Happy Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday

This is my last post on our Florida trip in January 2019. We saw some new places and a few repeat places we enjoyed from previous trips. On this last full day after leaving Key Largo we drove to the Everglades National Park. Our visit happened during the government shutdown but this park was open partially. We visited the Flamingo area of the park, which is the most southernmost part of the Everglades National Park. 

The Flamingo area of the Everglades offers boat rides and tours. I like the sky and reflections of the clouds. 

A nearby Osprey nest. 

A Brown Pelican sitting on the dock. 

The White Ibis with a pretty blue sky. 

A view of the Florida Bay and gulf coast. 

We were happy to see a few Manatees around the boat docks. 

This was a small baby manatee off to the side, he/she looked a little sick to me. 

A sandbar out in the distance held lots of shorebirds, Osprey, Egrets and Herons. 

A Little Blue Heron with a Great Egret. It is hard to tell where the water ends and the sky begins. 

Below are a group of Snowy Egrets, a alligator that was making growling noises, Green Heron, Brown Pelican and another Osprey. 

I am thankful for all things nature related.
I am thankful for clear and sunny days.
I am thankful for all your visits and comments. 


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!

Dyer Park, Winding Waters & Spanish River Park

Hello and Happy Monday!

I am taking you back to our Florida trip, on Jan 10th we went looking for a park in West Palm Beach called Winding Waters Natural Area. There are always signs warning about the alligators. 

A Loggerhead Shrike was a common bird seen at Dyer Park. 

We saw a large flock of Glossy Ibis while walking the loop trail at Dyer Park. On the left side of the top photo you can see the trail we walked. 

There must have been hundreds of Swallows, flying over the nearby landfill. This photo looks better if you click on the photo for a larger viewing. 

We walked a loop trail used mostly by joggers and walkers. Each day we were in Florida we racked up some steps walking. Below are some of the birds we saw during our walk, Wood Stork, Cattle Egret, White Ibis, Anhinga, Mockingbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Glossy Ibis, White Ibis with a Wood Stork and Moorhens and the Tricolored Heron. 

The Spanish River Park had a nice little nature trail. We did not see many birds, pretty plants a Palm Warbler and some colorful berries. 

Spanish River Park beach, to get to this beach we had to walk through a tunnel under the road. 

Spanish River Park Beach, Boca Raton Florida.

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.


Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday!

Check out the links, I hope to see you there. Thanks to the hosts today. Enjoy your day and new week.


As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

Blowing Rocks Preserve, Jupiter Florida

Hello and Happy Monday!

Jan 5th,  we visited one of my hubby's favorite places in Florida which was the Blowing Rocks Preserve near Jupiter Florida. We read about this preserve in one of our AAA magazines and knew we had to visit. It is a Nature Conservancy preserve, a protected section of limestone coastline. During high tides the waves crash against the rocks and force the water at times as much as  50 ft skyward. 

This is the trail to the beach. The sea grape tree provide a shady walk to the beach.

A pretty day to be at the beach, calm ocean water.

The limestone rocky shore. 

The Sanderlings were seen on all the beaches in Florida.

A lovely sky day, I enjoy watching the clouds. 

These Ruddy Turnstones were begging for food from the fisherman on the beach. 

The ocean has carved some interesting shapes and holes into the limestone rocks.  

While hubby was enjoying watching the waves hitting the rocks, I was enjoying the pelicans flying by me. 

A map of the preserve location in Jupiter Florida.

We also took a walk to see the nearby Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse, Jupiter Florida

Thanks for your visit today!  I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.


Thanks to Angie the new host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi and the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

I hope to see you there. Thanks to the hosts today. Enjoy your day and new week.


As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

Happy Thankful Thursday

Hello and happy Thursday,

I am back from my trip to Florida, we had a great trip. It included visits to many beaches, wildlife preserves and refuges, Florida State Parks. We drove to Florida making an overnight stop in Georgia to break up the long drive. 


On January 4 we arrived in Florida and making a stop at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. The wildlife drive was open but other parts of the refuge was closed due to the shutdown. These are some of my images from the wildlife drive, lots of birds and some scenic views.

A pretty view of the sky and palm tree along the wildlife drive.

Great Egret and  Tricolored Heron.

Tricolored Heron

Roseate Spoonbill

Two Roseate Spoonbills.

A large flock of American Coots.

Blue-winged Teal

A pretty sky and view of the wildlife refuge.

I am thankful that we had a great trip to Florida and arrived home safely.
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 Yogi the host 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!

Pied-billed Grebe

Happy Monday, I wish everyone a great day!

This week I am sharing the Pied-billed Grebe. I see them often lately, they were in Florida, Maryland and seen on my last visit to Pennsylvania. The Grebes are cute waterbirds. Often while trying to get a shot of them they will dive just as I want to take their photo.


The Pied-blled Grebe is also known as a Dabchick. Isn't Dabchick a cute name!

Small, stocky and short necked birds. They breed throughout the United States. they have a chicken like bill. In the summer their bill is enhanced with a small black band.

They feed on small fish and frogs. They dive for about 30 seconds, especially if they feel they are in danger besides looking for food.

I was surprised to see this large group of Pied-billed Grebe at the Lake Apopka wildlife drive in Florida.

As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.


Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Cattle Egrets

Happy Monday everyone!

I am sharing one of my favorite birds seen in Florida. We saw many of the Cattle Egrets at the Circle B Bar Reserve near Lakeland Florida. During the breeding season they have pretty tan or golden feathers on their head, chest and back. They are smaller in size compared to the other Egret species. They are all white with a yellow bill and legs.

BTW, I hope Florida and my friends and family there have all safely survived Hurricane Irma. I also hope all my favorite birding spots, birds and wildlife have survived this storm.

If you click on the photo below you can see some of the Cattle Egret below that have the golden colors on their head.

These two Cattle Egrets were seen in Baltimore County Maryland. So they are found up and down the coast during the summer season.

A few more Cattle Egrets seen at a local Florida preserve.  They eat insects on gassy fields.

I hope you enjoyed my Egrets photos and post.
As always I thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.


Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Green Heron

Hello,

The Green Heron is one of my favorite herons, I am always happy to see one during my walks and outings.

The Green Heron is a small heron, with a green-black cap, greenish back and wings and a chestnut neck.

Their bill is dark and long with a sharp point.

These are photos taken at the Circle B Bar Reserve in Florida, but I do see this bird in Maryland during the summer months. I hope you enjoyed my photos.


Thank you for stopping by and as always I appreciate your comments.

My list of memes for today, I hope to see you there. Thanks to both of the host below.

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

South of Daytona Beach, Florida

Hello and happy Thursday!

Would you believe these images are from Jan 18th, that is where I left off sharing my Florida photos. On this weekend we went on an overnight to the Flagler Beach area and visited Daytona Beach the next day, we stopped at various beaches along the coast. Daytona is just a little further south down the road  and along the Atlantic coast. We like the uncrowded area of the Ponce De Leon lighthouse and the Lighthouse Point Park located at New Smyrna Beach Florida.

Terns and a gull. There is one Sandwich Tern in the group below. It has the black bill with a yellow tip.

Osprey with fish

Shadow shot of me and hubby!

An Egret was hanging near a fisherman on the jetty.

Surfers at Daytona Beach

A look back at the Pone De Leon Lighthouse from the jetty. I do not really like beaches that allow the cars to drive on them. I worry about the birds and their nests in the breeding season. Daytona allows  cars to drive on the beach.

For my list of thankful things this week:
I am thankful for pretty beaches. It was great to see so many Florida beaches are clean and do not have litter and trash thrown around.
I am thankful for the time we had sightseeing in Florida. I am also thankful my hubby and I share the love of nature and the outdoors.
As always, I am thankful for your visits and comments on my blog.





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