Cook Forest State Park

Happy Thankful Thursday! 

Last week, hubby and I visited the Cook Forest State Park in Northwest Pennsylvania. My tree hugging hubby enjoys seeing old growth forest and this park is known for it's Forest Cathedral of towering White Pines and Hemlocks. We enjoyed walking the trails for a day and half, staying at a local hotel in Clarion Pa. 

Walking the trails, I checked out the birds, mushrooms and the trees. Below, you will see some of our sights while visiting this park. In the mosaic, a Hairy woodpecker, Wren, the only bear we saw, Northern Flicker, Wooly Bear Caterpillar, Wood Thrush, Butterfly and a Robin. 

We walked over the swinging bridge on one of the trails.

Tall pines, moss covered rocks and lots of mushrooms.

The Northern Flickers were seen often. The skies were clear and a pretty blue.

Turkey Feathers, it is amazing even to see what grow on a fallen tree. The mushrooms and fungi are beautiful.

The creek near the picnic pavilion, a pretty orange leaf fall tree.

We saw a few different woodpeckers while walking the trails, I believe this is a Hairy Woodpecker. It seemed larger in size than the Downy Woodpeckers.

After leaving Cook Forest State Park we made a slight detour and met blogging friend Linda of Thebeautyaroundus  at the Kinzua Bridge State Park.  I will be doing a blog more about this park and meeting Linda on my Travel blog

For my skywatch, I view of the sky and destroyed bridge in Kinzua Bridge State Park. If you look hard you can see part of the bridge laying on the ground. That is from the tornado. 

I am thankful for our for the people who acquired this land and turned it into a place for all the public to enjoy. The trees years ago could have been logged but one person saw that these trees needed to be saved and made sure that they were protected. 

I am always thankful for your visits and your comments.

Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday


Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments. Have a happy day!

Saturday's Critters #191

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

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!


I am sharing some critters from our last visit to Shenandoah Nat'l Park and Skyline Drive. It is a favorite place for a daytrip,  we enjoy hiking on the trails and just riding on the Skyline Drive.

I have to admit, seeing the black bears at this park is a thrill. This black bear below looked kind of young and skinny. I hope it survives.

On the Limberlost Trail I watched these two Hairy Woodpeckers pecking at the same tree. The Hairy Woodpeckers look like the Downy Woodpecker only bigger in size. Their bill is larger in size too. It is hard getting a clear shot of one moving woodpecker much less two woodpeckers. Their heads are always pecking into the trees, lol.

I believe this is the Field Sparrow below, if not I would appreciate the id help. It was seen at the Big Meadows, Shenandoah. The Field Sparrow has a pink bill.

Also on our Big Meadows walk we saw lots of Swallows, I believe these are the Barn Swallows.

The Big Meadows is an awesome spot in the park for a walk. We saw lots of butterflies and birds. I think this is the Wood Nymph Butterfly. Edited my butterfly id thanks to Karolina.

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!

Lake Crescent & Sol Duc Falls

I am linking up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences
I hope you can join in on the fun and share your fence scenes and pretty skies.

I am sharing some images from Day 4 of our trip to Washington state.
I mentioned on a previous post, it was great to wake up in the morning and see a clear sky, this was a shot of moon before heading out for the day's exploring.

After a day of driving the previous day to Cape Flattery we decided to spend the next day hiking to the waterfalls not far from Port Angeles. I am sharing a Lake Crescent sunrise and a couple of waterfalls we visited while in the Olympic Nat'l Park.

Lake Crescent sunrise on our way to the waterfalls.

As we drove along the the lake, we would pull over and check out the colors of this sunrise.

One of the few birds I saw during our hike to the waterfalls was this Hairy Woodpecker.

On this day we hiked to 3 waterfalls, the Sol Duc Falls was the first one and to me it was the prettiest. All the websites I visited spell the waterfall name Sol Duc and not the Soleduck that is listed on the sign for the park?

I like how the Sol Duc Falls separates into 3 tiers or I call them channels or chutes. Plenty of fences around to keep peeps or hubby safe from falling off into the falls and gorge. Sol Duc falls seemed to have the most water out the 3 waterfalls we visited on this day.

Above images are of the Merymere Falls. After leaving Sol Duc Falls we drove to the next waterfall above called Marymere Falls. This waterfalls is located near the Lake Crescent Lodge. The trail to the falls starts at the Lodge's parking lot.

Above scenes are from Madison Falls. Madison Falls was our last waterfalls to visit on our way back to Port Angeles.

This cute pup was with a friendly lady we met at the falls, soon after hubby sat down the cute doggie walk over to hubby and sat next to his leg.  Dogs seem to like hubby wherever he goes  :)  I seem to take photos of every dog I see while on vacation.

I hope you enjoyed the sunrise and the Sol Duc, Marymere and Madison Falls. Thanks for stopping by for a visit and for your nice comments. Have a happy day and weekend ahead.

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and check for more fence shots at Tex's Good Fences

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences and thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.    I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead..

Loch Raven Reservoir

I am linking up with   Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday 

I am sharing last weekend's walk at the Loch Raven Reservoir..It was a pretty day to be out walking and this is a nice spot when they close the road for the weekend for the walkers, bikers and joggers. All kinds of peeps were out enjoying the scenery and weather..

Loch Raven is one of three reservoirs in Baltimore county, they hold the drinking water for Baltimore City...

In the winter months the ducks, gulls and coots seem to make Loch Raven their winter home.

We saw 4-5 eagles..both adult Bald Eagles and the juveniles..In the mosaic above and the photo on the left there is an adult eagle sitting in the top of one of the pine trees .

Can you find it?

I love the reflection shot of the Canada Geese and I was amazed at the numbers of American Coots.. There must have beeen hundreds of them in rows on the lake and along the shores..

One of my favorite shots from our outing.. I hope you enjoyed my walk and post..I wish you all a happy week, a happy January and a happy New Year.

I use Pic Monkey to create my mosaics, you can use Pic Monkey free or pay for an upgraded version.
I hope you can join in on our fun at  Mosaic Monday and   Our World Tuesday

 Thanks to Judith 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 #55

Saturday's Critters #55

Happy weekend everyone and Happy New Year! I am glad to see you sharing your critters.. Any kind of critter will do, even if you have an older post it will do.. I appreciate everyone who has linked up in the past and for those who are linking in on this week's critter party. And of course I always appreciate my blogging friends stopping by just for a visit..

Also, I hope you can check out the post at Anni's I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.  You should also check out Misty Dawn's Camera Critters.

These shots are from last weekend's walk at Loch Raven Reservoir..

A mixture of Canada Geese, Ringed-necked Ducks, Gadwall and possibly some other ducks..

Rows of Coots.. I was amazed at how many Coots there were, I could not fit them all in the photo..

This could be a Hairy woodpecker but I am not sure sometimes the angle and distance can throw off the size of the bird. To id you are supposed to look at the beak and head size..

An InLinkz Link-up

I wish everyone a happy & healthy New Year!

Thanks to Tex Theresa aka Tex, I was able to add this link up button and thanks to  Jennifer for creating my photo badge.

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Again I thank you for linking up to the critter party. I also appreciate the visits, comments and the support of my blogging friends................... Have a happy weekend!
To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Please visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.

A few Woodpeckers

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes



It is not often that I get to see the Hairy Woodpecker at my feeders. I think this cold weather and snow has brought this female Hairy Woodpecker to my suet feeder.  I could tell right away that this woodie was the Hairy and not a Downy woodpecker.. The size is larger, the head is larger and the bill is longer and thicker.

One the left is the Hairy and on the  top right a male Downy and bottom right is the female Downy.

Above is the male Downy and on the right is the Hairy Woodpecker. I was trying to get a shot showing the bill. But, the Downy was not cooperating. I think the photos above do show the head size and the overall size of these two woodies.

I've been thrilled to see the female Hairy each day for the past 4 or 5 days of my GBBC.



The woodpecker is one of my favorite birds, I am lucky to see these two woodies, along with the Redbellied woodpecker, the  Northern Flicker, the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and the larger Pileated Woodpeckers in my yard and neighborhood.


Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Birding the Great Falls

Linking up with NF Winged   and  Skywatch Friday

 Last weekend, hubby and I decided to take our walk at the Great Falls National Park in Maryland.

It was a beautiful day, the sky was blue with pretty white clouds. It was a pretty sky for my skywatch post. And the birds and Zebra Swallowtail are perfect for NF Winged.

I love this scene with the clouds reflecting on the Potomac River.

Above is some of the wildlife we saw along the river loop trail. The Goslings, Zebra Swallowtail butterfly, Hairy Woodpecker and a Bald Eagle. Also, seen was a white-tailed deer and the Prothonotary and Yellow-rump Warblers were teasing me. They would pop up in front of me and as soon as I lifted my camera they hopped away. I heard many Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers and Great Crested Flycatchers.

A pretty sky with a Great Blue heron flying by. There is a heron/cormorant rookery on the other side of the river.

A view of the river and sky from the Great Falls overlook.

Great Blue Heron at the Potomac Rookery.

Above a pretty Zebra Swallowtail seen along the river loop trail in Great Falls. I hope you enjoyed my post and walk along the river.

Thanks for visiting my blog and I always appreciate your comments.

Happy Skywatching  to everyone!

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

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

Hike to Coon Lake, Stehekin

On our second day at Stehekin North Cascades National Park, hubby and I took the hike to Coon Lake. There is one road in Stehekin and they have a shuttle that makes a few stops along the way to High Bridge. At High Bridge what I call serious hikers can get on or off the Pacific Crest Trail.
The PCT zigzags from Mexico all the way to Canada. We were on the shuttle with some of these serious hikers.  One 62 year old women was starting off again after her hubby came up on the boat bringing her more supplies. I was amazed she was doing this hike on her own. The Stehekin Landing hotel is a place for some of these hikers to take a break from the trail and hiking. We started off taking the shuttle from our hotel which would take us the eleven miles to the trailhead at High Bridge. High Bridge was a beautiful area. The Stehekin River was a pretty scene and we saw trout spawning. I took some shots while standing on the bridge looking down at the water.

Trout in the river

In this photo below you cna see all the fish swimming along the rivers edge

Stehekin River at High Bridge

Hairy Woodpecker on the trail to Coon Lake

This cute squirrel dropped in to visit with us

View of scenery from the trail

Chipmunk critter on the trail

View of Coon Lake,  a very pretty place to end our hike. Supposedly a very birdie area.
Birds I saw were an unidentified hawk and tons of nuthatches.

More view of the mountains from the trail

We finished the 1.3 hike to Coon Lake and met the shuttle to take us back to our hotel.
I am linking up with Misty Dawn's CAMERA CRITTERS and the Holleys Scenic Sunday Click on my links to visit these great memes to see more critters and beautiful scenes from all over.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoyed my post.