Happy Thankful Thursday!

Hello, everyone!

 I am thankful for another Thursday, for my fellow blogging friends, the hosts of my favorite linky parties and of course my blog followers.  I am sharing another local county park, about a 30 minute drive from home. I have posted numerous about our walks at Cromwell Valley Park, the park consist of 460 acres of stream, forest, fields, valley and upland habitat. It is a very popular park for local birders and has a hawk watch which may be starting soon. 

These are images from our most recent walk on August 28th, it was a pretty day with a lovely blue sky.   We saw the GB Heron, American Robins, Eastern Bluebirds and a House Finch. They have restored and preserved the historic Risteau Lime Kiln.
 

 Great Blue Heron intent on finding food. 

 A view of the wooded section of the trail.

 Birds on the wire, a House Finch and 2 Eastern Bluebirds.

 A view of the pretty blue sky and the trail.

 You can walk a loop up the road past the barn and then the trail goes back into the woods.

 There was a lot of the Queen Anne's Lace blooming.

 I am not sure of the id of these yellow blooms.

 A young Eastern Bluebird still showing the spotted breast.

A view looking down stream from the bridge. 

  For Throwback Thursday, I am sharing a mosaic of images from previous visits to Cromwell Valley Park.  Photos of the farm land and barn, Palm Warbler, Baltimore Oriole and a Waterthrush.

 

 

 

 

We had other plans this day and did not spend the time needed to find more birds.  I have been on a few bird walks at this park, there are usually lots of Baltimore Orioles and various Warblers. One winter years ago I even saw a Northern Shrike at this park. I am always happy and thankful to take a walk and to do some birding. I hope everyone take care and stays safe. 

Live simple and be happy!  😊 Take care, keep smiling!


Thank you to Martha  @ Throwback Thursday linky  
and her Seaside Simplicity
Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday


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

Cromwell Valley County Park

I am linking up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences
I hope you can join in on the fun and share your fence scenes and pretty skies.

I am sharing some of the photos I took while hiking in the Cromwell Valley Park with my hubby on Oct 23rd. The sky was beautiful and it was a warmer fall day. I am also sharing a moon shot and sunset shot from the evening before.

A different moon shot then the kind I usually share, this moon has some clouds floating in front and the sky is not as dark as usual.

Eastern Bluebirds posing nicely on the fences. I am always happy to find the birds perching on the fences,  perfect timing for us to be walking past.

Some of the pretty Autumn trees at Cromwell Valley County Park and a couple of Chipping Sparrows.

Autumn trees and the towers in the sky.

Seen during our loop trail walk the barn and farmland at the park.

A pretty blue sky, some of the fenced garden area and more pretty Autumn trees at Cromwell Valley Park.

Back at home the sunset looking west from my deck and backyard. I hope you enjoyed my post and images. Thanks for stopping by for a visit and for your nice comments. Have a happy day and weekend ahead.

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and check for more fence shots at Tex's Good Fences

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences and thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.    I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead..

Cromwell Valley Park

I am linking up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences
I hope you can join in on the fun and share your fence scenes and pretty skies.

Today I am taking you on our walk at the local  Baltimore County 426 acre Cromwell Valley Park. It is a favorite spot for local birders and is a Hawk Watch spot. These images were from Aug 12th. I sharing some fence scenes and skywatch shots, it was a beautiful day to be outside. Of course the birds were there also and could not go unnoticed.

For Skywatch above we are continuing on our walk on the road/trail that has a view of these towers and the pretty farm fields. This park was originally a farm and the land donated to the county for the park. The sky in my mosiac looks beautiful.

Is this the Northern Waterthrush with its streaked breast or is it the cousin Louisiana Waterthrush. I am always second guessing my Id's.

Hubby and I usually start off our walk on the loop trail thru a wooded area and next to the stream. BTW, hubby does not mind me calling him "hubby" in my post and not by his real name Michael.  Above are some images for Tex's Good Fences that include the fence scenes along the trail, the stream, wildflowers and a skipper.

Using our binocs we could see some men working on the tower. I think this is a neat skywatch shot above and in the mosaic above. I believe the towers are telephone towers?

 For my Tex's Good Fence entry I have more views of the farm and fence scenes in the park. The sky was a pretty blue with these lovely puffy white clouds.

Another shot of my Waterthrush! We saw this bird next to the stream on our way back to the parking. I hope you enjoyed going along on our walk, the bird, sky and scenery! Thanks for stopping by for a visit and for your nice comments. Have a happy day and weekend ahead.

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and check for more fence shots at Tex's Good Fences

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences and thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.    I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead..

Saturday Walk Part II

Linking up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences

This is part two of our Saturday walk, the first being our stop at the Yellow Crowned Night Heron rookery. We then drove to Cromwell Valley/Sherwood Farm park in Baltimore County. They have a nice loop trail that follows along a stream, fields and farm. A great habitat for the spring migrants and breeders!

I love this big old tree and the sky and clouds were beautiful, a perfect day for our walk.

Part of the loop trail was walking along the driveway for Sherwood Farms. The farm was acquired by Baltimore County with Program Open Space funds..A portion of the park is a demonstration farm. the park is 426 acres

We saw a lot of  Tree Swallows along the trail, mostly near the Bluebird houses. I hope the Bluebirds are not being pushed out of their homes.

My first of the season Palm Warbler, it posed nicely for a second..

We also saw the House Finches walking along the trail.

A shot of the farm and house way in the distance and a beautiful sky. This park is also a located for the hawk watch. I saw two hawks in flight during our walk, but my photos were blurry :(

More of the farm and I got some awesome shots of fences for Tex's Good Fences meme and a beautiful sky for my  Skywatch Friday post.

A beautiful Eastern Bluebird..

And just because I love taking photos of the moon, this shot was from the morning of April 16th 99% full.  Our skies were cloudy, rainy and snowy for the Lunar Eclipse. :(



I hope you enjoyed my post and I hope to see you on Saturday sharing your critters..

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and check out Tex's Good Fences


Thanks to Tex @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences and to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday!   I wish everyone a safe and happy long weekend.

Orioles

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

My prayers go out to the people of Moore Oklahoma.


This week's bird is the Oriole. Luckily I have seen different species of Orioles the last two weeks. These are the boys of summer. At the local park there were lots of Baltimore Orioles and during my last trip to Bombay Hook I was able to see the Orchard Oriole.

The Baltimore Oriole. The Baltimore Orioles can be found at backyard feeders, they like oranges and grape jelly and the sweet nectar found in the hummingbird feeders. Adult males are flame orange and black.

1st summer male Orchard Oriole, this male is similar to the female except for the black throat patch.

Orchard Oriole, is the smallest North American Oriole. The rich chestnut color can be so dark the bird can appear black.

I saw a lot of Orchard Orioles at Bombay Hook NWR.

My favorite shots of the Orioles are of the Orchard Oriole on this wheat colored grass.

I hope you enjoyed my Oriole post and  photos.
Thanks for stopping by and for leaving your nice comments. I always appreciate your visits.
Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.
I wish everyone a happy week ahead and Happy Birding!

A walk in the park

 I am linking up with   Our World Tuesday

 I have mentioned previously how hubby and I enjoy our walks on the weekends. And with the birds migrating thru the area I try to pick a different place for our walk on the weekends. So, last Sunday hubby and I took our walk at Cromwell Valley Park in Baltimore County.

A pretty Barn Swallow

 Female Eastern Bluebird

Cromwell Valley Park was acquired by using funds from the Maryland's Program Open Space project. Previously it was land owned by three different property owners which consisted of  two farms and a Christmas tree farm. The park is 426 acres of rural farm land, fields, woods and orchards and is an excellant habitat for the wildlife. Cromwell Valley Park is also is one of the local hawkwatch stations.

Male Eastern Bluebird

 Baltimore Oriole.

A patch of wildflowers that we walked past.


My walk at the park was a large loop trail next to the fields, thru the woods, over the stream, between the barns. My mission to see a Bobolink that was reported in the area. Birds seen at the park: Yellow-rump Warblers, Common-Yellowthroat warbler, Eastern Bluebirds, Orchard Oriole, Baltimore Oriole, Flycatchers, Phoebe, Chickadees, Hawks, Red-Wing Blackbirds, Barn Swallows, Tree Swallows, Belted Kingfisher, Gray Catbirds and Eastern Kingbirds. I am sure I am forgetting a bird or two as usual I did not keep a list that day. I hope you enjoyed coming with us on the walk.

Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I really appreciate your comments too.
Join in on the fun and for more wonderful photos
please visit   Our World Tuesday
Thanks 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 ahead!