Saturday's Critters # 383

 Welcome to Saturday's Critters!

Hello and happy Saturday!

 

 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!

Hubby and I went to see the Snow Geese at the Middle Creek WMA near Stevens Pennsylvania. The visitor center was closed due to Covid but the motor tour was open. The beginning of March the Snow Geese can be seen in huge flocks migrating north. We saw thousands of Snow Geese,  lots of Tundra Swans and various ducks. I saw my first of the year Tree Swallows, some Eastern Bluebirds, Red-winged Blackbirds and I could hear Killdeer nearby. 

1. Below are the Snow Geese, Tree Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, Ring-necked Ducks, a cute Golden Doodle and a ground hog.

Click on photos for larger viewing..

2. A closeup of a few Snow Geese. It was noted on March 8th there were 120,000 Snow Geese and 1050 Tundra Swans. The numbers of birds sighted can change daily. 

3. Tundra Swans in flight. 

4. Groups after group of Snow Geese were flying in and landing on the lake.

5. A distant shot of the Snow Geese and lake.

6. The Snow Geese  were not social distancing. 

7. A few times the Snow Geese would lift off with a loud roar, only to land a few feet away.  

8. A group of Ring-necked ducks in front of the Snow Geese. 

Crowds of people from all over come to Middle Creek WMA in Lancaster County Pennsylvania to see these Snow Geese. Early March is the best time to see the migration of the spring waterfowl. 

 

 Thanks to all my visitors and for your comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post. 


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

Snow Geese, Middle Creek WMA

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.

Happy Easter everyone!

These days are just flying by, finally Spring officially arrived on March 20th. YAY for Spring! I am sharing a daytrip from March 9th to Middle Creek WMA near Lancaster Pa. My hubby, my brother and I went to see the Snow Geese that are migrating on the East Coast. The Snow Geese stop at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management area for a rest and refuel.  I did not count the geese but I would say there were around 50,000 Snow Geese,  1,000 or more Tundra Swans and various others ducks seen on this day.

Some of the Snow Geese were close to the crowds of people, they did not seem shy.

Seeing all these Snow Geese is amazing sight even for the non-birder.

Around the other side of the lake we found the Tundra Swans hanging out with some Canada Geese.

We waited a while to see the Snow Geese lift off the water to land on the fields.

The Snow Geese did not fly far, some actually just walked onto the field from the water.

One barn was in the distance and another barn off the road as I was driving. I like the big tree next to the barn on the bottom right. I hope these barns are ok for Tom's Barn Collective. We had great weather almost a summer like day, I always love seeing the Snow Geese and Swans. We found a nice diner called Knight and Day, for an early dinner before the ride home.

I hope you enjoyed my post. As always, I appreciate the visits and your nice comments.  Have a happy 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!

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Sky over Middle Creek WMA

Linking up with Skywatch Friday 

Linking up with Skywatch Friday 

HAPPY SPRING!!!!

I have more photos from our visit to Middle Creek WMA.. We had a lovely day to be the sky was blue with the white puffy clouds. It was a little windy and cold but the nice thing was NO SNOW.

At times the skies were filled with Snow Geese and the Tundra Swans like the shot above.

On this shot, I like the tree, sky and seeing the Snow Geese on the lake.

This the view from the visitor center window..the Snow Geese are way off in the distance.

I love the clouds in this shot and the Swan silhouettes.

Here is another group of the Tundra Swans coming in for a landing.

I really enjoyed seeing the close to 5000 Tundra Swans.. This group was walking on the ice.

I hope you enjoyed seeing more from Middle Creek WMA , the Snow Geese and the Tundra Swans.


To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday

Thank you for visiting my post. Maybe you can stop back and join in with my Saturday's Critter party.

Thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday!   I wish everyone a safe and happy long weekend.

Middle Creek WMA

  I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday 


Wishing everyone a Happy Saint Patrick's Day!..and here is an Irish blessing for you!

Middle Creak Wildlife Management Area includes a 400 acre impoundment. It is a prime destination for the wildlife and for people who enjoy seeing wildlife..Hubby and I were surprised at the number of cars on the wildlife tour. It seems everyone knew the Snow Geese arrived.. The self -guided driving tour is open from March 1 to September 15.

Middle Creek WMA is nestled in the middle of farmland on the border of Lancaster county and Lebanon county, Pennsylvania. It was created as a waterfowl refuge for the Canada Geese flyway. The big attraction is seeing the Snow Geese are making their way back to their breeding grounds to the tundra of Northern Canada and Alaska.

If they feel threatened at times the flock of Snow Geese will lift off and make lots of noise..

We also saw some pretty Killdeer along with a group of Ring-bill Gulls..

More Tundra Swans coming in for a landing..It was easy to tell  the Tundra Swans apart from the Snow Geese.  The Tundra Swans are all white underneath and the Snow Geese have some black on their wings.

It is like being in a snow storm when the Snow Geese come swirling down from the sky. From the 1970's up to the present the Snow Geese numbers increased over the years along with the numbers of Tundra Swans.  It was reported this week as many as 60,000 Snow Geese were seen and close to 5000 Tundra Swans.. Definitely a cool sight to see and hear.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the Snow Geese and Tundra Swans..if you are in the area it is a great place to stop and see. I am ending my post with another cute Irish blessing and wish for you.

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too
And a host of friends that never ends
each day your whole life through!



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!

Tundra Swans

For my World Bird Wednesday and  Watery Wednesday post I have some Tundra Swans we saw while visiting Middle Creek WMA. Not only does the Middle Creek wildlife area attract huge counts of Snow Geese you can also see hundreds on Tundra Swans.

My field guide says they winter on lakes and estuarites in the lower 48 states. Feeding in open waters, marshes and croplands.

Thanks to Springman of World Bird Wednesday  and thanks to 2sweetnsaxy for hosting Watery Wednesday  .  Also thank you for visiting me and I appreciate the comments from everyone. Have a great Wednesday.

Snow Geese

My favorite shot of the Snow Geese for World Bird Wednesday and Wordless Wednesday

Please visit World Bird Wednesday to see more beautiful birds and Wordless Wednesday is always great to visit. Thank you to the wonderful hosts and thanks for stopping by my blog.

Snow Geese at Middle Creek WMA

I am linking  up Mosaic Monday. Please visit and check out all the wonderful mosaic's at Mary's Little Red House.

Yesterday hubby and I joined a couple of my birding friends on a daytrip to Middle Creek WMA to see the Snow Geese. It was a foggy morning to start off but the fog lifted and it turned out to be a great day of birding. I believe the Snow Geese count was estimated around 80,000. The Snow Geese are an amazing sight to see and hear so many at one time. Along with the Snow Geese we also saw Tundra Swans, Canada Geese, Ringed Neck ducks, American Wigeons, American Black ducks, Gadwalls, Pintails, Mallards, adult Bald Eagle and a juvenile Eagle. Best of all was a Rough Legged hawk which was a lifer for me. It was a very cool viewing of this hawk hovering over a field not far from our car.

 This is just a small amount of the Snow geese we saw at the Middle Creek WMA.

Below are the Tundra Swan and Canada geese. The feathers floating on top of the water look like snow.

The ducks below are far left the Gadwall, American Wigeon has the white stripe on its head , next maybe a female Wigeon and in the back is the Canada Goose and far back on the right is a Ring Neck Duck

Below a not so good photo of my lifer the Rough Legged hawk. But it is good enough to help with the id.

It was a great day of birding and spending time with my friends. I hope you enjoyed my Snow Geese post. Please visit Mary's Mosaic Monday for more wonderful mosaics and photos.

Thanks to Mary for hosting and thanks for stopping by my blog. Have a great week!