Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday! 

Hello, wishing everyone a great day and weekend ahead. 
I am sharing more of our trip to Atlantic City, New Jersey on Oct 30-31st. We stayed one night at the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino for a total of $88. The Hard Rock Hotel took over what was the previous Trump's Taj Mahal, since it went bankrupt in 2009 and 2015. The rooms are beautifully done after being gutted, we loved the newly renovated room. We had a partial view of the ocean and to the right we could see the bay. 

"It is a wonderful day, I have not seen this one before."


The moon seen from our driveway before leaving on our NJ trip. 

The newly renovated Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. 

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is right on the Atlantic City boardwalk. 

Me and my shadow's view of dunes and Atlantic Ocean.

I am guessing these are the Laughing Gulls, I could be wrong.  

We were up and outside for the sunrise, the neighboring Ocean Casino has this ball on top of the building. It changes colors and messages. Below is the pumpkin ball. 

The message changed to the USA flag ball. 

"Slow down and enjoy life."

The ferris wheel on the pier changed colors, it looked pretty. 

"Happiness can not be far behind a grateful heart and a peaceful mind."


While watching the sunrise I saw rows of Cormorants or Black Ducks flying south. 

It was a beautiful sunrise.  

"When you start each day with a grateful heart, light illuminates from within." unknown

I am thankful I am retired and enjoying life. 
I am thankful to see the sunrise each day. 
A thankful heart is a happy heart. 
I am thankful for all your visits and comments. 


Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Happy Thursday, enjoy your day!

Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!

Cape Flattery & Neah Bay

Happy Thursday, everyone!

I have a some Washington State photos to share, these are from our visit to Neah Bay and Cape Flattery. Cape Flattery is the most northwestern spot you can visit in the United States and it is part of the Makah Reservation.


You will need to buy a special permit from the Makah  to hike on the trail to see the Cape Flattery Lighthouse.

A view of the Cape Flattery trail.

The beautiful Pacific Ocean, seen from one of the Cape Flattery overlooks.

A look toward toward the Makah Bay and the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Some of the birds seen Western Grebes, various Gulls, Harlequin Ducks, Rhinoceros Auklets, Red-necked Grebe, Red-throated Loon, Cormorants and a Bald Eagle with a fish.

While we were in the area we ate lunch at a restaurant called the Warmhouse in Neah Bay. We had eaten here before back in 2015, they have great milkshakes.  We also enjoyed watching the Bald Eagles right outside the restaurant windows. On this day there had to be 20-30 bald Eagles both adults and juvies. They put on a show for us while ate our lunch.

Neah Bay Bald Eagles. I think one Juvenile Eagle had a fish which attracted all the other eagles. The juvie eagle  held tight onto his fish and was not going to share.

Back at our Ocean Resort and First Beach for the sunset.

"May every sunrise hold more promise and every sunset hold more peace."



My thankful list for today:
I am thankful for good health to hike on trail like the Cape Flattery Trail.
I am thankful for blue skies and lovely weather.


I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.  Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments. Have a happy day!

Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday

Saturday's Critters #98

Saturday's Critters #98

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

Can you believe it is the end of October? This month just flew by for me. I am sharing more of the birds and critters we saw during our visit to the beaches and the Hoh Rainforest in the Olympic National Park.

Top row: flock of Snow geese, Perched on the seastack various Brown Pelicans, and Cormorants and Gulls, Green-winged Teals in flight. Second row: Red-throated Loon, Cute puppy dog, gulls. Third row: male and female Elk, squirrel. Bottom row: Mallard, Hooded Merganser & friend, Mallards.

I am watching you!

A foggy look at the seastack with the perched Brown Pelican on the top left side and a lot of Cormorants.

A flock of Green-winged Teal flying by the beach!

An InLinkz Link-up

I hope you enjoyed my critter post and images.. As always I appreciate my blogging friends joining in on my Saturday Critter party. Thanks for linking up and I also appreciate the nice comments. Have a Happy Weekend.

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.

Venice Rookery

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

 During our Florida trip we visited the Venice Rookery. It was amazing to see the Great Blue Heron, Egrets, Cormorants, Anhinga all nesting together.

This shot shows the rookery island in the middle of this small lake. We were able to walk around the lake getting different views of the rookery.

Above are some of the Great Herons from the Venice Rookery

We saw a lot of the Great Egrets at the rookery.

Walking around the lake we noticed this black snake?

 

The Anhingas were also at the rookery. I love the look of the juvenile anhinga.

A disturbing scene from the Venice beach pier. Two fisherman caught a Pelican on the fishing line, they pulled up the pelican and flung hard down onto the pier. This is only shot I was able to take showing one fisherman holding the Pelican by its bill.  I was taking this shot from the beach, by the time we got up on the pier the pelican disappeared? I was very sad to see the pelican being mistreated. :( 

I was afraid to confront the fisherman, especially since I was not able to see the pelican hurt nearby. What would you have done?

I hope you enjoyed my critter post. I hope everyone has a happy weekend. Thanks for stopping by and I always appreciate your comments. To see more beautiful photos and cute critters

 please visit:  Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious hosts Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.

Oregon Birds & Critters

I am linking up with Fiona's Green Day  and Camera Critters

Not much happening here at home on the weekends. I am hoping the rain holds off on Saturday so I can go out and play. So,  I am doing another Oregon post to show some more birds and a few ELK we saw at the Ecola State Park in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

Ecola State Park Elk.

The view of the beach from the Ecola State Park overlook.

A few Cormorants on the rock, a view from the Ecola State Park.

A few more elk near the parking lot at Ecola State Park, Oregon.

Brown Pelicans on the rock, also seen from the Ecola State park overlook.

Momma elk and baby.

A group of elk near the parking lot at the Ecola State Park.

I love the Oregon coastline and the huge trees.

I hope you enjoyed my Oregon birds and elk. The Ecola Elk herd was a cool sighting and reminded me of my trip to Yellowstone, the elk at Yellowstone were huge. I love seeing the wildlife and the birds and the beautiful coastal scenery. I hope you enjoyed my post, I wish everyone a happy weekend.


To see more wonderful photos and critters please visit Green Day and Camera Critters
Thanks to Fiona of Green Day and to Misty Dawn the host of Camera Critters. Thank you for your visit and comments.

Birding the Edwin Forsythe NWR

For Camera Critters I have some more birds seen at the Edwin Forysthe wildlife refuge. We saw a lot of great birds along the 8 mile wildlife drive. These are a few that were seen at the end of our visit. In the water next to the road we happened to see these four Snowy Egrets and along side of them some Cormorants were diving and on a sign post we noticed the Osprey.
It almost seemed like the Cormorants were following the Snowy Egrets. The Egrets even moved to the other side of the water and the Cormorants followed. We stopped and watched this scene and these birds for awhile. All these photos were taken out the window and from the comfort of our car.

Below are the Snowy Egrets and the Osprey on the sign post. The Cormorants are there but they must have dived.

And here is a closer look of the Osprey on the post. Yum, it must be lunch time.

Next are the Snowy Egrets and a couple of Canada Geese. If you look closely you can see the Snowy Egrets have yellow feet.

Here is one of the Cormorants surfacing next to the Snowy Egrets

In the field beyond the Egrets and Cormorants are a couple of Willets having some fun.

I think the wings on the Willets are very pretty. Don't you?

And here are the four Snowy Egrets and the Cormorants in the water closer to the road. I think the Egrets wanted a fishing spot all to themselves and the Cormorants were still tagging along.

So this is my critter post and I hope you enjoyed my birds of the Edwin Forsythe wildlife refuge. I can not believe how fast these weekends are rolling around, I hope everyone has a great weekend and to all a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!  To see more cute critters please visit Misty Dawn's Camera Critters.  Thanks to Misty for hosting the Camera Critters meme and thank you for stopping by to see my post.

Birding the Susquehanna

On Saturday my hubby and I decided to visit the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River. This time of the year the Bald Eagles are migrating and hundreds of them can be found at the river right below the dam.  The eagles attract birders and professional photographers from all over. I felt a little out of place with my Canon Powershot when I see the professionals photographers there with their bazooza lenses. But, then I am just taking my photos for fun and to keep a record for my birding log and not for the fame or money. Sorry, the zoom on my camera does not give me the clearest shots of the eagles on the rocks across the river.

So on to the birds I saw at the river. Beside all the Adult Bald Eagles we saw various stages of the juvenile Eagles. The adult Bald Eagle has the white head and tail and striking yellow bill and feet. The adult plumage starts around age 5. There were also high numbers of Great Blue Herons, Cormorants and Black Vultures, pigeons and seagulls. I was told earlier in the day there was a Peregrin Falcon and a Golden Eagle. The Bald Eagles are the main attraction. The eagles put on a great show and are awesome to watch in flight, chasing each other and stealing fish. The Eagles usually show up starting in late October and stay maybe thru March. There are some Eagles that are at the river year round. The Eagle population is steadily increasing over the years since the pesticide DDT has been banned.



This picture below shows some adults and some of the juvenile Bald Eagles in various stages.

Below , is the closest shot I could get of their big and awesome looking yellow bill.

Below a picture shows one adult eagle perched on top of the rock and below are all the cormorants, black vultures and pigeons.

Below,  are a few adult Eagles, juvenile Eagles and a few Great Blue Herons hanging out together.

My header shot is of the river showing some beautiful yellow fall foliage. When we looked in the binoc's there were also eagles sitting in these trees.

I am link up with Mary's Mosaic Monday and Drowey Monkey's Mellow Yellow Monday and That's My World

Thanks to the wonderful host of these fun memes and thank you for stopping by to see my post.