansers were seen at the lake near the boat dock. 

3. Below are the Hooded Mergansers, the female is on the left and the male is seen on the right side of the photo.

4. I see birds rights outside my kitchen window, I do not always have to go far to birdwatch.  On this day the Pileated Woodpecker was pecking away at this tree across the driveway. 

5. The male Pileated Woodpecker has an extra red mark on the (cheek) malar. This red mark lines up with the bird's bill. The mark on the female is black. 

6. Miney photos from Jan 11 and the 12th. We started fostering Miney on January 11th. We officially adopted Miney on January 20th. It didn't take long for us to decide Miney was going to be our dog.

7. I see lots of the gray squirrels here, there is one of the deck railing eating bird food and one on the table drinking water. 

8. So far, Miney is doing great.  She seems easy to train and is a super happy and friendly puppy dog. 

A flashback to a year ago Feb 2024, we had some snow and my yard birds were enjoying any food I put out for them like this Tufted Titmouse.

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.

Here is my linky:

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a happy new week!

"Each happiness of yesterday is a memory for tomorrow."

Collared Aracari seen in Belize. 

"A moment last for seconds but the memories last forever."

"We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Comments off, enjoy your day!

Saturday's Critters # 581

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!

Click on images for better viewing.

On Dec 30th hubby and I enjoyed a good weather day and a walk at the North Point State Park. This park is on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay in Edgemere Maryland, Baltimore County Maryland. It is a great park for birdwatching, we walked on the fishing pier and on the Black Marsh trail.

1.  Various ducks can be seen on the bay, we saw a large group of Ruddy Ducks, a female Long-tailed Duck, the Snow Bunting and a few Song Sparrows. 

2. The male Ruddy Duck retains it's white cheek in the winter months. They have a stiff tail that is often raised.

3. I am pretty sure this is a female Long-tailed Duck. These ducks have a white head, tan face with a brown neck patch, a white body with dark wings. The juvenile can look similar to the winter female.

4.  A larger photo of the Long-tailed Duck.

5. In the winter months,  Snow Buntings have become annual visitors and can be seen on the long pier that goes out into the bay. 

6. Below the Snow Bunting was hanging out with a Song Sparrow.

The non-breeding male looks similar to the female. The male has more white on the wings. 

A view of the fishing pier that juts out into the Chesapeake Bay. The Snow Buntings are found at the very end of the pier.

7. We walked on the Black Marsh trail, looking for birds and any kind of wildlife.  I think we were the only people that were not walking a dog. Below images of the trail and wetlands, Gadwall, Northern Mockingbird, Slider Turtles, Mallards and a few Bald Eagles. 

8. It was one of our warmer December days, the Slider Turtles came out to sun themselves on the log. 

Bald Eagle in flight over the parking lot.

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.

Here is my linky:

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a happy new week!

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving."

"Believe you can and your halfway there."

"We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Comments off, enjoy your day!

Saturday's Critters # 580

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!

Click on images for better viewing.

I did not go on many birdwatching outings in December.  It seemed like the month flew by, with both hubby and I being sick off and on. We both had the flu/stomach bug. I had a few episodes of vertigo. Hubby was out of commission for a few weeks having the Shingles on his face, even after having the Shingles vaccine. His eye was infected from the Shingles. We had multiple trips to the ER, a health clinic and his eye doctor. Finally he got the all clear the day before Christmas. For an added safety precaution we kept our distance from the family, especially the grandchildren. We met up with them the Saturday after Christmas. 

1. Dec 25th, we were surprised to see our neighborhood Peacock walking around our yard and on the deck.  I gave him some of the peanut suet nuggets and he quickly ate them all. 

2. Our neighborhood peacock came for a visit.

3. A little late but we enjoyed Christmas with the grandkids. It was a joyful time with the kiddies. 

4. Dec 27th, hubby and I were walking on the local fire road when I saw this Pileated Woodpecker fly and land on a nearby tree.

5. Dec 30, we rode past the Friendly Farms ponds on the way home. There were lots of Canada Geese and a group of male and female Bufflehead ducks. 

6. A view of the ponds, the ducks look way to small but you can see small bits of white which are the Buffleheads.

7. A larger image of the male Bufflehead with three females. 

Bonus: Yesterday our grandson turned 3 years old, Happy Birthday to Mason.  

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.

Here is my linky:

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a happy new week!

"A walk in nature walks the soul back home."

"May the joy of simple things color the canvas of your soul."

"We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Comments off, enjoy your day!

Saturday's Critters # 579

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!

These are a few of my favorite things and places I was able to photograph and post on my blog during the year 2024. 

Click on images for better viewing.

2024 favorite things from January through June.

1. Jan 2024, Prettyboy Reservoir, we enjoy our local walks on the fire roads, through the forest and to the lake. The Bald Eagles are a common sight to see around the reservoir and our neighborhood.

Jan 2024, our second grandson turned 2 years old. 

2. Feb 2024, I love to check out the local Friendly Farms ponds, in the winter we can usually see some ducks. Below are the Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers and an American Wigeon.

Our first grandson, turned 3 years old in February 2024.  

3. March 2024, I love the Woodpeckers and the Pileated Woodpecker is at the top of my favorite woodpecker list.

4. April 2024, the Snow Geese are a favorite sighting, we can usually see large flocks in Maryland and Delaware. 

5. May 2024, more favorite woodpeckers seen during our Arizona trip are the Acorn Woodpecker and the Arizona Woodpecker. 

6. June 2024, another favorite thing is spending time with our grandsons and our grand-dog Winnie.

2024 favorite things from July through December

7. July 2024, a favorite sight to see in our yard is the visiting Peacock. 

I have two photos for July, my favorite granddaughter Sophie was born.

8. Aug 2024, from our Arizona trip is my hubby the butterfly whisperer. 

9. Sept 2024, seen on one of our many walks at the Prettyboy reservoir, is the mama deer with her fawn. 

10. Oct 2024, during our Alaska trip I loved seeing the Moose. This one was seen along the road near our hotel not far from Denali Park.

11. Nov 2024, from a visit to Bombay Hook NWR are the Sandhill Cranes. 

12. Dec 2024, I love the seashore, the photo is from a getaway to Chincoteague Island NWR.

13.  The December puzzle finished, I love the dolphins.

A bonus image from Jan 12, 2025. We decided to foster a dog with the option to adopt if all goes well. Miney is just over 6 months a mix breed, part Retriever and part Border Collie. Her litter mates had the names Eenie and Moe.  She is super friendly and was house trained. She is jumping up and we are working at training her to stop that bad habit. 

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.

Here is my linky:

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!