Saturday's Critters # 616

   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!

Happy October everyone, I wish you a great month ahead! 

Photos may look familiar, but they have not been shared till now. They are from different walks on the NCR trail, the local fire roads and my back yard. 

Click on images for better viewing.

1. Aug 20th, scenes from the NCR trail in the Parkton area. Miney at the bridge looking down stream. 

From the trail, I could see a Red-shouldered Hawk sitting on a fence. 

2. I am guessing this is shelf or bracket fungi. It reminds me of a 3 tier bird bath or fountain. 

3. Aug 21, my backyard Monarch butterflies. I was able to capture to Monarch butterflies close together on our butterfly bush. 

4. Aug 22nd, our walk to Prettyboy lake with Miney and hubby. 

5. I heard a lot of birds, but this Great Blue Heron was the only bird I captured with my camera. 

6. My flashback photos are from Curacao 2012, the Crested Caracara was a treat to see standing next to the road acting like a vulture. This bird is also known as a Mexican Eagle. It is seen in only a few southern US states. 

7. Two Crested Caracara in flight. 

8. More Flashback images from Florida 2017, one of my favorite birds seen in Florida was the Crested Caracara. This bird behaves like a vulture but it is a falcon. Often seen walking on the ground and eating off of a carcass. 

A tall bird, has yellowish-orange legs and a black cap.

 

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 # 589

 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!

Today is National Payday it Forward, spread the kindness!

On this last Saturday of March, I continue with a mish-mash of photos. I am sharing my yard birds, walks around the lake, on the fire roads and photos of our dog Miney. 

Click on images for better viewing.

1. Feb 21st, looking out my kitchen window I noticed this hawk sitting in a tree at the end of our driveway. Needless to say my yard birds all went into hiding.  I am guessing that it is a Red-shouldered Hawk. But, the Red-tailed Hawk is another common raptor seen in my neighborhood. 

2. The hawk seems to have something in it's sight line, staring intently.  

3. Feb 23rd, we took Miney on a walk to the Prettyboy reservoir to see the Eagle's nest.  We did not see the Eagles, I hope all is well with their nest.  We did see lots of Canada Geese and some Common Mergansers.

4. Miney always enjoys her walks, on this day we had a short car ride around to another section of the reservoir. 

5. Lots of Canada Geese on the lake and on the far shore I see at least one Common Merganser, usually there we see lots of the Mergansers in this area.

6. Feb 25th, I took Miney on a shorter walk. Just up and down the street.  During my walks, I could hear the Hairy Woodpecker, American Robins and some crows. 

7. A Facebook flashback from From 2015, 10 years ago. I would see many American Goldfinches in my yard and at the feeders.  I am missing them now because I no longer put out bird seed in feeders. This is a male starting to get his summer colors and black forehead.

8. Flashback Feb 2017, two Barred Owls sitting in a palm tree at my favorite birding spot Circle B in Florida.

 

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.

Here is my linky:

Thank you for sharing your critters and post!

Saturday's Critters # 506

  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 think I will be forever behind sharing photos, these are from our backyard, morning walks at the bike trail, local parks or on the local fire roads and to the reservoir. 

1. Hashawha Nature Center, one of my favorite local parks. They have a great trail system, going by lakes, streams and large fields. On this day hubby and I saw a cute young River Otter, it saw us and went into hiding so no photos. Below: Slider Turtle, Red-winged Blackbird, Eastern Kingbird, possible Rat Snake, another turtle, Song Sparrow, Eastern Bluebird, Mourning Dove, waterlilies, lake and trail and some Queen Anne's Lace. 

2. A pretty Red-winged Blackbird perched on a nearby bush.  They were very vocal in this one area. 

3. A Great Blue Heron, common to see at our local reservoir.  

4. Another morning walk to the lake, it is a short walk just down our street to the fire road trail and to the lake.  On this day, we saw the usual Great Blue Heron and Canada Geese, a Mourning Dove was standing on one of the rocks next to lake, a view of the lake and a Belted Kingfisher in the usual spot. 

5. We watched this Green Heron fishing, it found a small fish you can see on the bottom right photo. 

6. I am seeing 4-5 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds zooming around my yard and deck.  I caught this one sitting on the feeder, looks like a female. 

7. Backyard birds, the female Eastern Bluebird, Cottontail bunny, Fritillary Butterflies and a Blue Jay. We had something sad happen with the Bluebird house and nest, I was happy to hear the babies inside making noises one day and just a few hours later I look out the window and see a rat snake sticking it's head out of the nest box. We made the snake leave the box but it was too late to save the babies. 

8. These images are from our walk on the local NCR bike trail, in the mosaic are photos of the trail, a Belted Kingfisher, Acadian Flycatcher, Gray Catbird, Red Shouldered Hawk, Song Sparrow, Box turtle, Eastern Phoebe. 

9. Red Shouldered Hawk, there are a couple of Tree Swallows that kept dive bombing the hawk.  

10. The Red-shouldered Hawk did not seem amused at the dive bombing Tree Swallows , I caught 2 blurry Tree Swallows flying at the hawk's head. 

I hope you enjoyed my birds and critter photos. 

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

Saturday's Critters # 477

 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!

Can you believe it's February, here I am still sharing some January photos. These are images from my neighborhood and back yard.  Hubby and I have not been anywhere special to see the critters and birds. Hopefully soon we can get out soon and see some different sights.  

1. Jan 12th, Hubby and I tried on various days to see the Golden Eagle, it was still hanging around and some lucky birders and photographers were able to see it. We did see the usual birds at the lake and in the area.  Below are an Eastern Bluebird, not sure of the flock of birds flying away, a view of the boat ramp at the lake, the Common Mergansers are being seen every day, a bridge over the lake close to where the Golden Eagle was being seen and Canada Geese are regulars. 

Click on images for better viewing.

2. Jan 12th, a large group of Common Mergansers. Every morning, they were seen in the same area of the lake. 

3. Jan 15th, we drove around the lake giving ourselves another chance to see the Golden Eagle. The usual Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers and a juvenile Bald Eagle. I did catch a glimpse of the Golden Eagle, which was only a tiny brown speck in the distance. Other birders were there and able to capture some good photos that day. Timing is everything, my timing is not so good. 

4. Jan 16th,  I was getting obsessed with the Golden Eagle. It is being seen only a short drive away 5-10 minutes around the lake. I could not count my sighting of a tiny brown speck flying away as my first Golden Eagle sighting.  Some birders were lucky to see the Golden Eagle perched in a tree right next to the bridge. 

My sightings, the moon and a contrail, another juvenile Bald Eagle, I did see a beautiful leucistic Red-tailed Hawk, Common Mergansers, Hooded Mergansers, Belted Kingfisher, adult Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered Hawk, vultures on a deer carcass. It was interesting to see another hawk chasing the leucistic Red-tailed Hawk, they put on a little air show. 

5. Jan 16th, we drove around the lake making a loop on the way home. I caught what I believe is a Red-shouldered Hawk. 

6. Jan 18th,  I noticed the Turkey and Black Vultures flying over our neighborhood. At one time there had to be at least 30 vultures flying around. Another chance to see the Golden Eagle, no luck there. I did see the Northern Mockingbird, I heard a lot of Nuthatches and the usual Common Mergansers out on the lake. Hubby and I did drive and walk on the NCR bike trail that day. 

7. Jan 18th, seen from my deck, the vultures are often seen in our neighborhood, I think they know the hunters leave the deer carcass in the forest or at the edge of parking areas. There were more vultures in the sky at this time, I could not fit them all into one photo. 

8. Jan 18th, a Northern Mockingbird was seen hanging out in a tree on the boat ramp parking lot. 

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

Saturday's Critters # 432

 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!

Our weather has been all over the place, the temperatures can drastically change. It is officially Spring, even though it does not always feel like it. 

1.  On March 8th  our high temperature for the day was in the 70's, the bull frog sounds were all over our yard and at the neighbors. We found at least 6 of these frogs in our little pond. The next day our temperature was back down to a high in 40's. 

2. March 8th photos continue, more frogs and their eggs. 

3. March 8th, after walking around the yard we took the grand-dogs for a 2 mile round trip walk on the fire road. 

4. While walking on the fire-road I could hear the Pine Warblers calling. It is nice to hear them again, in my yard I also heard my first of the season Eastern Phoebe. 

 

5.  March 9th our temperatures dropped and we had some snow. I am not sure what happened to the frogs and their eggs in our pond. Can they handle freezing temperatures. I hope they survived. I happened to notice this Hawk sitting in a tree between our yard and the neighbors yard. I wonder if the hawk was eating frogs.

6. Below the photos show the same hawk possibly the Red-shouldered Hawk from March 9th and on March 11th I saw the Hermit Thrush out my front window. It likes sitting in one of our Rhododendron bushes next to the house. 

7. March 11th, a closer look at the Hermit Thrush outside my window. 

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 # 406

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 way behind sharing photos from our walks and outings. These images are from our last visit and walk at the North Point State Park in Baltimore County, Maryland. We like hiking on the Black Marsh Trail, it takes us past some wetlands and wildlife sightings. We walk the loop trail just far enough to see the Chesapeake Bay then we backtracked. 

1. My sightings from our walk, Slider Turtle, Little Blue Heron, Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Double-crested Cormorants, Belted Kingfisher, Swallow, Great Blue Heron, Darter Dragonfly, Red-shouldered Hawk and the Swamp or Rose Mallows

2. The Little Blue Heron is one bird I can usually find at this park, Usually I can see juveniles, the Mottled and the adult Little Blue Heron. On this visit we only saw one adult Little Blue Heron, which is ok I am happy seeing just one. 

 Below you can see the bicolored bill, the blue body with the maroon head and neck. they are about 24 inches in length.

3. Little Blue Heron with it's catch.  

4. I am pretty sure, in other words guessing the birds below are the Northern Rough-winged Swallows. 

5. I tried for a closer look at this Swallow. These swallows do not have the shiny look on their feathers that show up on a Tree Swallow. 

6. A pretty look at a Great Blue Heron seen from the trail.

7.  The Red-eared Slider is the most common Slider turtle seen in Maryland. 

8. A Red-shouldered Hawk looked to be on the hunt, looking down at something we couldn't see. 

9. Looking out at the Chesapeake Bay, I could see a "gulp" of Double-crested Cormorants. The word "Gulp" is a name used to describe a group of Cormorants. 

Not a critter, but a  cute photo of my grandson enjoying his first sunrise at the beach.

I hope you enjoyed my birds and photos from our walk at the North Point State Park, it is one of my favorite Maryland State Parks.  

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.