Shenandoah Nat'l Park

Happy Thankful Thursday


On July 9th-10 hubby and I took an overnight trip to Shenandoah Nat'l Park. We spent the night in nearby Harrisonburg Va. We picked 2 days when they were calling for cooler and less humid weather.  In 2 days we hiked a total 10 miles, we saw lots of birds, butterflies and some deer. My photos are below with a caption explaining the photo. I hope I identified the birds correctly. 


Below is the view from the Pass Mountain overlook, we took a short loop trail at this parking lot. The next 2 photos show the pretty sky during the first day of our Shenandoah trip. 

The Indigo Buntings were plentiful in the park. 

We also took a short walk on the Compton Gap Trail where we saw this pretty sure this is a Blue-headed Vireo on the nest.

A juvenile Scarlet Tanager or maybe a female?

A deer seen off the Compton Gap Trail.

I am not positive about this flower's id, I was thinking it looked like white Bee Balm.

Bee Balm and a Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly.

A mosaic with images from the Big Meadows, we saw lots of Milkweed, daises, Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly on milkweed,  unknown bush with yellow blossoms, Thistle, Song Sparrow and a female Brown-headed Cowbird. 

Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly, not sure of the orange flower id?

Some wild daisies on the Big Meadows @ Shenandoah Nat'l Park.

On the Limberlost Trail, we heard a lot of American Redstarts, Hooded Warblers. This is a guess, I think it is an Eastern Phoebe. 

A pretty male Eastern Towhee seen off the Limberlost Trail.

Below is from our walk on the Limberlost Trail. 

I am thankful for the wildflowers. 
I am thankful for nice hiking weather. 
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!

Saturday's Critters # 244

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!

Here are some of my  back yard birds, butterflies and critters.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have found some place to perch in the nearby blueberry bushes which are really close to their feeders.

The neighborhood squirrels are well fed here, I stopped using the thistle sock because the darn squrrels would chew a hole in them and the seed would just fall out.  I started buying the thistle seed and put in a small feeder and you can see the squirrel made himself at home on the feeder.

Black Swallowtail and  a Great Spangled Fritillary.

Black Swallowtail

Spangled Fritillary.

Tiger Swallotwtail

Ruby-throated Hummingbird perched in blueberry bush.

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments! 

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!

Happy Monday

Hello and Happy Monday. 

Can you believe how fast the days and month are flying by? I am sharing some images from our walk at the local nature center called  Hashawha. I have done various post on our walks at this park you can check out other post listed on the tags and side bar.


There are two Eastern Bluebirds in the photo below, can you find them?

The American Crow below was talking or fussing about something. 

There were some pretty water lilies in one of the three ponds at Hashawha Nature Center.

One spot along the trail was filled with pretty Bee Balm.

Next to the Bee Balm were these pretty purple flowers. Not sure of their id.

One of the three ponds.

Just a guess, this is a Blue Dasher?

Slider turtles were plentiful.  This one was just a baby.

Torn but still pretty Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly on the milkweed?

Just guessing this is a Window Skimmer?

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

Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

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

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

Saturday's Critters #239

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!

These are some birds and a butterfly from my yard. The Great Blue Heron found my little pond and was seen often sticking it's beak in the pond and eating something. I think it found some tadpoles or frogs to eat. After a few days, it went missing I am hoping it found a way back to it's nest with the other herons.

The juvenile Great Blue Heron takes a walk around the yard and finds my little pond.

The White-breasted Nuthatch is a regular visitor to the feeders.

A Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly on our Bee Balm.

The House Wren can be heard loud and clear even while I am inside my house. It is loud!

American Goldfinches and House Finches are regular visitors to the feeders. Those darn squirrels chewed a hole in my thistle sock.  I had to save some thistle seeds in a different feeder.

The young Great Blue Heron was seen walking all around my yard.  Below it is next to our shed.

The female Ruby-throated Hummingbird. 

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments this past year !

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!

Saturday's Critters #194

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

Happy September everyone.  I wish all in the USA a safe and happy Labor Day weekend..Update I just heard it is Canada's Labor Day weekend also, Happy Labor Day to Canada!

If you love critters 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 are some images of my yard birds and butterflies. I am so behind sharing photos, these are mostly images from July early August.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

Female House Finch

Black Swallowtail or Spicebush?

In the woods across the driveway, a Turkey Vulture and a Great Blue Heron.

Great Spangled Fritillary and pretty Purple Coneflowers.

Eastern Bluebirds came one day to check out the bird houses and maybe our blueberry bushes, a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird and the Gray Catbird.

I am not sure if these two are Eastern Phoebe's or the Eastern PeWee? Any id help is appreciated.

Another Black Swallowtail butterfly or Pipevine? The butterflies and hummers love this lantana

The female Ruby-throated Hummingbird also at the Lantana. These photos were taken thru my dining room window. I have the Lantana and some other plants sitting on a table right outside the window.

I hope you enjoyed my photos, birds and butterflies.




I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments! I hope you enjoy my post and photos too!



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!

8th Blog Anniversary

Hello everyone,

This is my 8th Blog Anniversary. Those years just seem to have flown by. I have "met" so many wonderful people and traveled the world thru their blogs.   I appreciate and thank everyone who has visited and commented on my blog.

For my anniversary post, I am sharing some of my favorite blogs and blog parties. Some of these blogs I have been following since I started blogging. Blog parties like Skywatch Friday, I have always enjoyed I love skywatching, moon watching, sunrises and sunsets. This blog party has followers from around the world, I think it is awesome to see beautiful skies from all around the world. I have done 296 Skywatch posts since I started blogging.

I love to travel and have included many of our trips on my posts with nature scenes, wildlife, sunrises and sunsets have been shared. I hope you have enjoyed my photos.

A favorite sunrise photo from Florida

 If you click on the Skywatch Friday link above you will see so many more wonderful blogs and fantastic photos. I thank them for sharing their wonderful skies and images. Thanks also to the hosts of Skywatch    Lady Fi and Alan @ Yogi's Den,  



I am providing links to some of my favorite fellow skywatchers who share  amazing sky photos, I hope you can take some time to visit these blogs to see their awesome photography.

  Lady Fi    

Spare Parts and Pics

Carol @ Cape Ann

Cloudia

Irene

Here are  more of my favorite blog parties. Over the years I have done 281 Nature Notes posts .  Michelle is the host of Nature Notes  . Also another favorite linky party is Stewart's  Wild Bird Wednesday  .  I have done 224 Wild Bird Wednesday posts. 

and then there is Anni's party. She is the host of  I'd Rather be Birding. I have done 227 I'd Rather be Birding posts..

The past 8 years blogging I have shared images from around my yard, flowers, plants, birds and the butterflies.

Fritillary butterflies on our Bee Balm plant

These are a few of my favorite nature bloggers, photographers and a few birdwatchers and their blogs. It is cool to see birds from around the world right from my computer.

Jo from South Africa

Nora

Phil in the UK

Monica

Bob in the UK


I love seeing wild birds and most of my post over the years have been about the birds.

Sandwich Tern, Florida

I also wanted to share some other blogs I love to read and follow, they share their pets, gardens, hobbies and their fabulous photography. I have way too many favorites, I hope I do not slight anyone by not including them on my list. I could go on and on with my favorite blogs. You can find more links to my favorite bloggers on my sidebar list.

Mary shares her travels in their RV

Marit, a gardener and photographer

Karen, shares daily life, family quotes and photos

Tom, host of the Barn Collective, wonderful photographer

Sandra, shares her photography and is awesome with editing photos

Kim, rescues Golden Retrievers

Linda, a hiker and a fantastic photographer

Michelle host of Thankful Thursday

"We do not need more to be thankful for,  we just need to be more thankful."


My list of thankful things for this week

I am thankful for all the blogging friends I have "met" over the last 8 years of blogging.
I am thankful for all the visitors and comments on my blog.


Thanks so much for your visits and comments. I wish everyone a great day and weekend ahead.