Saturday, September 20, 2025

Saturday's Critters # 614

  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!


A mish-mash of photos from early August. 

Click on images for better viewing.



1. Aug 4th my walk with Miney to the lake. I found a Red-eared Slider Turtle and some Canada Geese across the lake. 







2. Aug 6th, our walk with Miney on the NCR trail. Hubby was walking with us part of the way. 




Below are 3 Black Vultures sitting on top of a large boulder next to the bike trail. Only part of one of the vultures is seen in between the other two. 






3. Aug 7th, A local Prettyboy fire road walk with Miney. 







4. Aug 8th, another walk to the lake with Miney. We saw some Double-crested Cormorants and the Slider Turtles were a distance away. A Northern Flicker perched high on a tree. 




I am sharing a closer look at the Northern Flicker in my yard, they are beautiful birds.






5. Aug 11th,  I have been enjoying watching the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds zooming around my yard. The male likes to sit right on top of the feeder, he guards his feeder from all the other hummingbirds. 







6. Below are the Monarch Butterfly, the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Black Swallowtail. There are times our buddleia bush is filled with butterflies, looks magical. 




The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly sharing a bloom with a Black Swallowtail. 






7. Flashback Florida 2017, The Roseate Spoonbill has a long flat spoon-shaped bill. This shot shows just how flat the bill is. The first three photos were taken at Lake Parker Park in Lakeland, Fl.








8. Immature Roseate Spoonbills are a paler pink. Their pink color is derived from their diet. They eat frogs and aquatic insects and very small fish. The next two images were taken at the Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland Fl.




The Roseate Spoonbills lately are showing up up and down the Atlantic Coast. I believe there were 4-5 in Delaware seen at Bombay Hook NWR and 5-6 in Southern Maryland. 




Sept 15th, there was some excitement in our neighborhood, with a few of our neighbors helping a public works employee having to fend off a bear. The worker was checking out the health of trees in the watershed when a bear was bluff charging her, my neighbors were out walking their dog and tried helping the worker. We are not sure, maybe the bear had cubs it was protecting. The worker had some scratches from a fall and was driven back to the street in a neighbor's 4 wheeler and a policemen with a gun escorted our neighbors back to the road. We were at lunch with the family and missed all this excitement. 


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.




Check out  Catblogosphere.com





Here is my linky:






Thank you for sharing your critters and post! 

60 comments:

Linda's Relaxing Lair said...

Beautiful photos of your walk, Eileen. Miney is a sweet dog. Thank you 😊 so much for sharing and I wish you a wonder filled ❤️ weekend.

Katerinas Blog said...

These creatures are wonderful Eileen!!
Love the butterflies!!
Have a wonderful weekend!

Soma @ InkTorrents.com said...

So many wonderful critters. Wish I could see the Red-eared Slider Turtle in person. Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

-Soma

EricaSta said...

Good morning, dear Eileen, I'll start with the last paragraph: how fortunate that you were eating. Encountering a bear with cubs can be very dangerous. It's good that the worker got off lightly.
Otherwise... you had some wonderful walks with Minnie, with great encounters with birds. Birds that we could probably only see here in the zoo. Thank you for sharing and for hosting. Have a very good week.
Greetings by Heidrun

Mae Travels said...

Your walks always look delightful! Thanks for hosting Sat. Critters..

Yamini MacLean said...

Hari Om
Gracious, a bear be there! Do you carry bear spray when out walking with Miney? Be safe when out and about! YAM xx

Shiju Sugunan said...

Wonderful variety of critters, Eileen! The spoonbill really stands out, such a beauty.

Irma said...

Hi Eileen,
These are beautiful photos and collages.
I really love the Northern Flicker and the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds.
But the immature Roseate Spoonbills are also beautifully photographed.
What a story about the bear! I'm glad these animals don't live here, we can only see them at a zoo.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Greetings Irma

Iris Flavia said...

Ohhh, the turtle! The Flicker is really beautul - the vultures look a bit scary, though (I know it´s not fair, but still...).
I´d so love to see a Hummingbird for real. Such a beautiful color the Spoonbill has. Funny bill, evolution comes up with some crazy things!
Scary, a bear so close! Thanks for showing the Spoonbill especially, have a great Saturday!

chica said...

Que lindos passeios e encontros! Miney sempre presente e ativa! Bom que teu marido fou um pedaço junto! E adorei o coelheiro e seu bico. Mas imagino a confusáo com o urso! Bah!!!

Lindo fim de semana! beijos praianos, chica

Marit said...

Hello Eileen,
Beautiful photos! I love to see all of them. Your photos of the butterflies are so amazing.
Take care, and have a nice weekend!

William Kendall said...

The vultures look appropriately menacing.

Linda said...

A nice variety of birds on your walks. Love seeing the spoonbill, not one we would see. The flicker has been few and far between in our garden this year and our hummer appear to have left for the season so I will be taking the feeder down this weekend. Enjoy your walks.

Angie's Recipes said...

Those black vultures looks kinda scary...have never seen roseate spoonbills before...so cool!

Jenn Jilks said...

You have the most marvellous walks! Thanks for sharing them.

Bill said...

Wonderful critter photos, Eileen. I love seeing the Spoonbill, they are so unique and beautiful. Thanks for hosting and have a great weekend.

Jim and Barb's Adventures said...

You have such a variety of birds there! While I find the flicker fascinating (I have one in my blog this week as well), the vultures are just downright ugly. Actually, they are fascinating as well, but in an entirely different way.

Tom said...

...Eileen, your butterflies and turtle are my favorites. I have seen few of them this year. Be well.

Breathtaking said...

Hello Eileen :)
Thank you for all your beautiful photos of birds and the lovely scenery you see on your walks with Miney. I'm so pleased your hubby felt well enough to accompany you which is good news indeed. I enjoyed seeing your beautiful photo of the lovely Northern Flicker, and the young Rosette Spoonbills.and all the other birds I don't see where I live.
Have a good weekend, and thank you for hosting Eileen.
All the best
Sonjia.

ellen b. said...

Scary about the bear encounter. So good that there were those willing to help! You see a nice variety of critters on your walks. Happy last Saturday of Summer to you!

Melbourne Australia Photos said...

Beautiful photos, Eileen. That spoonbill is a very special bird! Thanks for hosting and have a great new week!

Barbara Rogers said...

I love seeing your birds, the flicker and hummers especially!

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

Miney keeps you active! The Spoonbill is my favorite FL bird but I rarely get to see them. And I hope the hummers migrate through soon. Happy weekend! Thanks for 'critters'! Hugs!

RedPat said...

It is wonderful to see the butterflies, Eileen. I have seen a Hummingbird around our Cosmos a few times in the last few weeks. Before that I hadn't seen one in years.

Red said...

The bear incident is alarming. Bears are very quick in making an attack so people are taken by surprise.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda, for your comment and your visit.
Miney is a sweet dog.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Red, for your comment and your visit.
The bear can be scary but I do like to see them..from a distance. Take care, have a wonderful weekend!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Katerina, for your comment and your visit.
The butterflies are a lovely sight.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Soma, for your link and your comment!
The turtles are cute to see in the wild.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Heidrun, for your link and your comment.
Yes, a bear with cubs can be dangerous. I am on the lookout during my walks with Miney.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Mae, for your link and your comment.
I hope you are doing well, feeling better.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you YAM, for your comment and your visit.
I have been seeing the bears off and on, but this was the first I have of a close encounter with one.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Shiju, for your link and your comment.
The Spoonbill is a beautiful bird.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Irma, for your link and your comment.
The Spoonbills are a lovely sight to see.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Iris, for your link and your comment.
The Spoonbills are a favorite of mine, I love their weird shaped bill. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Chica, for your comment and your visit.
I was glad no one was hurt during the bear encounter, that includes the bear. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Marit, for your link and your comment.
I have been very happy with my butterfly sightings this year.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you William, for your comment and your visit.
The vultures do look spooky.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Linda, for your link and your comment.
I have been hearing the Flicker more than actually seeing them. I still have a couple of hummingbirds here, they should be leaving soon.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Angie, for your comment and your visit.
The Spoonbills are cool birds.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Bill, for your link and your comment.
The Spoonbills do look unique.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Jim, for your comment and your visit.
The vultures are fascinating birds.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

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

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Sonjia, for your link and your comment.
I am happy that my hubby wants to get outdoors for walks now too. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Ellen, for your comment and your visit.
I am just happy no one was hurt during that bear encounter.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Nick, for your link and your comment.
The Spoonbill is one of my many favorite birds.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Barb, for your link and your comment.
I will miss my hummers when they leave, soon I would think. Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Diane, for your link and your comment.
I would think my hummers will leave soon.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Redpat, for your link and your comment.
It is nice to see the hummers near your flowers, a joy.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

Katie Isabella said...

I enjoyed ALL of the pictures but the Flickr (they are here in abundance in TN also) and the Roseate Spoonbill are my favorites. When I was first married my new husband took me to Melbourne FL. and I got to see and enjoy all manner of Spoonbills, and all the other aquatic loving birds...and just so many valerie of birds it was fabulous feeding therm. You never knew who would show up! I miss the Meadowlarks and Red Winged Blackbirds.

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Katie, for your comment and your visit.
The Spoonbills are one of my many favorite birds.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

Debbie said...

what a GREAT selection of photos today!! i saw more turtles her this summer than i have ever seen. i have a couple images on my critter post today!! i very rarely see flickers and i think they are so beautiful!! i feel like the hummingbirds hung around longer this year and i really enjoyed seeing them. they are so dainty and cute and i really love their humming sound. it's so nice to see miney today, and i hope hubby is doing well!! have a great weekend and thanks so much for hosting!!

Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty said...

Beautiful creatures and nature!

MELODY JACOB said...

These photos are wonderful! It's so cool that you get to see all these different animals on your walks. I especially loved the one of the Eastern Tiger and Black Swallowtail sharing a bloom—it's such a perfect shot. And that story about the bear is wild, it sounds like something out of a movie! So glad everyone was okay.

www.melodyjacob.com

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Debbie, for your link and your comment.
I have been hearing more flickers than seeing them.
I still have a few hummers here now, they should be leaving soon. 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 Melody, for your comment and your visit.
The bear encounter does sound wild and scary.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

Penelope Notes said...

The pinkish Spoonbills with their long paddle-like beaks are enchanting!!

eileeninmd said...

Thank you Maria, for your link and your comment.
The Spoonbills are lovely birds, a treat to see.
Take care, have a wonderful weekend.

Saturday's Critters # 614

   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...