Robert E. Lee Park

Happy Labor Day Monday!

My post is for all the memes I have listed below.  I thank all the hosts for taking their time and holding these fun linky parties.

If you have been following my blog for a while you already know hubby and I enjoy taking our walks in various parks. It is our way of getting outdoors for exercise and I enjoy birding. On this day we visited the Robert E. Lee Park in Baltimore County and the Lake Roland Dam. The park consists of 450 acres has numerous trails, a dog park, pavilions, nature programs, canoeing and kayaking.

Above is the boardwalk from the parking lot to Lake Roland. For my Wild Bird post I am sharing the Great Blue heron, Great Egrets and some Mallard Ducks.  We also saw various woodpeckers, a kingfisher and some sparrows. They also have a nice doggie park and playground.

Another wild bird photo, the Great Blue Heron.

The mosaic above includes some scenes from the park, the trail crosses the lightrail train tracks, the trail along side the lake and dam area, goose at the top of the dam, is the Virginia Creeper turning fall colors, Lake Roland Dam.

At the doggie park, the dogs have their own swimming spot in the lake.

The Lake Roland Dam is somewhat surrounded by a mature forest. The stream Roland Run above flows into the Jones Falls and eventually into the Baltimore Harbor. The Lake Roland was at one time the first water supply for the City of Baltimore.

As we hiked on the trail we were noticing the Art on the trail 2015, which celebrates both art and nature and allows some Maryland artist to show off their work. I like the cool Baby Mastodon and the next two are interesting and the bottom row with the trees wrapped with yellow is called the Sacred Grove.

My favorite art piece was this Baby Mastodon.
I hope you enjoyed our walk and my post. I hope to see you linking up and have some fun visiting each other. Thank you, as always for visiting my post. Have a happy new week ahead!

Thanks to Judith our  host of Mosaic Monday
Thanks to Monica for hosting NF Trees
Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes
Thanks to Mersad for hosting Through My Lens.
Thanks to Sue for hosting Wordless Wednesday
Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Birding Robert E. Lee Park

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

I am linking up with Mosaic Monday  and Our World Tuesday

I was able to finish my Christmas shopping on Friday and my Christmas tree has been up for weeks. So, that left Saturday open for hubby and I to take a walk and to do some birding. I have been reading on my listserve for Maryland that Redheaded Woodpeckers and a Nutmeg Mannikin have been sighted at the Robert E. Lee Park in Baltimore. I have been wanting to visit this park ever since it was re-opened after being closed a long time for renovations. So this was my chance to see the park with the new boardwalk and new bridge near the dam and maybe to see some great birds. The newly renovated 415 acre park has multiple trails and nature programs, a dog park, pavillion, waterfrnt activities like canoeing and kayaking. The one acre fenced dog park seemed to be very popular. Goldie Girl would be very upset if she knew that we went to this park without her.

Sad to say I missed both the redheaded woodies and I could not find the Nutmeg Mannikin. I was not even sure what a Nutmeg Mannikin was, it sounds like a seasoning, LOL! I had to look up Nutmeg Mannikin to see what it even looked like. I found out it is native to southeast Asia and I have no idea how it arrived in Maryland. Previous posters listed this bird being seen with WT Sparrows and Song Sparrows. I did see the sparrows in the area near the boardwalk and maybe this Nutmeg Mannikin was there and was just hiding from me.

I did see a Belted Kingfisher, what looks like a Chipping sparrow, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and pretty bluebird. Other birds, seen were Cardinals, Titmouse, Redbellied Woodpeckers, Carolina Wren, Mallard ducks and a large group of crows.

Since, it so close to Christmas I thought I would show off my Christmas birdie ornaments. I hope you enjoyed my mosiacs. And to see more wonderful photos and mosaics please visit Mosaic Monday 
and Our World Tuesday.  Thanks to Mary for hosting Mosiac Monday and thank you to the hosting group of Our World: Sylvia, Gattina, Lady Fi, Arija and Sandy. 

I wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and for those who celebrate Happy Hanukkah.