Saturday's Critters #216

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!

January 25, I noticed this Red-shouldered Hawk sitting in our weeping cherry tree. It is not far from my feeders and deck. This hawk looked huge, I assume it was a female. I read that the females hawks are larger than the male hawks. The female can be 25-35 percent larger than the male. 

I thought I saw another large bird flying into the pine tree in the back park of the yard. I was thinking the male might have been hanging around too.

I appreciate and thank everyone who links up their post and for all the wonderful comments this past year ! 

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!

Silver Springs State Park, Ocala Florida

Hello and happy Thursday!


Back in March, hubby and I visited the Silver Springs State Park near Ocala Florida. It was a beautiful day for a visit to the park and for a hike on the trails. The main entrance is where you can find the glass bottom boat ride, some trails and a boardwalk with Macaques monkeys running wild. We were surprised to see monkeys wild in Florida, we have seen them in Costa Rica and Panama.

A pretty sky and reflection, the clear waters at the Silver Springs State Park is very clear and colorful.

The birds seen at Silver Springs State Park, Little Blue Heron, Anhinga, Pied-billed Grebe, Wood Duck, Red-shouldered Hawk.

The Macaques monkeys seen on the boardwalk. I took a few photos of them but when they started moving towards hubby and I,  we decided it was best to leave. These monkeys have been in this park since the 1930's. Tour boat operator Captain Tooey released some monkeys on an island in the park  around the time of the filming of  a Tarzan movie film nearby.  The monkeys escaped the island and started breeding. It is said there are close to 200 monkeys in the park now.

The monkeys were running wild on the boardwalk, on the railing and they were in the trees above us.
There are warnings to stay a good distance from the monkey, they can bite.

There are different sections and entrances to this park on the same day we hiked on a trail that has views of the river. Some wildlflowers, egret, thrush, turtles lizards and the boardwalk.

Another look at the pretty sky.

"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty."  John Ruskin



My list of thankful things:
I am thankful for good health.
I am thankful for pretty days and nice weather for our walks.
I am always thankful for nature I see.


I hope you enjoyed my post and photos.  Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments.
Have a happy day!

Thank you Michelle for hosting. Thankful Thursday

Thank you to the hosts of   Skywatch Friday

Saturday's Critters #170

Saturday's Critters #170

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

We will be packing up for our trip home to Maryland, so I will be visiting your post and commenting ASAP. Depending on our internet service of course. For now, I have more Florida photos to share from one of our Circle B Reserve, I hope you enjoy.

I will miss visiting the Circle B Bar Reserve, if you are ever in Lakeland Florida I highly recommend a visit.  An early morning look at a Wood Stork in a tree top.

A pretty look at an Anhinga.

A view of the Circle B reserve, a gator swimming along and a tree full of birds.

Bald Eagle perched on top a dead tree, near the nest.

I think this Great Blue Heron has a lot to say.

A Tricolored Heron and reflection.

 Two Red-shouldered hawks.

My video of the Sandhill Cranes flying around the Circle B Reserve.

As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also 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.

Saturday's Critters #167

Saturday's Critters #167

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

These are all sights from one of our Circle B Reserve visits. On the path from the parking a snake and armadillo.

A slider turtle and can you find the gator?

A Red-shouldered Hawk.

Great Blue Heron on nest.

Sandhill Cranes moving along the burr marigolds.

Pretty Green Heron, a common sight at the Circle B Reserve.

As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also 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.

Saturday's Critters #161

Saturday's Critters #161

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

Just an FYI, I accidentally deleted some of my comments on my last post, I meant to delete an anonymous comment. So if I have not visited your post that maybe why. I always try to return visits to everyone who comments on my post. Sorry!

These images are from our visit to the Circle B Bar Reserve on Nov 9th. 


The Barred Owl seen as we started our walk.

Anhinga showing off it's pretty feathers.

The Limpkins are another common bird at the Circle B

 Great Blue Heron another common bird seen at the Circle B

Red Shouldered Hawk

A Black-crowned Night Heron

One of the many Green Herons we saw during our walk.

Green Herons seem to be plentiful at the Circle B.

Osprey also known as the Fish Eagle.

One of the many gators seen at the Circle B

White Peacock Butterflies are another common sight at the Circle B.

As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!

To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also 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.

Lakeland, Florida

Hello,

My sunrise shots from Nov 9th, 2016. I love the beautiful colors and reflections. These were taken during our walk to our gym at the clubhouse.

"When you stop and look around,  this life is pretty amazing."

"There isn't a day of my life that I do not marvel at the beauty that surrounds me and give thanks."

I am grateful and thankful for all the time I spend with nature.

I am thankful for the trees that give our environment life. They help to clean the air we breathe.

I am thankful for the birds that sing.

Neighborhood Great Blue heron with a Black-bellied Whistling Duck.

Egrets flying over our local lake.

Red-shouldered Hawk tree topper.

A few more neighborhood distant Black-bellied Whistling Ducks.

I hope you enjoyed my post and photos. Thank you for your visit and comments on my post. Enjoy your day and the weekend ahead!

Thanks to Michelle for the meme Thankful Thursday

I am also linking up to Skywatch Friday, I hope to see you there.
Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.

South Lake Howard Nature Park

Hello,


Merry Christmas and a happy healthy New Years to all.

Each day hubby and I are in Florida we try to visit a new park for our walks. It is our way of exercising, they say walking is good for you. On Nov 3rd, we visited the South Lake Howard Nature Park in Winter Haven. They have a nice paved path and boardwalk for our walking pleasure. Of course while walking I am checking out the birds.

Before our walk we usually do our gym routine and try to see a sunrise. This shot is from our neighborhood clubhouse.

A pretty sky and boardwalk. I think a White Ibis is on the railing.

A Little Blue Heron

 A Great Blue Heron

I believe this is the Red Shouldered Hawk

A Roseate Spoonbill and an alligator in the water below. There are warning signs to warn people the gators can come out of the water, some times to lay in the warm sunshine.

A Roseate Spoonbill on the railing.

A Tricolored Heron on the railing.

The Roseate Spoonbill showing off it's pretty color and wings.

A skywatch over Lake Howard. This quote says exactly how I feel and some of the things I am thankful for. I am thankful for being able to spend this time in Florida and I am thankful for our good health at this time.

"I thank you God for this most amazing day, for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and for the blue dream of sky, and for everything that is natural, which is infinite, which is yes." E. Cummings

I hope you enjoyed my post and photos. Thank you for your visit and comments on my post. Enjoy your day and the weekend ahead!

Thanks to Michelle for the meme Thankful Thursday
I am also linking up to Skywatch Friday, I hope to see you there.
Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.