Happy Monday!

 Wishing everyone a great day and a happy new week!

"Sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts."

"Leave footprints of love and kindness wherever you go."

"We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Comments off, enjoy your day!

Saturday's Critters # 408

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 Sept 19-21, 2021 hubby and I visited Chincoteague Island, the National Wildlife Refuge and National Seashore in Virginia. I love seeing the wild ponies. It is a great place to see migrating birds, shorebirds and waders, geese and ducks. 

Click on photos for larger viewing.

1. These are images from our first day Sept 19th.

On the top row are the Laughing Gull, Chincoteague wild ponies.

Second row: juvenile Little Blue Herons, Snowy Egret with Great Egret, Cattle Egret, adult Little Blue Heron.

Bottom row: Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Bald Eagle, sunset and full moon rising.

2. The Cattle Egret showing it breeding colors on it's crown and back. 

3. The Chincoteague ponies, some egrets were seen on the ground and on the backs of the ponies. 

4. Adult Little Blue Heron with a few first year Little Blue Herons are actually white in color showing a two toned bill.

5. I am guessing at these 3 birds, 2 were larger in size which I believe are the Greater Yellowlegs and the smaller bird in front is the Lesser Yellowlegs.

6. The Great Egret is obvious with it's long yellow bill and dark legs and feet. 

7. Snowy Egret with the taller Great Egret. 

8. A pair of Bald Eagles perched high in the trees.

9. A closer look at one of the Bald Eagles. 

I hope you enjoyed this post, my photos and our visit to Chincoteague Island NWR. 

I am also linking up to Anni's blog party found here I'd Rather B Birding   Anni always has some beautiful birds to be seen on her blog, check it out!

Here is my linky:

YOU are all # 1.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post.

Saturday's Critters #78

Saturday's Critters #78

It's Saturday and it's time to share your critters.. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who has linked up in the past and for those who are linking in on this week's critter party. And of course I always appreciate my blogging friends stopping by just for a visit.

I am sharing some more images from our overnight getaway to Chincoteague Island NWR in Virginia.

An American Oystercatcher near the dune nesting site.

This Osprey had it's very own little island for a nest. Beyond the nest you can see a fishing boat that is surrounded by gulls.

One of the Chincoteague wild ponies we came across during our hike.  It looks like it has a big belly. Maybe another little one on the way..any day.

A closeup of one of Chincoteague's wild pones.

We watched this Green Heron stalking a big Black Rat Snake, it was joined by a Snowy Egret and a Tri-colored Heron.

The Tricolored heron standing nearby the Green Heron inching closer.

The Snowy Egret wanted to be closer and also attracted to the big snake.

Not a clear shot but this was the snake that was attracting so much attention. I am assuming it was a Rat Snake.  I believe it got away, it could have been dinner for one of the birds. I hope you enjoyed my post on Chincoteague birds and critters.

Thank you for the visits and for all the nice comments.. As always I appreciate your participating with my critter party..Have a happy weekend!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks to Tex Theresa aka Tex, I was able to add this link up button and thanks to  Jennifer for creating my photo badge.

<a href="http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/"><img src=" https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3915/15299083201_9709303697_m.jpg" width="185" height="240"></a>

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.

Chincoteague Island, Va

Chincoteague Island Trip report, August 21 and 22, 2009
It was nice to get away and spend two days at Chincoteague Island, Va. The majority of our time was spent at the Chincoteague National Wildlife refuge which is mostly known for the wild ponies. The weatherman tried to scare us with the threat of Hurricane Bill but, the weather turned out beautiful.






We also saw hundreds of Black Skimmers, at times they seem to put on a show for us. They would all fly up together and circle the area and then just land back down. They were especially fun to watch while they were skimming over the water with the beaks just touching the water.







My favorites of the herons were sighted.... the Green Heron and the Little Blue Heron and we also saw the Tri-colored Heron. I have tried on numerous birding outings this summer to see a Little Blue Heron and I was finally pleased to see so many of them at Chincoteague. They are beautiful birds.







There were also some Glossy Ibis mixed in with Semipalmated Plovers, Short Billed Dowitchers, Yellowlegs and Willets. I have not confirmed but I might have also seen some juvenile White Ibis.



Semipalmated Plover and Sanderlings were everywhere on the beach.




Often we would watch groups of Brown Pelicans flying parallel to shore. During the two days I think we saw 25-30 Brown pelicans at different times.



On our second day, there was one time the lifeguards were saying there was a thunderstorm headed our way and the safest place to be would be our cars. It turned dark and threatening but not a drop of rain and luckily no thunder and lightning.