Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a happy new week!

"One of the great things about National Parks is they belong to everyone." Obama

Elk seen at the Rocky Mountain National Park

"America's National Parks are irreplaceable treasures. They amaze us, inspire us, fill us with pride and belong to all of us in equal measure." Biden

With this link Threat to National Parks you can see what is happening currently with our National Park land. Not everyone has time to keep up with the current news. 

"We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Comments off, enjoy your day!

Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a happy new week!

Happy Earth Day, April 22nd.

"Our peace shall stand as firm as rocky mountains."

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

"Together we climb mountains."

"We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Comments off, enjoy your day!

Happy Monday!

 Happy Monday everyone!

I wish everyone a great day and a happy new week!

"Photos are a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone."

Comments off, enjoy your day!

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday!

I wish everyone a great day and a happy new week!

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Comments off!  Enjoy your day!!

Happy Monday!

 Hello and Happy Monday!

I wish everyone a great day and happy new week!  

Enjoy your day!  

Comments off!

Our World, My World

 Happy Monday!

I am continuing with some of my favorite National Park visits and archived photos.  Hubby and I are not traveling as of yet, we are waiting for the vaccine and to feel safe.  I feel like a LONG road trip is in our future, post Covid times of course! Mean time I have some virtual visits and memories of our country's beautiful National Parks. 

1. Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, hubby taking a break at the lake, I stayed behind and watched hubby climb the steps to the top, one of the many elk we saw in the park, a Grouse was seen next to the road.

2. Moose seen from the trail, a young moose was taking a drink from the river. 

3. This is a view of Alberta Falls, one of the most prominent waterfalls in Rocky Mtn NP.

4.  A herd of Elk in the Rocky National Park not far from the town of Estes Park Colorado. 

5.  Some of the Rocky Mountain NP birds seen during our visit, the Black-billed Magpie, Lincoln Sparrow, Pygmy Nuthatch, Barn Swallows, Mountain Bluebird and  Dusky Grouse. 

6.  Great Smoky Mtn NP Tennessee: Grotto Falls, Dark-eyed Junco, Autumn colors, Cades Cove horses, Wild Turkey, behind Grotto Falls, Autumn colors, deer, view of Cades Cove.

7.  Elk herd, Great Smoky Mtn NP

8.  Laurel Falls, Great Smoky Mtn NP Tennessee

9.   Black Bears were plentiful along the Roaring Fork Motor Trail in the Great Smokies. 

10.  Autumn colors in the Great Smokies, a beautiful sight. 

I think to myself, what a wonderful and beautiful world!  It is hard trying to pick out a few photos to share on this post, I have so many photos.  These are just a few favorites images from happy times traveling with my hubby.  

 Please keep wearing your mask and keep your distance!  Be safe, stay safe!

 

What's happening in your corner of the world? Please check out and visit the following memes and links. I hope to see you there. 

 
Thanks to Angie the host of  Mosaic Monday

Thanks to LadyFi  the host of Our World Tuesday! 

Thanks for visiting and commenting, have a happy day and a great new week!

Saturday's Critter's #45

Saturday's Critter's #44

Happy Columbus Day weekend.. I have  a long weekend...we are off Monday....YAHOO!!

Happy weekend everyone! I am looking forward to seeing everyone's critters this week..I appreciate everyone who has linked up in the past and for those who are linking in on this week's critter party.

 I hope you are not all tired of seeing my Colorado photos, but here are some more birds and  critter shots.

I notice these cute Barn Swallows screaming for food outside the restroom. Do birds have tonsils?

I just think these two shots above are so funny..even if they are fuzzy..

The lighting was not the best for taking photos, but you know me I will take them anyway.. Especially if it is a lifer bird like this Pygmy Nuthatch. It looks similar to the Brown-headed Nuthatch.

Another Pygmy Nuthatch shot.. Sorry is was a gray drizzly day.. This Pygmy Nuthatch was seen at the Beavers Meadows Visitor Center..

 This is a cute little Pika, and was seen at one of the overlooks on the Trail Ridge Road close to the top..

Sorry, this shot would have been better except for the little plant in front of the Pika, you can see it cute ears.. It was running away with a clump of something in its mouth..

 Another shot of the Barn Swallows..They are adorable birds..

A cute puppy outside the visitor center. I always notice puppies and dogs during my travels. 

The Uinta Chipmunk..is similar to the ground squirrel.. The difference is the ground squirrel does not have stripes on it's face.

I hope you enjoyed this series of Colorado birds and critters.. As always, I appreciate your stopping by to see my post and for all the wonderful comments..

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks to Tex Theresa aka Tex, I was able to add this link up button and thanks to  Jennifer for creating my photo badge.

<a href="http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/"><img src=" https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3915/15299083201_9709303697_m.jpg" width="185" height="240"></a>


Thank you for linking up to the critter party. I also appreciate the visits, comments and the support of my blogging friends................... Have a happy weekend!


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

Please visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host: Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin. Also, sharing with Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting

Dusky Grouse

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes


For this week's wild bird I am sharing the Dusky Grouse seen in the Rocky Mountain National Park..

 The Dusky Grouse is a forest dwelling Grouse native to the Rocky Mountains..These birds were seen off the road on the way to the Bear Lake Trail, just past the Glacier Gorge parking lot.. Adult females are mottled brown with dark brown and white marks on the underparts..

 This shot is not the best, taken thru the car window..I stopped for the Dusky Grouse crossing the road..Yes, it was to get to the other side, haha.. And to join the other two that were laying in the grass next to the road.   We saw three together..Cool sighting..

 Here are two Dusky Grouse, even though one looks like a log behind the first one..Can you see them both? Their nest is a scrape on the ground concealed under a bush or log.. They eat pine and fir needles.. UGH, how appetizing is that?

Nap time for this Dusky Grouse.. Females will leave the males territory after mating, I guess daddy does not help with the young. I hope you enjoyed my wild bird post..


Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to both of our hosts... Michelle for Nature Notes and our host Stewart of Wild Bird Wednesday.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Western Bluebird

Western Bluebird

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

For this week's wildbird, I am sharing one of my lifers from Colorado.. The Western Bluebird..

 The adult males are a bright blue on top and on the throat. They have an orange breast and sides.  A brownish patch on the back and a gray belly..

 Immature & female Western bluebirds are a duller color.

 The Western Bluebird (male)  has a blue throat and the (female) has a gray throat.  This photo above the throat feathers looks like the have a tinge of blue.. Maybe it is a juvenile or the female?
 

For comparison...I included this male Eastern Bluebird above that shows the throat is all orange..I was excited to add the Western Bluebird to my lifer list.. So now I have seen all three Bluebirds in the USA. The Eastern Bluebird, Mountain Bluebird and the latest the Western Bluebird..

I hope you enjoyed my Western Bluebird post..  Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to both of our hosts... Michelle for Nature Notes and our host Stewart of Wild Bird Wednesday.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Mountain Bluebird

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

For this week's wild bird I am sharing the Mountain Bluebirds seen in the Rocky Mountain National Park.. It was not a lifer but I just love the bluebirds.. My first sighting of this pretty bluebird was on a trip to the Tetons/Yellowstone.  

 Above is not the greatest of photos, I just love their open wings and the grasses.  Hubby and I sat and watched a flock of maybe 20 or more bluebirds passing thru this field in the park..I read that they hover over the ground and fly down to catch insects..

This is the female Mountain Bluebird, isn't she pretty..They are turquoise blue with white underbellies. The females are a duller blue with a grey crown, throat and back.

The sky was awful in this shot, but a lot of the bluebirds landed in this tree along with a Flicker and some other small birds.  Sorry, I could not mange better photos, the birds were a distance away in the field shared with some elk.. I was not going to walk into the field with these huge elk standing there.

Thanks for stopping by my post and for all the nice comments.

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to both of our hosts... Michelle for Nature Notes and our host Stewart of Wild Bird Wednesday.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Colorado Part II

Linking up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences  and NF Winged

As you can see I am not very original with my titles.. I have so many photos from Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park.. Visiting the national parks in the USA is something hubby and I love to do.. The scenery is usually beautiful and I can always find birds and critters.. And for this post I also found some fences for Tex's Good Fence meme and some sky shots for Skywatch Friday. And a cute Ruby-crowned Kinglet for NF Winged..  I hope you enjoy!

 The historic site in the park had many fences that did not go unnoticed by me..

 Two brown dots way in the distance are another female moose and her calf. I stayed behind this fence, I knew this would look good for my Good Fence post..

More views of the Rocky Mountains and yes another fence.. 

A Ruby-Crowned Kinglet was seen while hiking on a trail next to the Colorado River.

For two nights we enjoyed watching the sunset over the Granby Lake. 

The moon was beautiful during our two nights stay on the west side of the Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park.


I hope you enjoyed my post and photos
To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and check more fence shots at Tex's Good Fences
and for anything that has wings check out NF Winged

Thanks to Tex @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences and to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday also thanks to Monica of NF Winged!   I wish everyone a safe and happy long weekend.

Colorado

  I am linking up with   Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday 

Hubby and I took off last week for a week's vacation in Colorado.. We visited both the west and east side of the Rocky Mountain National Park.. Our first night was at Granby, Colorado..  Granby is located on the west side of the park.. I wanted to start there to see the moose that are sighted on that side of the national park..

 A shot of the almost full September moon over Lake Granby. White Pelicans, Elk, picnic area in Rocky Mountain National Park, wildflowers.

The moon over Granby Lake.

White Pelicans were seen in  a small pond next to our hotel in Granby. 

A larger shot of the White Pelicans..seen in a little pond next to our hotel in Granby.

We were excited to see the female cow with her calf.. We saw the moose in three different areas..

A cute moose calf.

I believe the bird is a Lincoln's Sparrow but I am not an expert on sparrows.. some scenes from our walks on the west side of the park.

I hope you enjoyed my post and photos on our first day in the Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park. I have lots of photos from our Colorado trip.. I hope you will enjoy seeing some memories of our trip.

As always I thank you in advance for stopping by and for the nice comments.

I hope you can join in on our at  Mosaic Monday and   Our World Tuesday

 Thanks to Judith our new host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer.  I wish everyone a happy week ahead!