Saturday, April 5, 2025

Saturday's Critters # 590

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!


Happy April, this is my first post for the month of April. The holidays we will celebrate during this month are April 12th Passover begins, April 20th is Easter Sunday, April 22nd is Earth Day and last but not least is April 25th is Arbor Day honor this day by planting a tree.


Click on images for better viewing.


1. The NCR rail trail, is popular for joggers, bike riders and people walking, lots of dog walkers. 


Feb 26th, NCR trail with Miney









2. Miney wanted everyone that went by to stop and say hello.  She is a friendly dog. 




3. Off the NCR trail I noticed these two Canada Geese. One look like it was sick or dead, it's partner seemed to by hanging close by.  I am wondering if the sick bird has the HPAI Avian flu. I was sad to hear they closed my favorite trail at the Susquehanna River, due to the large count of dead Vultures. The Avian flu is killing the vultures seen at the Conowingo Dam area. 




Feb 26th, a stop at the Prettyboy boat dock to see the Common Mergansers.




4. On the way home from our walk on the NCR bike trail we stopped at the Prettyboy Reservoir's boat ramp. If we are lucky we usually see some ducks hanging out nearby.  This day we saw a large flock of Common Mergansers and some Canada Geese. 





5. A closer look at the Canada Geese. 




6. Somewhat closer view of the Common Mergansers. The male has the white body and a green head. The female has a rufous colored head with greyish body.




7. Miney watching a jogger go by. 





8. From March 2017, during our 6months living in Florida we visited the Circle B Preserve at least once a week. It is a great place to see the birds, just watch out for the gators. Below seen off the Circle B trail I could see the Great Blue Heron with one of their chicks.




Another Circle B Preserve photo, we saw various Egrets, Ibis, Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills and Little Blue Heron. 




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!

110 comments:

EricaSta said...

Oh, I'm first today. The early bird with other words... Yes, I like the sunraising time. And now I say
Hallo
to Minnie too of this way. It's a lovely sweet dog.
I enjoyed reading, wish you a wonderful week. Thank you for sharing and for hosting.
Hugs by Heidrun

Soma @ InkTorrents.com said...

Beautiful and Miney is such a sweet pup. I do hope the Canada Geese felt better and flew away to their destination. Thanks so much for hosting, and have a lovely weekend.

-Soma

Mae Travels said...

The avian flu is terrible for birds. Near us a number of geese died in one of the parks. It's really sad to hear about the vultures at Conowingo dam!
Thanks for hosting saturday critters!
best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

magiceye said...

Beautiful avian photos!
Happy weekend to you!

Shiju Sugunan said...

Lovely nature walk photos. The Great Blue Heron couple with chick photo is my favorite!

rupam sarma said...

Hello, Hope you are doing fine. Beautiful series of photos.
Thanks a lot for hosting.

Marit said...

Hello Eileen,
Miney is always so sweet, and it's nice that she is so friendly to everyone. It's a beautiful picture of the Blue Heron and one of their chicks. I wouldn't have liked being around alligators.
Take care, and enjoy your weekend!

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari OM
The Avian Flu is devastating - I've seen several seabirds passed or suffering with it and it's cruel.

How I wish I could reach through the screen to greet Miney - do give her an ear chuck from 'YAM-aunty'! xx

Irma said...

Hello Eileen, Great series of photos.
I love the Canadian geese and the Common Mergansers.
Bird flu also occurs here and last year it cost the lives of entire colonies of terns.
Miney is a beautiful dog, wonderful to take for walks.
I wish you a good weekend.
Greetings Irma

Calendula said...

Love the pair of the Great Blue Heron with their chick! 🥰

Iris Flavia said...

Miney is really cute, but, oh, so sorry to learn about the sick/dead birds!

Veronica Lee said...

Miney is such a cutie—looks like she makes friends with everyone. The geese were touching, hope the one wasn’t too sick. Sad about the vultures and Avian flu though. The mergansers looked awesome, and those Circle B pics brought back Florida birding vibes. Thanks for sharing! 🐾🦆

roentare said...


The geese look fabulous indeed.

William Kendall said...

Miley likes being out and about.

MadSnapper n Beau said...

the duck just hurts my heart, I had no idea it was so bad for the wild ducks and birds, I see the reports on chickens etc but did not know about his.. so sad.
awesome photos, give Miney a morning hug from me

Jenn Jilks said...

You are so funny, 'just watch out for gators!'

Bill said...

Love the Great Blue Heron! Great photos as always and it's nice seeing Miney enjoying the outdoors. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for hosting.

Melbourne Australia Photos said...

Hello, Eileen. Glad to see Miney growing and being such a happy dog. Lovely photos as usual. Thanks for hosting and have a happy new week!

Barb Rogers said...

How sad that so many birds are being lost to the bird flu. Miney is such a sweet little lady.

eileeninmd said...


Thank you Heidrun, for your link and your comment.
You are the early bird! Miney is a sweetie!
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...


Thank you Soma, for your link and your comment.
Miney is a sweet pup! I am happy to see a post from you, I enjoy your photos and your art. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...


Thank you Mae, for your link and your comment.
It is sad to hear about the vultures at Conowingo, apparently it is not good for a healthy bird to eat the infected dead carcass. They do not want people walking through the mess at the trail. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...


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

eileeninmd said...


Thank you Shiju, for your link and your comment.
It is always a treat to see the chicks on the nest.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...


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

eileeninmd said...


Thank you Marit, for your comment and your visit.
It was a treat to see the heron and chick on the nest.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...


Thank you YAM, for your comment and your visit.
Miney does love a good ear scratch.
It is sad to see the wild birds infected with the Avian flu.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...


Thank you Irma, for your link and your comment.
It is sad to hear about the loss of the tern colony.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...


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

eileeninmd said...


Thank you Iris, for your link and your comment.
It is really sad to see the wild birds infected with the flu.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...


Thank you Veronica, for your link and your comment.
I did enjoy seeing the flock of mergansers. We think our Miney is a cutie too. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...


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

eileeninmd said...


Thank you William, for your comment and your visit.
Yes, Money loves going on walks.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

Jeanie said...

Our geese are back at the ditch and some seem to hunker down on that spot of grass between the sidewalk and the road. If it ever stops raining I need to get down there and check out nest building.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sandra, for your comment and your visit.
It is sad to hear the wild bird population is infected with the bird flu too. It seems more sick and dead birds are being reported here. Miney loves hugs. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

I still want to go to the Circle B preserve! We are seeing so many birds right now...Ibis all over at our house! I love taking a walk with you and your sweet dog. Enjoy your weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jenn, for your link and your comment.
The gators spooked me!
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Bill, for your link and your comment.
It is great to get outdoors for a walk with Miney.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Nick, for your link and your comment.
Miney is a happy dog.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Barb, for your link and your comment.
The bird flu is devastating!
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jeanie, for your link and your comment.
I hope you are able to get outdoors for your walk to the ditch. Maybe you will see Henry the Heron. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

Tom said...

...seeing the Great Blue Heron on the nest is my favorite today. Thanks Eileen for hosting the party and I wish you wonderful weekend.

Majo Dutra said...

Eileen, I loved seeing your excellent nature photos...
While still on break, I came to wish you a great week..
~~~~

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

We are back from our camping trip...the laundry bag was full! hahaha! Hugs!

Jim and Barb's Adventures said...

Love the pictures of the Great Blue Herons on the nest!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Tom, for your link and your comment.
The heron on the nest is one of my favorites.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jim, for your comment and your visit.
It was a treat to see the chick and herons on the nest.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

ellen b. said...

These converted walking paths are such a benefit to communities. It's nice you have one to enjoy your walks with Miney. What a treat to see those Herons with a chick! Great shot. Happy Saturday to you.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ellen. It was a treat to see the heron chick.
I wish you a happy weekend.

RedPat said...

You are going to meet so many people when walking Miney. When I had dogs I made so many new friends who are still friends now years later.
I hate hearing of the dead vultures, Eileen.

Red said...

I hope avian bird flu is not in the wild population. that would be a disaster for wild birds.

Angie's Recipes said...

Miney is so sweet and friendly. The great blue heron family is so cute!

Penelope Notes said...

Sick animals dying helplessly possibly in agony in the wild is one of life's cruelties. I think of them when disasters hit.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you RedPat, for your link and your comment.
It is true, we meet many people while we are walking Miney. Many are becoming familiar faces we see on the trails.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Red, for your link and your comment.
I am afraid the bird flu is affecting the wild birds, it is sad.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Angie, for your comment and your visit.
It was great to see the Heron family.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Maria, for your link and your comment.
It seems like the avian flu is a disaster.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

Breathtaking said...

Hello Eileen :)
In the Circle B preserve you saw so many sightings of ducks geese, and the heron in the nest with the chick, all super captures, but the Great Blue Heron capture is fabULOUS. Love it, and love to see Miney enjoying her outdoor walks. It's sad to know that Bird Flu is on the rampage and has taken many bird's lives.I hope it doesn't spread here.
Thank you for hosting Eileen and have a good weekend.
All the best
Sonjia.

carol l mckenna said...

So informative walking with you and sweet Miney ~ great nature photo ~ hugs,

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

John's Island said...

Hi Eileen, I especially enjoyed your photos along the NCR rail trail. As a railroad history fan it is interesting to me to see how the old abandoned road bed have been, in many place, turned into excellent walking trails. Miney makes me smile! 😊 So sad about the Canada Geese and the avian flu attacking wild birds. My favorite photo in this post is the Great Blue Heron with one of their chicks. Awesome! 😊 Well, I finally have a new post up and linking up with you today. Got the critter aspect covered with my mention of LivingBird magazine published by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Truly one of my favorite publications. Thank you for hosting and sharing! Happy weekend to you and yours! John

Debbie said...

a great selection of images today. i do not remember that you lived in florida, that must have been before we starting following each other. the heron picture is really beautiful, i love when we are able to capture moments like that. i am so happy you found miney, it seems she has brought you so much joy!! have a great weekend, it's raining here. thank you for hosting us critter lovers!!

italiafinlandia said...

Thanks for sharing. The Herons in their nest are so pretty. How sad to hear about the avian flu, let's hope it will not get worse.
Happy weekend and happy walks with Miney!

Yogi♪♪♪ said...

Your dog seems to like walking as much as you do. We love walking our little Pomeranian and he loves going. He kind of pouts when it is rainy and we don't go anywhere.
Times are a changing with the avian flu. Sad sight of the sick or dead goose.
Thank you for hosting.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sonjia, for your link and your comment.
The Heron family photo is one of my favorites. Miney loves to go on walks, she gets so excited when she sees her leash come out. I am sad that the Avian flu is infecting the wild birds. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you John, for your link and your comment.
The NCR rail-to trail is one of our favorite trails for walking. I was lucky to see the chick pop up and get a decent photo of the family together. The Avian Flu is infecting our wild birds along with the chickens, so sad.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Debbie, for your link and your comment.
We lived in Lakeland Florida from Oct 2016 to March 2017, we decided to sell the little home and moved back to our home in Maryland. The birdwatching in Florida was awesome. We had a little rain this morning, it is still cloudy. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Luisella, for your comment and your visit.
It is sad to hear about the wild birds infected with the avian flu. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Yogi, for your link and your comment.
The Avian Flu is getting costly, the price of eggs and now the wild birds are dying. It is very sad!
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

Timelesslady said...

Oh no, the dead or dying goose is concerning. I am in southern New Jersey and geese could definitely fly back and forth from this area. I haven't seen anything like this in my area yet. I enjoyed your herons and love dogs like Miney who are friendly.

Lowcarb team member said...

Hello Eileen
Many thanks for sharing these lovely photographs.
I do enjoy seeing Miney and a lovely picture of the Canada Geese.

Enjoy your weekend.

All the best Jan

HappyK said...

Fantastic photos as always. Wow loved the herons.

Alexandra said...

Happy April to you and I hope you enjoy celebrating the holidays that come this month! It would be hard to not stop and say hello to Miney, she is so darn cute. It bothers me when I see wildlife not doing well. I feel for the Goose that is staying with the one that appears sick or dead.

Margaret Birding For Pleasure said...

Miney is a beautiful tempered dog and I am sure a joy for your both to have around She has settled so well Great photos today. Thanks for hosting and commenting and have a lovely week ahead

Linda said...

Fantastic photo of the great blue herons. That’s very worrisome about the avian flu.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you for your link and your comment.
I do hope all the birds stay safe, the heron family was a treat to see. Take care, have a wonderful week.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jan, for your comment and your visit.
Take care, have a wonderful week.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Karen, for your comment and your visit.
Take care, have a wonderful week.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Alexandra, for your link and your comment.
Yes, I want all the wildlife to do well, it is a bad sign when they start dying. Take care, have a wonderful week.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Margaret, for your link and your comment.
Miney is a sweetie and we love her.
Take care, have a wonderful week.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda, for your link and your comment.
The avian flu is scary, it is infecting the wild birds.
Take care, have a wonderful week.

Marie Smith said...

I especially love the shot of the herons in the tree. I was surprised the first time I saw one in a tree.

eileeninmd said...

Thanks Marie, I appreciate your comment. It was nice to see the Heron family on the nest. Take care, have a great day and happy week ahead.

Yvonne said...

Always love to see what you and Miney have been up to. It is sad about the Avian flu. So far I have not seen it at my bird feeder.

Mary Kirkland said...

You got a great picture of the heron and chick. Miney is so cute. I love geese and ducks, great pictures.

Linda G said...

We would stop definitely to say hello to Miney. I love the picture of the great blue heron and chick.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Yvonne, for your link and comment.
I hope the avian flu does not show up at your feeder.
Take care, enjoy your day and have a great week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Mary, for your comment and visit.
Miney is a cutie!
Take care, enjoy your day and have a great week!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda! Miney would enjoy your attention. She loves everyone. Have a great day and happy week!

Majo Dutra said...

Still on pause, I'm here to wish you a productive, enjoyable, and happy week.

DeniseinVA said...

All delightful photos Eileen. Thank you so much, have a great week!

DeniseinVA said...

I do hope those geese are okay. I keep hearing about this bird flu and it sounds horrible!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks for visiting and for your nice comment.
Enjoy your day and have a great week ahead.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Denise, I wish you a happy week!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks Denise, I do hope the geese and all the birds survive the avian flu. It is really sad!

Ana Mínguez Corella said...

Hi Eileen! Lovely dog and pictures.. Happy week

Hena Tayeb said...

You got so many great pictures.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ana, I appreciate your comment.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

eileeninmd said...

Thanks so much for your visit and comment.
Take care, have a wonderful week!

EricaSta said...

It's Tuesday afternoon, it's a good time to write comments.....I'm very happy about your participation, dear Eileen in MosaicMonday again.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Heidrun, for hosting Mosaic Monday! I appreciate your comment and link too.
Take care, have a wonderful day!

Tanza Erlambang said...

Canadian geese to be "permanent" birds in our areas nowadays.... we see them everywhere.

Great photos.... Thank you for sharing

eileeninmd said...

Thanks for visiting and for the comment.
We see the Canada Geese here year round too.
Take care, have a wonderful day!

baili said...

Sorry for finding dead geese on the way dear Eileen!

Your pet Miney is adorable and curious 😊
You made my day with splendid glimpse of marvellous birds 🤗

Very beautiful shots of Canada geese 👍
This is awesome indeed ♥️
I most loved the photo of mixed species wow how incredible and amazing 🥰😍 absolutely loved it ♥️
Thank you for sharing my friend.
Sending love and best wishes 🙏

Teresa said...

Miney, se ve feliz paseando, es muy bonita. que tristeza que mueran las aves. Un abrazo.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Baili, I appreciate your visit and comment.
Watching the birds is my simple pleasure.
Take care, have a great day!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Teresa! It is an awful disease and it is sad to hear and see the birds dying. Take care, have a great day and happy weekend.

MELODY JACOB said...

What a lovely way to celebrate the beauty of animals and nature! The NCR rail trail sounds like a perfect spot for critter sightings, and Miney looks like a wonderful companion for the adventure. I’m sure the dogs love it too! Enjoy the April celebrations ahead.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Melody, for the comment and visit.
The trail is nice, an easy walk.
Have a great day!

Happy Monday!

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