Saturday's Critters # 576

  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!

Wow, December just flew by. This year 2024, has been good we enjoyed two big trips and lots of little getaways. In April we were traveling all over Arizona and in early August we enjoyed our trip to Alaska.  I am hoping to do some traveling in 2025. 

Click on images for better viewing.

1. As always still behind posting, these are from Oct 3rd. We were still seeing our flowers blooming and butterflies visiting. My backyard birds on this day were the Carolina Wren, Mockingbird and the Tufted Titmouse.

2. Oct 5th, a Praying Mantis sitting on our deck railing, possible butterfly id is a Fritillary, Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Downy Woodpecker seen on the NCR Bike trail. 

3. Oct 6th, I had about 6 Eastern Bluebirds checking out all my bird houses. They are always a treat to see.

4. Oct 10th, not a critter image but we were able to see the Northern Lights from our deck.  My son also saw the Northern Lights from his house, bottom left photo. 

5. Oct 12, the Northern Flicker and the Peacock sitting on our deck and in the side yard a Cooper's Hawk watching over our yard. We have not seen the peacock for over a month now, not sure why he is missing. I am hoping he is safe at his real home up the street. 

6. Oct 15th, the photos are from our walk to the lake. The only birds seen were the Double-crested Cormorants. The fall colors were looking pretty. We saw a couple of horseback riders on the trail across the lake.

7. Oct 17th, in my backyard the Eastern Bluebirds were still being seen around our birdhouses. The Downy Woodpecker on our deck and my first of the season a Dark-eye Junco. 

8. Oct 18th, we took a walk on the local NCR bike trail. The dog sled team was out for a practice run on the trail. A deer walked across the trail in front of me and second deer came running across the trail. We road past the Friendly Farms ponds and notice a Great Egret was still hanging out with the usual Canada Geese. 

9. Oct 27th, from our walk to another part of the Prettyboy Reservoir. A little group of Canada Geese in flight and a Northern Flicker. 

10. Oct 28th, another walk on the NCR trail. We saw a group of deer on the trail. They did not seem spooked and stood and watched us. A Dark-eyed Junco and an unknown Hawk perched in a nearby tree. 

I am linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday  I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments in 2024. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.

Here is my linky:

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Saturday's Critters # 542

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!

Happy May to you all! The days and months are flying by, today is our 34th anniversary. Happy Anniversary to my hubby! We have been home from our trip to Arizona for almost a week. I hope to be sharing trip photos soon. Tomorrow will be a busy day with a baby shower for my daughter-in-law. Baby Sophie is due to arrive July 13th. 

1. On this day our walk was on the NCR trail in Parkton. We watched a juvenile Bald Eagle land in a tree over the river.  

2. A larger look at the juvenile Bald Eagle, it may be a 2nd year Eagle.  

3. The Friendly Farms pond, gazebo and lots of Canada Geese and the Gadwalls were still hanging out at the pond. 

4. Below a male and female Gadwall. 

5. Below a few of my yard birds, 2 Mourning Doves were sitting on the gutter outside my front window. They are shy and decided to only show their backsides. 

6. It seems the Blue Jays sit in the nearby trees and wait for me to come outside with the bird food.  The Jay below is grabbing as many peanut nuggets it can fit in it's beak. 

7. April 2nd, the Dark-eyed Juncos a winter bird. They have not left yet. I am still seeing a few in my yard and on the deck looking for the food. 

I am linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday  I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.

Here is my linky:

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Saturday's Critters # 537

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!

To all that celebrate, Happy Easter!  🐰 🐤🌼 🙏

This is a mish-mash of critters and birds seen during our walks in my backyard, on the local fire roads and on the NCR bike trail. 

Outside my front window, the Cardinal and Carolina Wren are taking turns checking out their window reflections. 

The Carolina Wren must have thought the Cardinal was silly for banging on the window. 

The male Cardinal was watching me inside the house. 

I always like checking out the Friendly Farms ponds, on this day we saw a lot of Canada Geese, a pair of Redhead Ducks, Buffleheads, Ring-necked Ducks and possibly Gadwall. 

I believe the Gadwall is almost in the center of the photo below. I see the black tail and the rusty edge on the side feathers.

Back in our yard, I was watching two Pileated Woodpeckers flying from tree to tree, pecking away. 

The Blue Jays are daily visitors to my yard, they arrive on my deck railing squawking loudly and spooking away all the little birds.  

March 3rd, our walk was  on the NCR trail, a beautiful Spring like day and a pretty blue sky.

We met a man walking his two friendly Doodle dogs, the dogs know us now we met them on the trail on a previous walk. The Blue Birds were talking away in a tree top. 

"The Bluebird carries the sky on his back."

Not a critter but this is one of my latest puzzle finished. There are a few gulls flying in this canal city scene. 

I am linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday  I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Here is my linky:

Saturday's Critters # 525

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!

These images are from our visit and walk at the Loch Raven Reservoir, Baltimore County. It is nice to take a walk in a different location than our neighborhood. Usually we can see a variety of winter ducks at this reservoir. There are usually lots of Gulls and Mallards hanging around the parking area.  When we got out of our car, the ducks came running. They are used to people and being fed. Sorry ducks, we did not bring any food.  

1. Our first stop was near the secondary dam, here we saw a large group of male and female Hooded Mergansers, Canada Geese, Ring-billed Gull and some Mallard ducks. 

2. The Hooded Mergansers are one of my favorite ducks. The males have a fan shaped crest that can collapse. The females have a cinnamon colored crest.

This group of Canada Geese and Mallards were resting on the top of the secondary dam. 

3. This large group of Mallards and Gulls were just fed, a couple in a car pulled up with some kind of food. Hopefully it was not bread.  

4. The large group of Mallards are resting after just being fed.  

5. I know the bottom gull is a the Ring-billed Gull, I am not sure about the top gull. It does look like a juvenile?

6. We saw a large group of the Ring-necked Ducks. 

7.  I tried for a closer look at the Ring-necked Ducks. The male is black, gray and white with a prominent white ring on the bill. The females are brown with a white patch near the bill.

A closer look at the Ring-billed Gull. They have a heavy bill with a distinct ring.

8. On the way home we rode past the Friendly Farm ponds, there were 5 Bald Eagles on the ground. Three adult Bald Eagles next to one pond and there were 2 juvenile Eagles across the driveway and near the second pond. 

"Let us give nature a chance, she knows her business better than we do."

I wanted to ask if anyone could help me to create a new badge for the Saturday's Critters party. A new year and time for a change. Thanks in advance!

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post. Also, if you like you can add the badge below on your Saturday's Critter post.  Thank you to Shiju for making the new badge. 

Here is my linky:

I am linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday  I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post.

Saturday's Critters #366

 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!

 

 

 I have posted often about our local family style restaurant, I check out their ponds on my way to pick up our carry out dinner.  Since Covid started back in March we have not eaten inside any restaurant. We will do carry-out supporting our local restaurants. Driving by the ponds, I noticed some Hooded Mergansers and there were lots of Canada Geese.

1. Dec 6th....Canada Geese seen at the Friendly Farms.  There could be a list for this spot as a birding location. Over the last few months I have seen: the Bald Eagles, Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Killdeer, Ruddy Ducks, Hooded Mergansers, Mallards, Hybrid Ducks, Canada Geese and domestic ducks.

 

Click on photos for better viewing. You really notice more of the geese.

 

 

2.  The family style restaurant is hidden behind the white house in the photo above, the Canada Geese and various ducks can be seen on the grounds and at the pond. 

 

 

 

 

3. Hooded Mergansers and Canada Geese, a few weeks before I saw a group of Ruddy Ducks and a Belted Kingfisher near this same pond.

 

 

 

4. The ducks and geese are used to people and run up to anyone looking for food.  Below some ducks are running toward the cars that were stopping in front of me. 

 

 

 

5. Below are the Canada Geese and a group of Mallards or hybrid ducks. The ducks did not get any food from the people, I was surprised to see them running up to the road.

 

 

6.  The Gazebo and fountain was added withing the last year or so. Below the ducks and geese hang out at the pond. 

 

A closer look at the Canada Geese, they love spending time at this spot, with the fields and 3 ponds. 

A Christmas wish for you:

May the Christmas season fill your home with joy,

your heart with love and your life with laughter!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. Stop back to see any 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.