Wildlife viewing at Blackwater NWR

 I am linking up with   Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday

Both hubby and I love to visit the National Parks and the Wildlife refuges but it looks like this battle going on with the federal budget will be affecting our visits to both the national parks and to the national wildlife refuges like Blackwater NWR. 

Above are some of the pretty scenes and wildlife we enjoyed during our visit yesterday to Blackwater National wildlife refuge. Do you take time to enjoy the wildlife and scenery around you? The National Parks in the United States are beautiful places to visit and I also enjoy seeing the many wildlife refuges in the national Wildlife Refuge system.

The Northern Shoveler is a pretty duck, it has a beautiful green head, white breast and rusty sides. It also has a spatulate bill which is neat looking.

Here is a good look at the Shoveler's beak..

We saw many ducks like the Northern Shovelers, Buffleheads, Mallards, Ring-necked Ducks and Mute Swans. The Bald Eagles are nesting at Blackwater NWR and we also saw a White Pelican. I would be very sad if the government closes the wildlife refuges. Especially if they close only on the weekends which is the only time I am able to visit since I work Monday thru Friday. Not to mention during my next vacation we were planning on visiting the Everglades National Park and the Ding Darling National Wildlife refuge.

I like this shot of the Great Blue Heron. He/she is posing so elegantly. I think the wildlife will not be bothered at all with what is going on with Congress.I hope you enjoyed my wildlife and birds of Blackwater.



Join in on the fun and for more wonderful photos please visit  Mosaic Monday and more from  Our World Tuesday
 Thanks to our host: Mary our host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer.  Thanks also for stopping by to see my post.  I wish everyone a happy week!

Blackwater Tundra Swans

For this weeks World Bird Wednesday   and  Nature Notes

I am showing more of the Tundra Swans we saw at Blackwater NWR.  I wanted to mention Blackwater NWR is having their Eagle festival Saturday March 10.

The Tundra Swans winter on lakes and estuaries in the lower 48 states. Feeding in open waters, marshes and croplands. In the photo the swans are in front of a large flock of Snow Geese.

Sorry, the photos are so fuzzy, I zoomed out so far and cropped some of the photos.

First years birds have a dusky plumage in the winter.

The scenery at Blackwater is beautiful with the water and grasses and the trees.

To see more beautiful and wonderful birds check out World Bird Wednesday   and  Nature Notes.  Thanks to Springman of World Bird Wednesday and to Michelle the host of Nature Notes.

Thank You also for stopping by to see my post and for the nice comments. I hope the rest of your week is a happy one.

Chasing the bird

I am linking up with Mary's Mosaic Monday  and Our World Tuesday

Yesterday, hubby and I drove to Maryland's Eastern shore on whim. I was hoping to see the Virginia Warbler that has been sighted at Pickering Creek Audubon Center. I do not usually go chasing birds but this one has been seen in the area for about a month or more and seen just the day before. Hubby and I arrived at Pickering Creek and soon after I could hear the Virginia Warbler. Another birder standing next to me was able to see it low on the ground behind a lot of brush. I would have needed a step ladder to see over the brush and then look down to where is was on the ground.

  A Great Blue heron in flight at Pickering Creek Audubon Center

So, we decided to drive on further to the Blackwater NWR it was there we saw a lot of birds....highest count being Snow Geese and Canada Geese and a lot of Tundra Swans. We also saw some Yellow Rump Warblers, Mallard ducks, Coots, Northern Shovelers, Bald Eagles, Vultures and Great Blue Herons.

Large count of Tundra Swans at the Blackwater refuge.

After leaving Blackwater NWR, I was not ready to give up on the Virginia Warbler so we went back to Pickering Creek. Again I was able to hear it but not see it. It was so frustrating to be so close to a bird and not be able to see it.

 The field next to Pickering Creek center had a large amount of seagulls. My shot only shows a small amount of the seagulls that were there. I am not sure why they were attracted to this field.

The Cedar Waxwings were all over the place at Pickering Creek. I also saw bluebirds and a Mocker and lots of Canada Geese and Coots. I was surprised to run into some of my birding friends from home, so I wasn't the only birder out there chasing the Virginia Warbler.

To see more wonderful mosaics and beautiful photos please visit Mosaic Monday   and  Our World Tuesday

Thanks to Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group at Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy!  I wish everyone a happy week.

Just being thankful

I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday

This was the first year in maybe 20 years I did not have Thanksgiving dinner at my house. We were all invited to my sisters house for dinner. I was asked to bring dessert which was my homemade Derby pie and a Pumpkin roll. I am thankful for my hubby and son, my family and my job that allows me to take my vacations. I was even thankful for having a furlough day on Black Friday. Not to go shopping but, hubby and I were able to take a day trip to Blackwater NWR and Hoppers Island on the Eastern shore of Maryland. It was a beautiful day. So below are a couple of  photos from my sister's, we had a nice sighting of the white tailed deer in her backyard. The deer were having their own Thanksgiving dinner. Other photos are from Friday's visit to Blackwater NWR and Hoopers Island.

Some of the Blackwater birds above are the Eagle, Killdeer, swans and lots of Canada Geese.

I am thankful for the simple things in life like watching deer and the birds. Seeing beautiful scenery and lovely skies.

A Blackwater NWR scene, birds seen were lots of eagles, canada geese, swans, some shorebirds and Great Blue Herons.

Great Blue Heron at Blackwater NWR

Hooper Island on the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

Female Long Tailed duck seen at Hoopers Island, Md. Looks like the ducks are migrating now, we saw this Long-Tailed and the Buffleheads.

 

I am thankful for the simple things like watching the sunset from my deck.

To see more wonderful  mosaics Mosaic Monday and some post from around the world  Our World Tuesday. Thanks to mary for hosting Mosaic Monday and thanks to the gang at Our World: Sylvia, Gattina, Lady Fi, Arija and Sandy.

Thanks, also for stopping by to visit my blog. I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful week.

Osprey

I am linking up my Osprey post to Friday Ark  and Camera Critters. Both are great memes to visit if you are an animal lover like me.

These Osprey's are from my archives, it has been a cloudy and rainy week and there has not been very many opportunities for taking new photos. I hope this rain stops so I can go out and play. Rain, Rain go away, come back some other day.

The Osprey is an awesome looking raptor and is also known as the Fish hawk. The Osprey is dark above and white below. They have a short crest and a dark eye stripe. They are 24 inches in length.

The Osprey like the Bald Eagles were once threatened by DDT. Now, they are a familiar sight on lakes, Bays and rivers. Their huge stick nests are very visable on poles, buoys and large trees.

Their diet consists of fish. They are pretty cool to watch hunting and catching their prey.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my Osprey's and to see more cool and cute critters
please visit Friday Ark  and Camera Critters.  Thanks to the host of the Friday Ark and to Misty Dawn for hosting Camera Critters. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.

Birding Blackwater NWR

I do not think I have shown my photos from my last visit to Blackwater NWR. So for my Camera Critters post I have some shots of the Osprey on a nest and a large snapping turtle crossing the road.

The Osprey are great birds to see, they are dark brown above and white below, they have a dark eye stripe. Their huge stick nest are conspicuous on bouys, channel markers and large trees. The Blackwater refuge has nesting places set aside for the Osprey. They hunt by hovering over the water and then plunging down to graps the fish with their open talons.

This Osprey couple were working on building their nest.

This big dude looks like he just got out of the water. We watched him walk across the road.

This snapping turtle is smaller in size but still kind of neat looking.

One of the many Bald Eagles seen at the Blackwater NWR

This morning I am off to help my bird club do a count at the clear cut area of the watershed near my house. They are trying to keep a record of the how the tree cutting has affected the breeding birds.

I hope you enjoyed my Osprey, Eagle  and critter post and to see more cute critters please visit Misty Dawn's Camera Critters.  Thanks to Misty for hosting and thanks for stopping by to see my post. Have a great weekend. :)

Birding Blackwater

On the way home New Years Day hubby and I stopped at the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge. The visitor center was closed but the drive was open. You never know what birds you might see at Blackwater, it seems different every time I go.

For my critter post I am showing what we saw at Blackwater NWR.... thousands of Snow Geese, adult and juvenile Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, ducks and thousands of Canada Geese.


Photos look better when you click for a larger image.


This not the greatest photo, but I thought it was funny the geese started flying right towards our car.

You can check out the eagle cam at the refuge here Blackwater NWR eagle cam follow the progress of the Eagles nest and when the first egg appears. It is pretty neat to watch.

They appear in the distance but there are two Great Blue Herons and one Juvenile Eagle in this photo below.

To see more critters from all over check out Misty Dawn's Camera Critters

Thanks to Misty for hosting and thank you for stoipping by to see my critters.

Birding at the Blackwater NWR

The Blackwater refuge is one of my favorite place to go birding. This time of year the shorebirds are back, Ospreys and Eagles are all on their nest. Turtles are sunning themselves on the shore,  rocks and fallen trees. It is just a wonderful time of year to see nature and some great birds.

                                 Osprey working on their nest, please click on photos images look better enlarged

A far away view of the Eagle parents. I had heard from volunteers at the visitor center that  there were two eaglets in the nest.

To see more click here for Susan's  Outdoor Wednesday and Michelle's Nature Notes

Thanks to the both of them  and for stopping by to see my post.

A scenic view of Blackwater NWR

During our visit to Blackwater we took a walk on the woodlands trail. During the walk I heard and saw a lot of Geese flying over, some swans in flight and lower to the ground I could hear the kinglets. My header is overlooking the Blackwater River from the woodlands trail.

Canada Geese

Outside the visitor center we had a great sighting (right above our heads) of a Cedar Waxwing flock.

They landed in a tree with berries, I was lucky enough to focus on one before a group starlings landed and scared them off.
Blackwater located on the Atlantic flyway is a very birdie place, it is designated as an IBA important bird area and it is also home to the endangered Delmarva fox squirrels. It is also a sanctuary for the Bald Eagles. I have heard the first egg has appeared and you can check out the Eagle webbcam here: http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/.  The Eagle festival is in March and is a very popular event.


                       Sorry, I could not zoom closer but in front of the geese is a juvenile Bald Eagle

Blackwater is a very scenic place. It is along the Blackwater River, it consists of tidal wetlands, field and mixed evergreen and deciduous trees. There are walking trails, canoe and kayaking and the wildlife drive. It is one of my favorite places to visit.

Thanks for stopping by to see my Scenic Sunday and to see more go and visit the Holleys at : Scenic Sunday