Half Year Review 2013

  I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday 

December 22, 2013...Merry Christmas everyone!!

I still can not believe Christmas is only days away, I still have my wrapping to do and a pie to bake.I guess I better get with it, time is running out. I know a lot of my blogging friends are taking breaks for the holiday, which was probably a good idea.
I have a lot of favorite photos from 2013, I would like to share just the first half of the year.  There were so many favorites, favorite sunrise and sunset, favorite bird and feeder and favorite photos. So here is just a quick review...

JANUARY....A beautiful Maryland sunrise and from my favorite birding place in Delaware..Hooded Merganser couple seen at Bombay Hook.

FEBRUARY...A favorite feeder with the birds..seen above a few of my favorites birds...the female Northern Cardinal, Pine Siskins, Carolina Chickadee and a Red-Breasted Nuthatch...

MARCH...Ocean City sunrise...Common Loons @ OC inlet, Snow Buntings one of my favorite birds, our resident nesting Great Blue Heron and a cool Belted Kingfisher..

APRIL....Florida vacation...Burrowing Owl lifer..Wood Stork lifer..Roseate Spoonbill, juvenile Anhinga and a Key West sunset.

MAY...migration has started and summer birds are returning..these are some of my favorite birds and sightings...Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Least Bittern lifer, juvenile Brown Thrashers and a Indigo Bunting.

JUNE....Sunset over our lake and some of my favorite yardbirds: the singing Pine Warbler, two Redbellied Woodpeckers, Ruby-throated Hummingbird and a pretty local breeder the Northern Parula seen in my yard.

I will do a later post on the second half of 2013 sharing more of my favorites...I hope you enjoyed this post and my favorite photos..For some reason or another they are special to me..

I wish a very Merry Christmas to everyone and their families... a Happy & Healthy 2014...

As always, I hope you enjoy my post and 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!

Least Bittern

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

For this weeks feature bird  I am sharing my not so great photos of the Bombay Hook Least Bittern.

Hidden behind the tall grasses, you can make out the yellow legs and the beak. They are small birds range from 11 to 14 inches in length. The birds underparts and throat are white with light brown streaks.

This is a shot of a GB Heron with the Least Bittern still hiding behind the tall grasses. If I had not seen it move I think it would have remained well hidden.

A cropped shot of the Least Bittern.

This was my first sighting (May 19) of the Least Bittern also seen at Bombay Hook. I think it is just a funny looking pose. The shot above shows more of the coloring on the Bittern's head, back and side.

It is a cool bird to see and I just wish my photos could have been better. But, I will take what I can of this elusive bird.  They do spend time straddling the reeds like the American and when alarmed they freeze and point their bill straight up.. blending in with their marsh vegetation.

 I was excited to see the Least Bittern somewhat out in the open and I hope you enjoy my Least Bittern.

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 Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.

Thanks for stopping by and for leaving your nice comments. I always appreciate your visits.
I wish everyone a happy week ahead and Happy Birding!

Bombay Hook NWR

  I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday .

August 4, 2013

I am sharing some of the birds and scenes from our Friday visit to Bombay Hook NWR . I had an extra day off work and hubby and I decided on a daytrip to the wildlife refuge. The weather was perfect, sunny and the humidity was gone.

Above the Great Blue Herons and also nearby the Least Bittern.Swallowtail butterflies and wild pink hibiscus.

More scenes from Bombay Hook wildlife refuge..the Egret trees, wild white hibiscus, juvenile Terns, American Avocets, Great Egret and a Glossy Ibis.

The Green Heron is one of my favorite herons, so I was really happy to watching this one catch his lunch. Visiting the national wildlife refuges and the national parks is something hubby and I love to do. And Bombay Hook NWR is what I call a half tank away and one of my favorite places to visit.

 As always, I hope you enjoy my post and 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!