Saturday's Critters # 599

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!

Again I am sharing a mish-mash of photos dating back to late April. The photos are from our walks to the lake, on the local fire road and from my back yard. 

Click on images for better viewing.

1. April 22nd, another day and another walk with Miney to the lake.  We saw a few Double-crested Cormorants and the turtles were out sunning on the rock and logs. 

"Bird songs, nature's sweet melodies."

2. April 22nd, I use the Merlin app to id the birds I heard on our walk to the lake. It seems we have a mix of year round birds, winter birds and the new arrivals for the summer season. 

The Pine Warbler is a breeder in my area, I often seen and hear them on my deck and in our yard. The male is a bright yellow color with some streaks on it's chest. 

3. April  22nd, my metal moose is being surrounded by the creeping phlox.

4. April 23rd,  this is my first sighting of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird this spring.  I am always happy to see them return to my yard and feeder. The background is our Redbud tree which looked beautiful this Spring.

5. April 23rd, my back yard birds are the Ruby-throated Hummingbird, I saw and heard the Great-crested Flycatcher and a Tufted Titmouse.

I am including an older photo of the Great-crested Flycatcher, it is  pretty bird. 

6. April 24th, our walk with Miney on the local fire road and a Carolina Chickadee on top of  a pine tree. 

I am sharing an older photo of mine which shows the pretty Northern Parula.

7. April 26th, in between rain drops I stood on my deck and listened to the birds that are around my yard.  It was nice to hear the Wood Thrush back for the summer season. 

Here is an older collage of the Ovenbird, it is another bird that breeds in my area.  We hear them often on our walk now, they have a loud call. 

8. Flashback to some of my Florida birds, the Limpkin was seen in various parks during our visits.  I included one of my videos where the Limpkin is calling, they make a strange sound. Limpkins are large wading birds, they have long curved bill which is yellow with a dark tip. They eat mainly apple snails. 

Flashback Florida various sightings of the Limpkin:

I am linking up to Heidrun's Mosaic Monday   I hope you can stop by and visit Heidrun and check out the Mosaic Monday post.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.

Check out  Catblogosphere.com

Here is my linky:

Thank you for sharing your critters and post! 

Saturday's Critters # 443

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 various images from our local walks, I never know what we will see on our walks. I always take some photos of whatever I see, mostly anything nature related. 

1. May 9th I have photos from our walk to the lake with the dogs and some more of my back yard birds. In the mosaic are the grand-dogs, a view of our lake, Canada Geese, a Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher on the nest, A Baltimore Oriole half hidden in the leaves, Mallard Ducks, more dog photos and a wild azalea. 

2. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher is seen and heard in our forest. I found this one on a nest near our lake. 

3.  May 7th, I've been seeing the Scarlet Tanagers all around our yard also on the same day I saw the American Redstart in our back yard. I think they were enjoying our pond and catching bugs to eat. 

4. The male American Redstart was hanging out in the back part of our yard.

5. May 10th, our back yard birds. The Scarlet Tanager is being seen just about every day, another Northern Parula and the Red-bellied Woodpecker. 

6. May 10th a larger view of the male Scarlet Tanager, he is a beauty.

He sat in the dead tree in our yard, that we left for the woodpeckers. 

7. May 11th, our walk on the fire road a Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly , Pink Lady Slippers, Winnie the Corgi, Scarlet Tanager and a Blue-throated Blue Warbler. 

8. May 12th, our morning walk to the lake with dogs, we saw a fishing boat, the Canada Geese, Solitary Sandpiper and a Black Vulture. 

9. May 15th, another walk on the fire road with the grand-dogs. Another sighting of the Scarlet Tanager and back in my yard a wet Tufted Titmouse. 

10. May 16th,  Photos from our morning walk to the lake with the dogs. Near the lake we saw some wild azaleas in bloom, an Osprey and some unknown pink wildflowers. 

11. May 17th, our walks continue some times without the dogs. On this day hubby and I took a walk to see the Bald Eagles nest at the lake. We saw two Eaglets and the Bald Eagle couple all on the nest. Other birds seen were the Ovenbird and the Eastern Kinglets. We heard multiple Hooded Warblers calling while we walked on the fire road. 

I hope your enjoyed my photos, I am looking forward to seeing your critter post. 

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.

Here is my linky:

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

Saturday's Critters # 441

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!

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. Remember and honor our heroes!

We have been having a cooler spring, some windy cloudy days. Hubby and I still try to take our daily walks with the grand-dogs and do some birding.  

1. On April 25th hubby and I took our walk at a local park called Hashawha. I have posted about this park numerous times. The mosaic show some of the birds we saw on our latest walk. 

Top row is the Turkey Vulture, Pileated Woodpecker, American Robin and a Goldfinch. Bottom row, Tree Swallows, Red-winged Blackbird, Canada Geese and a female Cardinal. 

2. The American Robin seem to be a common sight lately. They are everywhere.  

3. The Tree Swallows were doing their thing, catching bugs around the Hashawha Lake. 

4. I captured this Red-winged Blackbird singing, they are common birds seen here. I think they like the wetland area around the Hashawha Lake. 

5. The Northern Parula are breeders in my area, I heard and saw this male Northern Parula in a Redbud tree. 

6.  Northern Parula, singing a happy song.  A male Northern Parula is showing off the beautiful colors around it's throat. 

6. April 25-27th, I have been enjoying my Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. It is great to see them return to my yard each spring. 

The male Hummingbird has a beautiful ruby jewel necklace. 

7.  April 27th, a female Bluebird was checking out my yard and birdhouses, all our plants are looking pretty, there is Creeping Phlox near my metal Moose and little pond, a Gray Catbird, Bleeding Heart, Pink Dogwood and Pink Azaleas. 

8. April 30th , we have been enjoying our walks to the lake with the dogs. One day we spooked a Green Heron that was in a cove area, the birds are just singing like crazy now. I am hearing the Pine Warbler, Northern Parula, Ovenbirds, Wood Thrush, Various woodpeckers, Catbirds and other resident birds. We are blessed to have all this right here in our neighborhood. 

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Thanks to all my visitors and for your past and present comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves and respects wildlife. Thank you for linking up a critter post.

Here is my linky:

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

Saturday's Critters # 407

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!

September is a good time to see the migrating birds, I am seeing some of the fall Warblers in my yard. Each year they stop by and enjoy eating some berries.  Berries are plentiful on the Aralia spinosa. The Cape May Warbler seems to arrive in groups of males, females and 1st year birds. The Northern Parula and the Tennessee Warbler and I am hearing a Pine Warbler around the yard too.

These photos were all taken from my dining room window, so they are not the clearest but still good enough for id-ing the birds.

1. The male Cape May Warbler, yellow cheeks and breast with streaks, and yellow throat with a green back with whitish wing bars. 

2.  The Cape May Warbler above is a brighter yellow, I had about 5-6 of these Cape May Warblers visiting at the same time. I was surprised to see the bird below eating something from my butterfly bush.

3. Cape May Warbler is yellow behind the cheeks, streaking on the breast. First fall female maybe dull and yellow maybe absent.

4. Two Fall Cape May Warblers, their upperparts are gray and their is less streaking on the chest, has a yellowish rump/ Can you find both of the warblers?

5 .  Some days, I can see 5-6 different warblers eating the berries, a Tennessee Warbler has the white eyebrow, light yellow on breast and white under tail. 

6.  I believe this is a fall Northern Parula, back is dull but have some bright greenish feather on back and light yellow on the breast.

7. The broken eye-ring looks different to me, maybe because the way the bird is perched? This is the same bird as the above photo. 

8. Looking at the front of the Tennessee Warbler.

9. A Male Northern Cardinal is joining the warblers eating berries too. 

10. The Gray Catbird enjoys the berries too. 

11. Aralia spinosa, also known as Devil's Walking Stick. Stems are covered with sharp spines and has purple-black berries. 

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

Here is my linky:

YOU are all # 1.

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.

Happy Thankful Thursday

 Hello, Happy Thursday!

Hubby and I look forward to the nice weather for our walks and outings.  It seems like the weather people can not always predict the weather lately. We wanted to get away for a night or two but the weather was not cooperating.  

 

1. So we go on, taking our daily walks. On this day we were able to drive an 1 1/2 hour away to the Great Falls National Park in Potomac Maryland. We walked a total of 5.3 miles at the C&O Canal Trail earlier and at Great Falls.  

 

 

2. Great Falls National Park visitor center. It was a pretty blue sky day...My kind of weather, cool, sunny and clear skies.

3. The C& O Canal Trail at Great Falls, not a cloud in the sky.

4. The Canal Boat and canal was being worked on while we were there.

5. Me and my shadow are seen below in the white water without a raft and paddle.

 

 

 

 

 

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6. Below are a few Warblers and friends, top row Northern Parula. Bottom row is the Black & White Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo and a Black-throated Green Warbler.  These were all seen in one spot along the trail to the Great Falls Overlook.

 

 

 

7. Below is the view from the Great Falls overlook, the Potomac River.

 

 

8. From the Maryland overlook you can across the river and see the Virginia Overlook.

 

 

 

 

9. These are some of the birds I saw during our visit to Great Falls NP.

Below top row are the Black Vulture, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron. Middle Row are the Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Bottom row are the Canada Geese, Double-crested Cormorants, Mallard Ducks. 

 

 10.  A Yellow-billed Cuckoo seen right off the trail. I do not usually see these birds on the ground, they are usually found in the tree tops. This Cuckoo was seen flying and landing on the ground.

 

 

 

11. Pretty blue sky and the Potomac River.  The Great Falls National Park is split between the states of Maryland and Virginia by the Potomac River. 

 

 

 

I am thankful for correct weather predictions.

I am thankful for planned outings.

I am always thankful to survive driving on the DC 495 Beltway and on the I-95, there are some crazy drivers out there.  

I am thankful for long walks with nature.

Take care and stay safe! 


Live simple and be happy!  😊 Keep smiling!



Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday


Thank you for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!!  😊