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!
"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir
Click on images for better viewing.
Not a Christmasy post, my wish for this Christmas to see some of these birds once again. From my archives I have a few favorite lifers, they were seen either in Maryland parks and in my back yard. I was lucky to see these birds, I have not seen most of these birds for a long time. I wonder why they have disappeared.
My sighting of a Fox Sparrow in my back yard.
Common Redpoll was seen at the Black Hills Regional Park, Boyds Maryland .
A rare sighting of the Evening Grosbeaks in my yard, I had 3-4 show up at my feeders on Oct 25-26th, 2012.
The Indigo Bunting is seen and heard in my yard and neighborhood. One of my favorite summer birds.
The Indigo Bunting was one of my favorite yard birds, it is a lovely bird.
The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were another bird that would appear in the spring as they were migrating north? It has been years since I have seen one in my yard.
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.
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115 comments:
Thanks for sharing these beautiful bird sightings, Eileen! It’s always a highlight of my Saturday.
LOVE LOVE this Sat. post...so many wonderful birds. Happy Holidays, Eileen.
I keep staring at that GORGEOUS Indigo Bunting...LOL..have never seen one in my life...just fantastic.
These finches are so lovely to see
The Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Indigo buntings are the most beautiful and amazing in this post.
Thanks for sharing.
The Redpolls are common in Finland too.
Merry and peaceful Christmas time to you and yours!
Have a nice pre-Christmas weekend and thanks.
Eileen, peace is my wish, and that what I can talk about on Tuesday comes true :-) And, as you, health!!! Love...
The Fox Sparrow is the cutest! And the Indigo Bunting... oh, they´re all cute! I´m wishing you a very Merry Christmas! Have a wonderful day.
Beautiful series of photos, Eileen. Thank you so much for sharing, and I hope you have a great weekend.
So beautiful series of birds, Looks cute :)
Thank you so much for hosting. Happy Weekend.
Merry Christmas. Greetings.
It’s curious that the birds that used to show up at your feeder aren’t coming any longer. Has there been a lot of construction in your area, or other activity that would discourage them?
Thank you again this week for a wonderful walk. I admire your knowledge about the different birds.
Have a wonderful Christmas and thank you too for hosting.
Season greetings by Heidrun 🎄
Hi Eileen,
This is a beautiful series of photos.
I love the redpoll and the indigo bunting, I've never seen these species in real life.
I wish you and your family happy holidays and, above all, a very healthy 2026.
Best regards Irma
Hello Eileen,
I love to see all the birds in your yard. The Indigo Bunting has a beautiful color.
Take care, and enjoy your weekend!
Eileen, como sempre, tuas fotos muito lindas!
Desejo pta ti e todos os teus um Natal lindo e que a magia dele perdure nos corações por todo novo ano!
beijos, chica
Hari OM
It is interesting to note the changes - sad, too. It could simply be that the flight pattern have altered, but, as we know, there is also the likelihood of environmental change causing loss of numbers... a poignant post. So wonderful that you have these birds on record.
You, Hubby and Miley be sure to have a wonderful Christmas week - I share your wish! All the best, YAM xx
Love seeing all your rare visitors. I've seen evening grosbeaks in other places but never in the garden ... perhaps this year. Happy holidays to you and your husband and family.
I am amazed at your birding list, as much as your bird photo archives! It's bird count here in SE Ontario, and I am hopeful to find a good range of visitors, but not optimistic! Merry Christmas!
A lovely post, Eileen. That Indigo Bunting is magnificent! Thank you for hosting and a very Merry Christmas to you and your family. You may like to listen to a Christmas Carol I've composed: https://youtu.be/4F3--0hVs2U?si=Lf6ajlOBFZguLcak
The sparrows are very common over here. They sing and dance so happily everyday.
It’s great to see some of the birds which don’t come anymore. Here I think their food is more scarce so they don’t come…somewhat because we can’t feed them because of the bear problem, and somewhat because the grounds have been sterilized with chemicals to make them “pretty” so no bugs are available in our wooded apartments. Hope you have a happy and healthy Christmas!
...Eileen, I can remember the last time that I saw a Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, thanks for sharing. I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.
Birds we often saw here haven’t been around for a while too, such as nuthatches. I miss them!
Lovely birds.
I hope you get your wish to see these birds again, Eileen. A very Merry Christmas to you and yours!
I can see why they are your favorites, they are all adorable. we have no birds at all now. I wonder if bird flu has anything to do with it
El azulejo índigo es una maravilla. Gracias Eileen por compartir tanta naturaleza.
Te deseo una Feliz Navidad. Merry christmas.
Un abrazo.
Have a wonderful Christmas with your family, Eileen.
I have seen fewer birds and less variety in species too. Could it be the weather changes?
I love all your birds. I haven't seen any of them except for the indigo bunting. They have gone somewhere else for the winter but there are two parks where I can dependably see them in the summer. In the parks, they are always within an area of about a 100ft radius. I guess they like it for some reason.
Thank you so much for hosting.
You are seeing many song birds in your yard compared to what it is like in the west.
Thank you Eileen. I love your deer birds! Happy holidays to you and Miney! Aloha
Such a shame that these birds are absent now. I love that Indigo Blue, such a beautiful bird. How do you get pictures of all these birds? I know you're not sitting around all day waiting, but I'm intrigued. Have a Merry Christmas.
Wow! ~ Amazing series of lovely birds ~ nature evolves I guess so we don't see some of them for awhile is my guess ~ Happy and Healthy Holidays to you and your family ~" hugs.
carol and ziggy
So nice pics of the birds. Have a good time , thanks for hosting, and a Merry Christmas and a wonderful and Happy New Year, dear Eileen.
Violetta
A lovely look at your local birds. It's very interesting that you have noticed less birds. I have too and hubby suggested I look it up on ChatDPT. This is what they had to say. It's quite lengthy!!! I cut and paste.
You aren’t imagining it — scientific data strongly supports what you and other people in the Mid-Atlantic / East Coast are noticing: bird populations across the U.S., including species often seen in backyards, have declined significantly in recent decades and continue to show worrying trends. Here’s what the research and monitoring show:
1. Big Picture: Long-Term Bird Declines Across North America
• A landmark study based on decades of monitoring (including citizen science data from Christmas Bird Counts, Breeding Bird Survey, radar tracking, and other surveys) found that North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds (about 29 % of the bird population) since 1970. This includes many common backyard species like sparrows, warblers, finches, and swallows — not just rare or specialist birds.
2. Backyard Birds & Common Species Are Dropping
• The declines aren’t limited to obscure species — the sharpest losses have occurred among birds that used to be abundant and familiar, like:
• White-throated sparrow
• Red-winged blackbird
• Evening grosbeak
• Barn swallow
These declines are part of the overall 1 in 4 birds lost pattern.
3. Ongoing Trends Confirmed by 2025 Data
• The 2025 State of the Birds report — a collaborative, peer-reviewed summary of long-term monitoring — shows continuing declines across most bird habitats (forest, grassland, arid zones, etc.). Even waterfowl populations, which had been a conservation success, have recently dropped compared to their peaks. About 229 species are now of high or moderate concern due to low or shrinking populations.
4. Regional Relevance — Mid-Atlantic / East Coast
• Reports specific to states like Virginia (which sits in the Atlantic Flyway migration corridor) confirm that bird declines there mirror national trends, especially for shorebirds and other coastal species.
• Certain East Coast-associated species (like the saltmarsh sparrow) are in especially dire trouble, with some projected to become extinct by mid-century due to sea-level rise and habitat loss.
5. Why This Is Happening
Multiple overlapping pressures contribute to these declines:
• Habitat loss and fragmentation from development and changes in land use
• Climate change and increased extreme weather events
• Insect declines affecting food supply for insectivorous birds
• Pollution and pesticides
• Collisions with buildings and predation by outdoor cats
These threats operate at regional and continental scales and affect bird numbers even in suburban/backyard settings.
6. Local Fingerprints in Backyard Sightings
While big data shows long-term decline, year-to-year backyard sightings can also be influenced by:
• Seasonal migration timing changes
• Weather patterns (e.g., storms can push birds away temporarily)
• Food availability fluctuations (natural and feeder-related)
But the trend over decades clearly shows fewer birds on average than in the mid- to late-20th century.
Hello Eileen,
What a wonderful birds. Great too see so many different kinds of these birds. Nice pictures.
I wish you a wonderful christmas.
Many greetings,
Marco
awesome images!!! i am so happy you saved them and we get to see them again!! i save a lot of my better captures also, but i have so many and always seem to see the same birds!! i hope your husband is feeling better. have a great weekend and thanks so much for hosting us critter lovers!!
You always have a great variety of birds. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.
I hope your Christmas wish comes true and you get to see some of these birds again.
The birds are so pretty, that blue one...WOW!
Hi Eileen I love all the pretty birds that come to your feeders, especially the indigo bunting! Sorry again for the late link up--so busy these days preparing for Christmas--I won't be blogging this Sunday. I hope my Nativity sets animal qualify as "critters" ;) Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2026! Thank you for a wonderful year of Saturday Critters!
They're all so cute!
Hello Eileen
Thank you for sharing these wonderful birds, a joy to see them.
I've just read Denise's comment about how bird populations across the U.S., including species often seen in backyards, have declined significantly in recent decades and continue to show worrying trends.
I think this may be the same in the UK.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and good wishes to you, your husband and family, have a Happy Christmas.
All the best Jan
There is a lesson to be learned from your post, be sure to treasure the wonders of nature that we see because you never know!
You see an amazing amount of birds as your feeders. Beautiful pictures.
What a very beautiful bird the Indigo Bunting is Eileen All great bird shots as usual. I wish you and your family a very HAPPY CHRISTMAS
They are all such precious feathered friends.
There are so many beautiful birds to see, and so little time.
Most of these I have never photographed. We used to get pine siskins at our feeders when we lived at Bryce Resort, but not here in the valley.
This is concerning and very sad.
Thank you Shiju, for your link and comment.
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Angie, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours a very Happy Holiday!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank You Angie, The Bunting is a beauty!
Thank you Roentare, for your link and comment and your visit. Wishing you and yours Happy Holiday!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Luisella, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holiday!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Iris, for your link and comment.
Yes, peace around the world is one of my wishes.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Linda, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holiday!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you for your link and comment.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Mae, for your link and comment.
We live next to the Pretty watershed, it is acres of trees and the reservoir here.
Wishing you and yours Happy Hanukkah!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Heidrun, for your link and comment.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holiday!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Irma, for your link and comment.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays, a very happy and healthy New Year.
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Marit, for your link and comment.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Chica, for your link and comment.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you YAM, for your comment and your visit.
There are many reasons why the birds are disappearing, it is a warning to us.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holiday week!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Linda, for your link and comment.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Jenn, for your link and comment.
Good luck with the bird count.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
The Fox sparrow is so cute. Had never heard of them before!
Have a super weekend!
I am not sure I have ever heard of a Siskin let alone seen one! Love that last picture of the grosbeak, looks like he is in jail!
Thank you Nick, for your link and comment. I enjoyed the Christmas Carol too.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Rainfield, for your comment and your visit.
I like hearing the birds singing.
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Barb, for your link and comment
It is sad they spray to kill the bugs, the bugs are bird food.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Tom, for your link and comment.
It has been years since my last Grosbeak sighting.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Marie, for your comment and your visit.
I do see some Nuthatches here.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you William, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Ellen, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Sandra, for your comment and your visit.
I am sure the bird flu had a terrible effect on the song birds.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Laura, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you RedPat, for your link and comment.
It would be sad if these birds are gone forever.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Yogi, for your link and comment.
I have some favorite spot where I can at least hear more birds. Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Red, for your comment and your visit.
It is sad I am not seeing as many as in years past.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Cloudia, for your link and comment.
Wishing you and yours Happy Hanukkah!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Leslie, for your comment and your visit.
Some of my bird photos are taken from our windows.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Carol, for your link and comment.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Violetta, for your link and comment.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Denise, for your comment and the information and reason why the birds are missing.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Marco, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Debbie, for your link and comment.
I have copied all my photos onto external hard drives, but they are not so easily to find specific images.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Penny, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Mary, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you for your link and comment.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Pat, for your link and comment.
The Indigo Bunting is beautiful.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Jan, for your comment and your visit.
It would sad if all these birds were gone forever.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Alexandra, for your link and comment.
I try to enjoy each moment as they happen.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Karen, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Margaret, for your link and comment.
I love all the birds, they are beautiful to see.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thanks, they are all beautiful. A treat to see. Enjoy your day!
Thank you Linda, for your link and comment.
I would be happy to see the Pine Siskins again.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Happy Christmas! I hope you do get to see many of your special birds in the coming year.
Thank you Lisa, for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours Happy Holidays!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you for your link and comment.
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Thank you Jim, for your comment and your visit.
The Pine Siskin is seen in your area.
Wishing you and yours Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Great close-ups of birdies! Wishing you a Merry Christmas.
Thank you for your comment and your visit.
Wishing you and yours a Happy Christmas!
Take care, have a wonderful week.
Dear Eileen heartfelt thanks for sharing these wonderful,beautiful photos of of such pretty birds 🥰
I loved these beauties ,they filled my heart with joy 🥹
How amazing they used to visit your backyard often and how sad they don’t anymore for some reason 😞
I hope they visit again my friend 🙏
You have such a lovely feeders wow
Blessings to you and yours 🙏♥️
Hello Baili,
Thanks so much for the comment and visit.
I do miss my birds, I have some just not as many as previous years. Take care, enjoy your Sunday! Wishing you a happy week!
the birds must be loving your bird feeders this time of year. Some of their colours are amazing. Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and 2026. And thankyou so much for visiting my blog this week, and through the past year and bringing your nature trails to me.
🌟
May you see again the beautiful birds you mentioned as missing...
I feel privileged to be able to admire your fauna and flora through your admirable photos. Have happy celebrations in the company of your grandchildren and the rest of your family.
May your husband be well and continue to get better.
May come a good year come for all humanity. A hug.
~~~~
Thank you Majo, I appreciate your visit and comment.
We are celebrating Christmas eve with the family and grandchildren. Take care, enjoy your day! Wishing you a happy Christmas week! Merry Christmas and a happy healthy New Year to you and yours.
Hello Jill,
Thank you so much for the comment and visit.
Merry Christmas to you and yours. I wish you all the best in 2026, a happy and healthy New Year.
Take care, enjoy your day! Wishing you a happy Christmas week!
Have a wonderful holiday filled with critters, merryment, and loved ones!
Thank you Sharon, for your link and comment.
Take care, have a wonderful holiday week!
Hi Eileen, You said, “I have a wish besides peace and love, joy and good health for us all.” Perfect! This morning, I realized today is possibly the last day before Christmas I can stop by Viewing Nature with Eileen and I would like to return your kind wishes. May you and your family experience joy and have good health in the holidays and New Year. Thank you, as always, for hosting and sharing Saturday’s Critters! John
John, Merry Christmas to you and yours!
It is so nice of you to stop by for a visit and comment.
I do wish you and your family much love, joy and good health! A very happy New Year, all the best to you in 2026.
Thank you for sharing at MosaicMonday ☃️
Merry Christmas 🎄
Thank you for hosting Mosaic Monday!
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
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