Saturday's Critters # 348

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!

On one of our local fire road walks our bird sightings included a flock of Cedar Waxwings eating the berries in bushes next to the fire road.

I think the Cedar Waxwings are beautiful birds. 

Back in the yard is the Clearwing Hummingbird Moth.

The Scarlet Tanager sat in this tall pine tree, he was singing the whole time we were there.

A few of the birds we saw from our local fire road walk, a flock of Cedar Waxwings, Scarlet Tanager and the Brown-headed Cowbirds.

Also, in the yard on the butterfly bush is the Monarch Butterfly. 

The male Scarlet Tanager is a beautiful red color with black wings. 

Below, a juvenile Cedar Waxwing showing off it's dusky streaking on it's underparts. A group of Waxwings is called an Ear-full, I have come to recognize the sound of the Waxwings.

Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. If you like, stop back to see replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post.

Here is my linky:

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the host Anni.

Saturday's Critters #274

Welcome to Saturday's Critters !


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 some of my yard bird visitors from Feb 24th up to March 6th. For a couple of days my yard was filled with Grackles, Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds. 

Another day I saw 8-10 Purple Finches, the females outnumbered the males. 

The pretty male Purple Finch. 

Male and female Purple Finches

I also saw a few Pine Siskins.

Below is a Pine Siskins and the American Goldfinch for comparison. The Pine Siskin has a pop of yellow in it's wing and tail feathers. 

Of course I saw my regulars, which were the Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Nuthatches,  Purple Finches, Mourning Doves, American Robins, Dark-eyed Junco. 

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the nice comments !






Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Great Dismal Swamp NWR

It's time to link up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences and Random 5 Friday and Friday's Hunt ...I hope you can join in on the fun and share your post with these fun memes.

My post is more on our Virginia Beach trip. On our first day in Virginia we stopped for a visit at the Great Dismal Swamp NWR near Suffolk Va. We drove the wildlife autotour, walked on a few of the trails enjoyed the scenery and wildlife.  The Great Dismal Swamp wildlife refuge was created in 1974 from a combined land purchased and with land donated to the government from the Nature Conservancy. The refuge encompasses over 112,000 acres. It is also considered one of the (IBA) Important Bird Areas.

For Friday's Hunt.  Thanks to Teresa for hosting Friday's Hunt.
1. Starts with P
2. Week's favorite
3.  In Motion

For Nancy's Random 5 Friday, my randoms are listed above the images.

1. Viewing wildlife and anything nature related is one of my simple Pleasures.

On the wildlife drive we saw many turtles out sunning themselves, a swallowtail butterfly, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Coots, Common Grackles, Killdeer, Belted Kingfisher.


2. Visiting and touring the national wildlife refuges is one of my favorite things to do. The scenery is usually pretty and we always see some kind of birds or wildlife.

A favorite photo...Pretty blue sky and lake, a fence and sky shot at the Lake Drummond at the Great Dismal Swamp NWR.

3. Lake Drummond is a freshwater lake located in the middle of the Great Dismal Swamp.

The photo below of the Coots "in motion" for Teresa's Friday Hunt prompt. The Coots have neat looking red eyes and white bills.

4. Hubby and I try to get our exercise walking outside and enjoying nature. This shot below has some fences for Tex's Good Fences meme.

We walked on some of this trail shown above, you can walk all the way to the same lake that we drove to on the autotour. Along the trail we saw and heard a lot of Yellow-rump Warblers, Pine Warblers and Woodpeckers.

A nice boardwalk thru the Great Dismal Swamp.

5. My addiction continues with taking photos of the moon.

Another Favorite photo, this was the moon as we left for Virginia on the morning of March 22nd.

Thank you so much for stopping by and for the nice comments.
To see more pretty skies, fences and fantastic photos from around the world please visit the memes below.   I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead..

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences.
Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.
Thank you to Nancy the host of Random 5 Friday
Thanks also to Teresa Friday's Hunt  

Around the yard, July 17

I am linking up with NF Winged   and  Skywatch Friday

 I have a hard time believing it is the middle of July already, time goes by so quickly. It is my favorite time of the week, sharing my skies with Skywatch Friday and some yardbirds for NF Winged. I hope you can join in on our fun. It has been a hot and humid week here in Maryland.  I hope everyone is staying cool.

 For the birdies part of my post, I am sharing the Brown-headed Cowbird and a Redbellied Woodpecker above.

 I have a Brown-headed Cowbird pair hanging around my feeders, they left their eggs for the Cardinals to take over the parenting job.

A male House Finch, looking pretty with his colorful red head.

The House Finch couple.

 I have been enjoying the Sunrise on my way to work. Some of these photos were taken over a couple of mornings.

While everyone seems to be in a hurry in the morning, I guess they are in a hurry to get to work. If I see a nice sky I will pull over to snap a few photos.

 This moon shot..phase is the Waxing Crescent taken on July 14, 2013. I enjoy these simple pleasures watching the birds and skywatching. I hope you enjoy my post.  Happy Skywatching everyone!

Thanks for visiting my post and  blog and I always appreciate your comments.

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

Thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to Monica the host of NF Winged.   I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.

The Undesirables

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

I have to start by saying this is just my opinion, some birders or people might actually like these bullies birds. But I describe them as my undesirable birds visiting my feeders.  I mainly get upset with them because they are like bully's at the feeders. Scaring away the smaller songbirds that I am trying to attract.

Oh yes, hard to believe my yard is not always filled with beautiful, colorful birds. So here are a few of my undesirable birds. And not everyone will agree and I am half kidding. I love all the birds and wildlife.

The Common Grackle is attractive with its shiny head and iridescent feathers. But, they are big pigs and they scare away my little birds.

Above are two of my undesireables, the Grackle and a Starling. When these two join forces, they can wipe out my feeders. Besides being pigs, they leave a big mess behind. I will not go into what kind of mess they leave behind. But, it is not pretty.

The next undesireable is the Mourning Dove. I know they are cute and sweet looking but, at times I can have 20 or more on my deck railing and feeders. They take over everything and the other poor birds do not stand a chance.  They seem to be over populating, if there is such a thing. Can there be too many Mourning Doves?

And when these large crows coming flying in all loud and crazy, all the other birds leave immediately. They eat all my suet with one large bite. I can not afford to feed these American Crows.

Another one of my undesirables is the Brown-headed Cowbirds. They may not eat as much as the piggies above but their parents skills are lacking when they lay their eggs in other birds nest. They should hang their heads in shame!  I feel sorry for my Cardinal parents that have to raise a baby cowbird along side their own baby cardinals.

Well, I hope you enjoyed my UNDESIRABLE BIRDS post. Thanks for the visit and I always appreciate your comments. Have a great day and week ahead.

To see more beautiful birds please visit Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and for some nature scenes visit   Michelle's  Nature Notes

At home and the NCR Trail

I am linking up with  Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.

Last weekend we enjoyed the snow and the birds at home and took a walk New Year's Day on the NCR Trail.

 At home I am seeing Pine Siskins mixed in with my American Goldfinches. You can make out their splash of yellow on their wings.

 I do not always see Brown-headed Cowbirds at my feeders but sometimes they show up.

The feeders were busy during the snow, this Carolina Wren was checking out the BOSS feeder.

The NCR trail is a hiking, biking and walking trail on an old Northern Central Railroad trail. There are several places to park your car and start hiking we have our favorite places to start our walk.

There was some green here and there but the NCR trail was showing off its winter colors mostly. Along the trail I was watching Eastern Bluebirds, lots of Kinglets, Juncos, Chickadees and a cute Winter Wren. Most of the birds were either moving qickly or were camera shy.. except for the pretty Bluebirds.

Not sure what kind of berries these are but they added a splash of color to my photo.

I like the reflection of this bare tree in the stream.

More reflections caught in the stream.

Looking straight up at the Bluebird, showing more of their rufous color underparts.

The winding river follows along the NCR trail for most of the way.

I hope you enjoyed my yardbirds at home and our walk along the bike trail.

To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit:   Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.  Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I wish everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

Happy New Year 2013

I want to wish everyone a HEALTHY and HAPPY New years!

 I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday.

I believe we will spend our New Year's Eve at home. A quiet evening at home is more my style, I do not like crowds of people and I am not sure about the weather for New Years Eve night.

Above,  I have my pretty Pine Warbler, Goldie Girl on our walk, the woods next to my house, Goldfinches on the sunflower seed feeder, the pine trees on the side on my yard, a Cardinal, a Brown-headed Cowbird and the Pine Warbler with two Pine Siskins.

The large pine trees on the side on my yard offer the birds a safe spot protected from the snow. 

The last two days have been quite different, Saturday was a snowing day. I had fun watching the birds coming and going thru the snow to my feeders. Today is cold and windy but hubby, Goldie Girl and I managed to get out and take a walk on the fireroad.

My pretty Pine Warbler made it thru the snow and was back on my deck this morning.

Again, I wish everyone all the best in 2013! I am looking forward to visiting your blogs and seeing new posts in the year 2013. Happy New Year! 

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