Saturday's Critters # 416

 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!

I am sharing a mish mash of photos from walks in my neighborhood, on the fire road to the lake and from our last visit to Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park. 

1. Our wildlife sightings for our day at Shenandoah, was one deer at the entrance station and one deer seen below walking across the Skyline Drive. 

2. Some scenes from Shenandoah and the Skyline Drive, the Limberlost Trail. 

3. Below seen at the Big Meadows, Shenandoah the Northern Harrier. They have a white rump patch which is noticeable in the photos below. 

4. At the Big Meadows we watched a Northern Harrier hunting. The Harriers are known to be expert mousers. 

5. Below images are from our fire road walk to our local lake,  the Canada Geese and two Pied-billed Grebes.

6. Looking across the lake, we noticed a larger group of Canada Geese.

7. A group fo Canada Geese were hanging out along the lake shore.

8.  I noticed on the far side of the lake was this wake from this Pied-billed Grebe. This bird was too far for a god photo, the Pied-billed Grebe has a short black banded bill, they are a warm brown color with dark eyes.

Take time to appreciate the beauty around you, the more beauty you will see!

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.

Here is my linky:

Thank you for taking the time to share your critters and post!

I am also linking up to Anni's blog party found here I'd Rather B Birding   Anni shares beautiful birds on her blog, check it out!

Saturday Critters # 378

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!

Spring forward, YAY.  Tonight, I will be happy to change my clocks an hour ahead for more daylight.   I am sharing some birds hubby and I saw during a recent visit to Maryland's Eastern shore. We drove the wildlife drive at Bombay Hook NWR along the way.  We are still keeping our safe distance due to COVID, we felt safe not having to get out of our car. So these photos are all taken from my car on the wildlife drive.

1. On the road that leads to the wildlife drive entrance, we noticed what must have been thousands of Snow Geese. 

2. The Snow Geese were far back on the field, I tried zooming in for a closer look.

3. I usually try to check out the fields along side the road leading into the wildlife refuge. Various birds have been seen in the past, this day we saw what I am guessing is a female Horned Lark.

4. At the beginning of the wildlife drive we noticed two Bald Eagles. It looks one was having a conversation with the other eagle. 

5. Further along the wildlife drive we saw the Northern Harrier, Yellow-rumped Warbler and a few Eastern Bluebirds. 

6.  The Great Blue Herons were seen all along the drive, a Snow Goose hidden in the grasses, a second Great Blue Heron seen close to a Belted Kingfisher. 

7.  Yellowlegs, Lesser or Greater?  

8.  Great Egret with a Great Blue Heron.

9.  A pair of Common Mergansers. 

10. A group of Tundra Swans all tucked in with a  couple of Canada Geese.

I hope you enjoyed my birds and post this week. I will have  more post on the bird sightings from this little trip to Ocean City Maryland. I am looking forward to seeing your critter post and photos.  

 

 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. 


Here is my linky:

 

 

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

Saturday's Critters #330

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!


Happy Easter everyone! I am sure no one expected to be on lock down at this time.  I do pray everyone is safe and healthy. 

I still have one last place we visited during our early March 8-10th getaway. It was the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge Maryland.  It was a great place to visit with wonderful bird sightings.  

March 10th, below are a few of the birds we saw, I hope you enjoy......all photos were taken out the car window. 


As usual we saw a lot of eagles.  There are 2 Bald Eagles on the photo below, one in the nest and one standing in front of the nest. 

 A juvenile Bald Eagle perched on the top of a dead tree, below him on the ground were a group of Vultures eating something.

Below a large group of Snow Geese hanging out with some Tundra Swans.

Hello....I see you..Snow Goose..

  We watched the White Pelicans on the water and even more were flying in and landed . 

A large group of White Pelicans could be seen from the wildlife drive. They swim together in tight circles herding fish..

It is fun to watch the Snow Geese take off sounding an alert, only to circle and land in the same spot.  The Tundra Swans ignored them and stay where they were, with nothing to worry about. 

 If you look closely, there is a Bald Eagle standing behind this group of White Pelicans.  Groups of the White Pelicans were all around.

We found another Bald Eagle nest, seen from the wildlife drive.  

I stopped the car  to watch this Northern Harrier working the field, it flew across the road in front of and circled around.  An id tip for the Harrier (in the center of the photo)  is the white band on the upper tail. 

Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post.


Here is a list of my linky parties;
 

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

Happy Thankful Thursday

 Happy Thankful Thursday!

I have always tried to visit any National Wildlife Refuge located in an area we are visiting. While in Florida I found the Lake Woodruff NWR located in DeLeon Springs Florida. This refuge was established in 1964 as a migratory bird refuge, one of many refuges purchased through the Federal Duck Stamp program.  The refuge contains various habitats of marshes, swamps, creeks, hammocks and uplands. Over 230 species of birds can be found  in the refuge seasonally. 

The trail map showing miles of man made dikes that form the pools attracting all kinds of birds. There was a Bald Eagle nest, which was seen not far from the parking lot. We saw 2 Bald Eagles in flight, an Osprey, Northern Harrier, Turkey Vultures, American Coots. I believe a Chipping Sparrow or could it be a Swamp Sparrow? The last photo of the tower. 

Habitats at the refuge include the Cypress Swamp land.

 I am pretty sure these white flowers are the Swamp lilies, found in marsh land, swamps and wet hammocks.

 Trail was blocked for awhile with these Turkey Vultures, I guess they are better than having an alligator laying across the trail. 

Luckily for us the rain stopped long enough for us to hike out to the tower.

 I could hear the Sandhill Cranes hear somewhere, I just could not find them.  Previous winters there were a pair of Whooping Cranes established on this refuge.

 A cloudy view from the tower, you can see the creek or part of the Lake Woodruff and the man-made dikes.

There were plenty of American Coots seen at the refuge.

One thing about a cloudy day, the alligators were not out sunning themselves. I still looked at the grasses along the trail to make sure a gator was not laying there waiting for us.  I think we walked close to 3 miles round trip at this refuge.

 I loved these big oak trees with the spanish moss. 

 Anhinga was hanging on top of a pole.

After driving out of the national wildlife refuge, there was a large group of Peacocks walking around a private yard.  There must have been 20 or more peacocks. They were on the grass, the driveway and the porch.

I am thankful for the federal park land for all of us to use, hopefully this park land will always remain unspoiled park land for generations to come.

I am thankful for the National Park Foundation, they help protect our parks for next generations.  

I am thankful for the Friends of Wildlife Refuge,  they spend their time to helping out at the wildlife refuges. 

I am thankful for the National Park Tract and Land Preservation.They help to conserve land and wildlife habitat bordering or creating new national park land.

I am always thankful for your visit and comments.
Live simple and be happy!  😊




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 #257

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!

I have lots more from Edwin B. Forsythe NWR in New Jersey. It was very ducky, high numbers of Northern Pintails, Black Ducks and the Mute Swans. Many Egrets and Great Blue Herons, I was in birdie heaven. Snapping away and looking here and there, afraid to miss something. The one I missed was a Eurasion Wigeon that was being seen for a few days. I did see an American Wigeon. 

I am not positive about the smaller of the two below, the larger is the Great Egret. But, the smaller wader looks to have greenish legs maybe a juvenile Little Blue Heron or is it a Snowy Egret?

More Mute Swans and various ducks. 

The Northern Harrier was flying by and shaking up the ducks, every once in awhile the ducks would fly up and around and then land again. The phragmites an invasion plant and common weed seems to be all over the refuge, they have been cut in some places along the drive. 

This photo looks better enlarged, please click on it for a better view. 

A group of gulls and a cormorant were hanging out near where the water was being controlled. 

A gathering of DC Cormorants. We like visiting this refuge twice, once when the tide is high and then again early morning the tide was low. The birds are attracted and to the open mud areas.

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!