Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, Part 1

I am linking up with  Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.

My prayers go out to the victims and people of both Boston and West, Texas. 

 During our Florida vacation we visited the Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary twice. And I have way too many photos to sort thru some good and some to be deleted.  Corkscrew is an awesome place to visit, I rate it close to my visit to the famous Magee Marsh. The birds are awesome and the property includes a 2.25 mile boardwalk and it is said to have the largest remaining stand of Bald Cypress forest in North America.

The Redbellied Woodpecker, one of the many Corkscrew Swamp birds.

Above is the lush habitat that makes up some of Corkscrew Swamp.

The juvenile White Ibis were seen in various spots of the Corkscrew Swamp. The juvies have some brown and turn all white as adults.

The Wood Storks were a life bird for me, I think they are awesome looking birds.

The Roseate Spoonbill is another awesome bird. Their pink color is gorgeous and the spoon shaped bill is cool.  I was happy to see these birds up close, my first sighting was from a far distance in Costa Rica.

We saw more than birds, there were quite a few alligators there too. This one was about a foot long, just a baby.

I hope you enjoyed my tour of Corkscrew Swamp, birds and critter. Thanks for stopping by and I always appreciate your comments.
To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit:   Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.

Have a safe and happy weekend.

My feathered friends

I am linking up with  Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.

These are some shots from Thursday and Friday. On Thursday we woke up to a light dusting of snow on the ground. We were supposed to be heading for the Jersey shores on these two days but the forecast of snow and such cold weather changed our minds. Also, me waking up with one of my three day migraine would not have been cool. So we stayed home. I did not go out of the house I watched my backyard birds. And when it snows my feathered friends go into a feeding frenzy.  It is great because I get to see the birds up close. So here is an assortment of my yardbirds. The dusting of snow disappeared quickly.

The Dark-eyed Junco is one of my winter visitors and they have been plentiful the last two days. The Juncos look cute sitting in the pine tree they remind me of Christmas ornaments.

More tree ornaments a White-throated Sparrow and a Tufted Titmouse.

A regular visitor is the Redbellied Woodpecker.

One of my many Bluejays.

A pretty female Cardinal.

A cute Carolina Wren. Friday afternoon the forecast was calling for 1-3 inches. It was really coming down at times.

A pretty male Cardinal.

Pine Siskins are around in big numbers the last two days. I hope you enjoy my feathered friends.

To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit:   Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.

If you would like to see some scenes other than my birds you can check out my other blog and scenes from my travels: travelwitheileen

Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I wish everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

Birding Loch Raven

I am linking up with  Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.

These photos are from last weekend, hubby and I took another walk at the Loch Raven Reservoir. Loch Raven seems to attract more ducks in the winter than the reservoir near my home.

Most of the ducks were across the lake on the opposite shore from where we stood. I can make out the Canada Geese, Common Mergansers, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers and I am sure there are some ducks I could not id without having my scope.

Loch Raven is great place to visit on the weekends, since the road is closed and used for hiking, biking and jogging around the lake. The road is line with the tall green pine trees that you can see in the distance.

Above, hanging out on a small island we saw the Great Blue Heron, lots of gulls, and some Ringed-neck Ducks.

I was playing around with the setting on my camera and I thought it made the water look neat.

Look the ducks are swimming uphill.

Families with small children are often seen in this spot at the lake feeding the gulls, ducks and geese.

Almost home, we see the usual peacocks hanging out on the snowy field. Now, that not a usual sight for some to see.

A cropped photo for a closer look. These birds live on a farm around the corner from me and I see them often on my way home from work. A few times they have been on the road right near a curve, luckily they were safe while I had to brake for them. It seems our neighborhood has a few farms with these peacocks, I have passed signs along my road saying BIG BIRD crossing.


To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit:   Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.  Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I wish everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

At home and the NCR Trail

I am linking up with  Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.

Last weekend we enjoyed the snow and the birds at home and took a walk New Year's Day on the NCR Trail.

 At home I am seeing Pine Siskins mixed in with my American Goldfinches. You can make out their splash of yellow on their wings.

 I do not always see Brown-headed Cowbirds at my feeders but sometimes they show up.

The feeders were busy during the snow, this Carolina Wren was checking out the BOSS feeder.

The NCR trail is a hiking, biking and walking trail on an old Northern Central Railroad trail. There are several places to park your car and start hiking we have our favorite places to start our walk.

There was some green here and there but the NCR trail was showing off its winter colors mostly. Along the trail I was watching Eastern Bluebirds, lots of Kinglets, Juncos, Chickadees and a cute Winter Wren. Most of the birds were either moving qickly or were camera shy.. except for the pretty Bluebirds.

Not sure what kind of berries these are but they added a splash of color to my photo.

I like the reflection of this bare tree in the stream.

More reflections caught in the stream.

Looking straight up at the Bluebird, showing more of their rufous color underparts.

The winding river follows along the NCR trail for most of the way.

I hope you enjoyed my yardbirds at home and our walk along the bike trail.

To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit:   Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.  Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I wish everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

Birding the Cemetery

I am linking up with  Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.

First, I must say my prayers goes out to all the families involved in the Newtown tragedy. It is so sad!

A couple of weeks ago I was on one of my wild goose chases. I was not really looking for wild geese but I was looking for the reported White-winged Crossbills. They are showing up all over Maryland due to this being an irruptive year.

 It happens that the Crossbills were seen in some hemlock trees at the cemetery where my grandparents are buried. So I was actually able to visit my grandparents grave and look for the birds at the same time.

The Crossbills seem to love these hemlock trees.

The reason why they love the trees is because of the seeds from these tiny pine cones.

If the Crossbills were there, they must have been hiding from me. But, I did see a lot of geese. So my wild goose hunt was successful, LOL.

I saw that there were a lot of Canada Geese at the cemetery pond.

I saw a Great Blue heron  was also hanging around the pond.

I saw a lot of gulls flying over the pond.

I saw a  Mockingbird hanging around the Hemlock trees along with a few Cardinals and Bluejays. The Crossbills were not seen but I will continue my quest to see the Crossbills this winter.

 Hubby thinks it is strange I will go birding in a cemetery but I feel really comfortable there. I do not think my Grandparents would mind if I visit them and look for birds at the same time. On this day I actually took my lunch and sat in my car watching and looking for Crossbills on the hemlock trees.




 To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit:   Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.  Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I wish everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

Assateague birds and critters

I am linking up with  Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.


I have been at work all week so these are more shots from our visit to Ocean City and Assateague Island National Seashore and beyond. The beyond is more from shots from the Delaware Indian River inlet. I did not have any target birds to see at either place I was just happy to be there.

A link to more Ocean City activities 22-reasons-to-visit-ocean-city-md

We saw our first of the year Long-tailed Ducks at the Indian River inlet. 

The Sanderlings were the first bird I saw on the beach at Assateague. The Sanderling on the front left looks cute, like he is marching along. I was happy to see a Gannet way out in the ocean with my binocs. We also saw a flock of Cormorants flying by, at least I think they were Cormorants.

The Assateague wild ponies are always a treat to see and they are the main attraction for most people that visit the park.

Above is one of the many Assateague wild ponies on the Maryland side of the island   It was my favorite horse, I believe it is a Pinto. 

I thought it was funny to see the horses standing in line for the restrooms. Looks like one just came out the other is waiting to go in.

A few more of the horses, in this shot you can make out someone's yellow/orange tent in the right side of the photo.

The horses are free to roam thru the national seashore in the shot above they are walking thru the campsites.There are signs around warning people that the horses are wild and not to be fed. Driving around the roads in Assateague I also saw and heard so many Yellow Rump Warblers.

I hope you enjoyed my visit to the ocean and Assateague Island National Seashore.

 To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit: Green Day  and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.  Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I wish everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

Thanksgiving Skywatch

It's time for some of my favorites memes...I am linking up with  Green Day ,   Skywatch Friday and  NF Winged.


 It is Thanksgiving Day and I am spending the day with my hubby, son and family.  After serving fifteen for dinner,  we should be able to chill and check out my birds and sky. These are some shots taken thru-out this past week. A pretty sunset, a few kinglets from our walk on the fireroad, a couple of Brown Creepers and the vultures making their way back to roost for the night.

A Ruby-crowned Kinglet above and another open winged kinglet below. LOL, if you look real hard you can see the ruby crown on the kinglet in the top of the photo.

 I have been wanting to see a Brown Creeper, and luckily in this day I saw two. Can you find the two Brown Creepers in the shot above? They blend so well with the tree.

I always love seeing these pretty green ferns growing along the fireroad  where we walk.

 A cropped shot of a Golden-Crowned Kinglet.  The sky is a beautiful blue, it was a lovely day for a walk on the fireroad. The Kinglets are quick movers like the warblers, they did not stay still for a second.

 These trees are around my neighborhood and on the fireroad, not sure what kind of trees they are but they seem to be the last to drop their pretty yellow leaves. I love this shot looking up at the blue sky, yellow leaves and the tops of the pine trees.

Another day the vultures are making their way back to the woods to roost for the night.

A pretty sunset to end the day! I am looking forward to a long weekend for the Thanksgiving holiday. I am one of the few people NOT going shopping on Black Friday. Will you be going shopping the first thing on Friday morning?

 I hope everyone in the US is enjoying their Thanksgiving Day and to all those not in the USA have a great day!

 Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of with  Green Day
To see more beautiful photos and pretty skies please visit Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged


Thanks to Sylvia and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to the host of NF Winged. Also, thank you for stopping by to see my post. I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.