Saturday's Critters #219

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

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 am not sure if any of my followers participated with the Great Backyard Bird Count with Cornell Lab of Ornithology, here is the link GBBC  the count took place on Feb 16-19th. Here are some of the birds I saw during my backyard count. It is a fun online citizen-science project.

The Northern Cardinals, I counted 3 males and 2 females at one time.

The Eastern Bluebird does not stop by often but sometimes I catch them sitting in our back yard trees. On this day I saw a pair, maybe checking out my birdhouses.

The Blue Jays were my highest count species of bird. I saw 12  Blue Jays at one time.

A butt shot of the Pine Warbler

On Feb 18th we had about 2inches of snow. The GBBC also asks us to record the weather along with the length of time we watched our backyard birds.  There are three White-throated Sparrows below can you find them?

3 Eastern Bluebirds showed up during my count and checked out the birdhouse.

Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.

Happy Saturday, enjoy your weekend!

Around the yard

I have a list below of memes I am joining for this week, and to save time I am doing one post for all. They are all fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts. Special thanks to all the wonderful host and their memes, I hope you have some time to check them out.

Hello, I have been sent a link for Tina's aka EG Camera Girl's funeral notice and service. You can view the EG Camera Girl  here and the  Service here. You can email a condolence message to the family per 

Please email us at support@skwarchukfuneralhome.com

To send a condolence message to the family.

Please in the subject line of your message include the name of the deceased.

All messages are being passed on to the family

 I copied and pasted the email to send my email message.

I am sharing some yard birds from my Great Backyard Bird Count which was Feb 12th thru Feb 15th and a couple local barns from the neighborhood. I hope you enjoy!  Can you believe February is almost over? Just one more day due to leap year and it will be March.  I am so looking forward to Spring, flowers and the new spring birds. Bring it on, please!

Some of my yard birds, above top Mourning Doves Downy Woodpecker, White-throated Sparrow. Bottom row the Blue Jay, Dark-eyed Junco and Brown-headed Cowbird.


The first day of my Great Backyard Bird count, I counted 18 species of birds and a total of 151 birds in approximately in 3 hours on the first morning Feb 12th.  The bird with the highest count was the White-throated Sparrow at 41 birds seen at the same time.

The White-throated Sparrow seems to be the most common bird in my yard. Following close behind is the Mourning Dove with 29 being seen at one time and then the Dark-eyed Junco the third highest count with 27 being seen at one time on my deck. The Weeping Cherry tree has become a landing spot for the birds before they reach my feeders.

A new bird for my GBBC list this year was this Field Sparrow still hanging around on Feb 12th. All my bird photos are taken thru my dining room window, so I am sorry they are not the best images.

Taking the back road home I can pass the barns in the photos above and below.  I like the weathered wood and colors on the barns and buildings above.

For Tom's Barn Collective meme I am sharing the two photos above. They are both local places in the neighborhood. The barn above recently was renovated and has a new green roof. The trees are still bare, but this street is pretty when everything is green.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate your visits and nice comments. Have a happy day and new week ahead!


As always thanks to the wonderful group of hosts listed below.
Thanks to Tom for hosting The Barn Collective

Thanks to Judith our  host of Mosaic Monday
Thanks to Monica for hosting NF Trees

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

Birding is Fun

February 24, 2014

Today my post for February is up click here for my Eileen's Birding is Fun  I would love if you could visit me there. Just click on the link above.

My post for  Birding is Fun is a review on my Great Backyard Bird Count. I shared some of the birds I counted and the link information on the GBBC.

Thank you and I always appreciate your comments.

EileeninMd

Saturday's Critters #12

Saturday's Critters #12

These are some more of my yardbirds that showed up to be counted last weekend for my GBBC- the Great Backyard Bird Count. Lately our electric blinks or goes out for awhile so I created this post early. The weather forecasters are calling for rain and heavy winds on Friday..which could mean our electric goes out and stays out..I hope it doesn't but just in case I wanted to schedule this post for my critter party on Saturday.. If you do not see me commenting..you will know why..

Update..Looks like the storm passed by with no damage..I may still be away from the computer for awhile today..but I will catch up with comments and visits.

Blue Jay with a mouthful.

American Goldfinch..poor thing..looking up and is thinking snow again..REALLY.

Carolina Wren..I've been seeing two of these cuties hanging around my deck..I think they already claimed one of my birdhouses as their own..

Tufted Titmouse, they are having fun chasing each around the yard..

Song Sparrow stopped by for the count along with the White-throated Sparrows and some House Sparrows.

Thank you in advance for linking up  and joining in on Saturday's Critters.. I always appreciate the visit and comments..

An InLinkz Link-up

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters

Also please visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin. Also, sharing with Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting.

 Thanks for stopping by and  I wish everyone a happy weekend.

Around the yard_ Feb16

  I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday 

The Great Backyard Bird Count is happening from Feb 14-17. I have been participating in this count for years now.  It is easy to take a few minutes and count the birds you see in your yard, favorite park or preserve. It is  joint project sponsored by the Audubon Society and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. The GBBC  has also gone global click here for info on how to get started http://gbbc.birdcount.org/get-started/


It just so happened Feb 14 was just one day after one of the biggest snow storms we have had in a few years..I am sharing some photos of my yard, neighborhood and the birds I counted for the GBBC.

After spending a few days in the house due to the bad weather I had a case of cabin fever. I had to take a walk down the road to check out the snow in our neighborhood

My deck.... these photos were taken 5 days apart.

Our neighbor's dog Marlow comes to visit Goldie Girl.. Marlow has so much energy.  He is a young pup compared to my Goldie Girl.

Above are some of the birds I counted for my Great Backyard Bird Count..top row is a Hairy woodpecker with a Cardinal, two Goldfinches with a Mourning Dove and a female Cardinal. Middle row is a male Cardinal, male Redbellied Woodpecker and a White-Throated Sparrow. Bottom row is a White-breasted Nuthatch, American Robin and a male Downy Woodpecker.

So this has been my world this week..a major snow event and participating in the GBBC a citizen project. I hope you enjoyed my post..does any need any snow?? I have plenty here..

Thanks for visiting my blog. I always appreciate your comments.
Join in on the fun and for more wonderful photos please visit  Mosaic Monday and more
 from  Our World Tuesday

 Thanks to our host: Mary our host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer.  I wish everyone a happy week ahead!

Saturday's Critters #11

Hello, I am happy to see some new blogging friends linking up with my Saturday Critter party..  I do appreciate all my blogging friends.  If you have a critter post new or old, I hope you will link up and join in on the fun.

February 14-17 is the Great Backyard Bird Count.. It is a Citizen Science Project organized by Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. If you are interested in counting your birds and reporting the numbers of birds here is the link and more info  gbbc.birdcount.org . It is fun to do and fairly easy. I have been participating for years now.

My yard has been very active with the Cardinals, how many do you see? Also seen in the photo are some WT Sparrows and the Dark-eyed Juncos.

I will be doing my count in my backyard, even though you can count just about anywhere there are birds. In the shot above are the male Cardinal, female Cardinal and a Carolina Chickadee.

I sprinkle bird seed along the deck railing and throw some down on the deck for the ground feeder birds. If you look closely and even enlarge the photo you will see more birds along the railing. They in the tree, on the deck and feeders.

Above on the far left is a Junco, Sparrow, Cardinal and a few more House Sparrows and a White-throated Sparrow. Thank you for joining my Saturday's Critters and I hope you enjoyed my post.

An InLinkz Link-up

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters

Also please visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin. Also, sharing with Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting.

 Thanks for stopping by and  I wish everyone a happy weekend.

More of my Great Backyard Bird Count

 I am linking up with Simple Things Sunday and  Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday


This President's Day weekend has been all about the birds. It was the annual Great Backyard Bird Count Feb 15-18th. I have been participating each day, keeping a count of all my yardbirds. It is fun and I am happy to help with the science of tracking the birds for the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon

A quote I like by John James Audubon "A true conservationist is a man who knows that the world is not given by his fathers, but borrowed from his children". 

Having a little snow during the weekend of the Great Backyard Bird Count was actually a great thing for me. I see a lot more birds in my yard when it is either snowing or there is snow on the ground.

On Saturday, I had 23 species of birds with a total count of 143 birds. Some of my highest counts for individual birds: 33 Grackles,  26 Juncos and 13 Pine Siskins!

  

Another John James Audubon quote I like " I never for a day gave up listening to the songs of our birds, or watching their peculiar habits, or delineating in the best way I could".

Above is my snowy backyard and a Redbellied Woodpecker. Snowy shots taken early yesterday morning. The snow was pretty, it covered the trees like a blanket. The best kind of snow, it was not on the streets.

Today was extremely cold and windy day. Birds do not seem to like windy days, which I think affected my count but it was still a great day of backyard birding. For me it is a simple thing, something I really enjoy doing.

Another quote I like author unknown " Bless the flowers and the weeds, my birds and bees". This quote makes me think of spring and I am so ready for spring.

Thanks for stopping by and I appreciate your nice comments.

Join in on the fun and for more wonderful photos please visit Simple Things Sunday and to see beautiful mosaics please visit Mosaic Monday and more from  Our World Tuesday
 Thanks to our host:  Rebecca of Simple as that and Mary of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy .  Thanks also for stopping by to see my post.  I wish everyone a happy week!

GBBC= Great Backyard Bird Count

I am linking up with Camera Critters and I'd-rather-b-birdin

This weekend is the annual Great Backyard Bird Count.
If you are also interested in joining in on the Great Backyard Bird Count I am including the link GBBC and the dates are Feb 15-18, 2013.

 or http://www.birdsource.org/gbbc. It is a joint project of Audubon and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  You can submit your bird photos and also explore the results from your state, city or neighborhood.

These are some of the birds I counted on Friday 15th the first day of the GBBC. You can count on all the days 15th-18th or just one of the days. The website makes it very easy to list your birdcount. Since, I had to work on Friday I only counted in the evening on Friday after work. I usually see more birds early in the morning.

 Above is one of the Pine Siskins, I've been seeing. If you would like to participate in the GBBC , you can count in your yard or favorite park or the beach. Or you can hand in counts for all of your favorite birding spots.

The Redbellied Woodpecker is a daily visitor. He actually waits for me to put out the peanuts for him, sometimes he is making his sounds like he telling me to hurry up.

I have a lot of Carolina Chickadees in my yard. Now, I have to see how many will show up at the same time in my time period for counting. On Friday the 15th , I counted 5 Carolina Chickadees in my yard. You can count for 15 minutes or how ever long you want. If I count today ( Saturday) I could see more than 5 chickadees.

A few male and female Cardinals are usually around early in the morning and later in the afternoon.

The female Cardinals are busy eating or chasing other Cardinals away. I seem to catch my birds with their mouths full of food.

On Friday, the first day of the Great backyard bird count, I had 8 White-throated Sparrows on my deck at the same time. Just so you do not count the same birds twice, I can only count how many of one species I see at one time. So unless more than 8 WT Sparrows show up later on my deck 8 will be my total for the WT Sparrows on Friday.

Thanks for stopping my blog, I am hoping I can convince a few of my blogging friends to join in on the Great Backyard Bird Count. I have been participating in the count for years now, I am helping with this science project  and I am enjoying the birds.

To see more wonderful critters and photos please visit and join in on the fun with Misty Dawn's Camera Critters and I'd-rather-b-birdin

Thanks to Misty Dawn for hosting Camera Critters and to Anni the host of I'd rather-b-birdin. I wish everyone a great weekend and Happy Birding or Happy Counting.

GBBC & a hike in the neighborhood

I am linking up my post with Mosaic Monday and  Our World Tuesday

This weekend I have been participating in the Great Backyard Bird Count . It is a joint project with Cornell and Audubon and could be called a Citizen's Science project. Yesterday and today I took fifteen minutes of my day to count the birds in my backyard. Yesterday the bird with my highest count was seeing 31 Turkey Vultures and today the bird with the highest count of 22 was the American Goldfinch.

Two of my regular backyard birds in the mosaic above were the Pine Warbler and the male Downy Woodpecker.

 A male Downy Woodie on my pergola.

It turned out to be a great day..... the so called forecast of snow missed us and stayed south.  So, hubby and I decided to drive around our lake and take a hike on another trail. We parked for a bit near the dam to take a look and some photos. Other shots in the mosaic besides the bridge going over the dam, my Goldie Girl, a neat looking snake like vine, some cool looking fungi, the reservoir and a Golden Crowned Kinglet. While hiking on the trail near the lake we again spooked off some Common Merganser and saw a huge flock of Canada Geese way on the other side of the lake.

I liked the reflection of the bridge going over the dam. It will be nice to start seeing all these trees turning green once again.

Some cool looking fungi, almost heart shaped.

Goldie Girl is a great hiker. 

To see more wonderful photos and mosaics please visit with Mary @ Mosaic Monday  and Our World Tuesday.  Thanks to Mary for hosting Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group at Our World Tuesday: Arija, Lady Fi, Gattina, Sylvia and Sandy.  Thanks, also for stopping by to see my post, I wish everyone a great week ahead.

I am still protesting the horrible Word Verification that blogger is now using. My eyes are going batty.