Swan Harbor Farms

I have a list below of memes I am joining for this week, and to save time I am doing one post for all. They are all fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts. Special thanks to all the wonderful host and their memes, I hope you have some time to check them out.

Swan Harbor Farm in Havre De Grace Maryland is one of my favorite spots for birding. It is part of Maryland's Open Space Program. It is also a hot venue for weddings and receptions.

Above top row: Swamp Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellow-throat. Second row: Tree Swallows and Orchard Oriole. Third row: Bobolink, Solitary Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs. Bottom row: Blue-winged teal, Yellowlegs, Great Egret, Canada Goose, Wood Duck & ducklings.

The Swamp Sparrow seen with it pretty rusty cap. The nest in fresh water marshes and bogs.

During this visit, we were in the bird blind and we also walked around the pond and marshland.

Canada Goose, Great Egret and can you find the female Wood Duck and duckling?

Walking around the pond, I heard this Bobolink before I actual saw it. It has a pretty song.

Barn at the Swan Harbor Farms

I am sure we will be visiting again soon, it is a hotspot for Maryland birders. Always some great birds to be seen, waiting for me. Thank you for visiting and for the nice comments. As always, thanks to the wonderful group of hosts listed below.

Here is a list of linky parties for part of the week, I hope to see you there.

Thanks to Tom for hosting The Barn Collective
Thanks to Jesh our host for Seasons

Thanks to Judith our  host of Mosaic Monday   last Monday of the month
Thanks to Monica for hosting NF Trees

Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes

Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!

Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Swan Harbor Farms

I have a list below of memes I am joining for this week, and to save time I am doing one post for all. They are all fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts. Special thanks to all the wonderful host and their memes, I hope you have some time to check them out.

These images and mosaics are from our walk and daytrip to Swan Harbor Farms Park in Havre De Grace Maryland. I have done other posts on this park and the Rails we have seen at this park.

For my Nature Notes and Wild Bird post I sharing the birds below in my mosaic. On this day we heard the rails but could not see them, we did see the Belted Kingfisher, Great Blue Heron, Mallard ducks, and a Green Heron in flight which was spooked by some Canada Geese landing. There were some pretty wildlfowers and daylilies.

Above are some of the birds we saw on our outing, the Kingfisher, GB heron and the Green Heron in flight.

I am not sure what the Kingfisher has in it's mouth, maybe a frog?  It show the rufous belly bands of the female Belted Kingfisher. The male has a bluish breastband.

The yellow waterlilies or are the lotus flowers, either way they looked beautiful.

For my NF Trees/bushes I have the the wild hibiscus. I believe it is like a bush. But I am not sure about the name for the purple flowers. As always thank you in advance for visiting my post and for the nice comments. Have a happy Day and new week ahead!

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

I hope you enjoyed our daytrip to the wildlife refuge. As always thank you for visiting my post and for the nice comments. Wishing everyone a happy Monday and new week ahead!

King Rail

Linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes and Wordless on Tuesday

For this week's wild bird I am sharing the King Rail seen at the Swan Harbor Farms park in Havre De Grace, Maryland. My persistence paid off, this was our third trip to this park to see the King Rail.  The third time was a charm and not a strike out. It was not a lifer for me, but it was the first time I was able to get some photos. It is usually a shy bird but this King Rail came out into the open a few times while we sat in the blind and watched.

 I read on our listserve that this bird was being seen in the open on a few different days. I can not say enough how happy I am to be retired so I can go now and see these cool birds whenever I want..

A funny head on view of the King Rail. They are rufous above and below and they are found in fresh water marshes year round.

I hope you enjoyed my wild bird post. Till next week's wild bird post.
Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird and nature photos please visit:

 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes and Wordless on Tuesday

Thanks to all of our hosts. Michelle for Nature Notes and Stewart of Wild Bird Wednesday and Sue for Wordless on Tuesday.

  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Eagle Sky

Linking up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences  

I am sharing some scenes from a local birding outing..Lately hubby and I will visit the local spots during the week when it is less crowded.. These shots were taken on April 6th at the Swan Harbor Farms Park and at the Susquehanna River State Park. The main reason behind this visit was to see the Wilson's Snipe which is on my previous post..

Eagle sky....A look at Momma on the Eagle's Nest near the Susquehanna River..

An overview look at the Swan Harbor Farms.. a park the birders love to visit lately..It was a pretty sky and a lovely day to be out birding...we sat in the blind waiting for the King Rail to make an appearance.. We heard it calling a few times but it never came out in the open...  :(

The Wood Ducks were enjoying some large rain puddles..near the blind.

A barn/fence scene at the Swan Harbor Farms near Havre de Grace, Maryland..a local park..popular with the birders, fisherman and very popular for weddings..

The Tree Swallow sky.. the swallows have returned a nice sign of spring..

My Canon SX40 has great zoom...Momma eagle on nest.. Poppa was perched down below..and a beautiful blue sky.

See the brown clump in the treetop...A view of the distant eagle's nest from the road. BTW, we did not illegally park or tresspass on property..This is a great fence scene for Tex's Good Fences meme. The sky looks pretty too..for my Skywatch Friday shot..

For Skywatch..my moon shot taken on April 11th..BTW, this was taken with my Canon SX40..handheld and no extra lenses were needed..

John Lennon quote " Yeah we all shine on, like the moon and the stars, and the sun".

I hope you enjoyed this post of birds, fences and the sky.. Thanks for stopping by and for the nice comments..

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and check for more fence shots at Tex's Good Fences

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences and thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.    I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead..

Wilson's Snipe

Linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

For this week's wild bird I am sharing the Wilson's Snipe seen at the Swan Harbor Farms in Harve de Grace, Md.  Swan Harbor Farms is known as a birding hotspot, last year I did this Swan Harbor post....it-was-rail-day. The Snipe is one of my favorite birds.

The Wilson's Snipe has greenish legs and a large straight dark bill.

They breed in marshes, bogs and tundra. They forage in soft mud looking for their food.

They are shy birds and are usually well camouflaged in the grasses..

Where's Waldo shot... there are two Snipes in this shot above can you find both of them?

 I hope you enjoyed my wild bird post.. Till next week's wild bird post.. I wish you happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird and nature photos please visit:

 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes

Thanks to all of our hosts... Michelle for Nature Notes and Stewart of Wild Bird Wednesday.

  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

It was a Rail day

I am linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

For this week's wild bird I am featuring the Virginia Rail..

 Hubby and I were among many of the Maryland birders that went to see the Virginia Rails being seen at the Swan Harbor Farms in Aberdeen, Maryland.. On one day 10-11 Virginia Rails were being seen.  Hubby and I saw 5 Virginia Rails, a Sora,  a Clapper Rail on the same day at the same place.. We sat in a blind and just watched them coming out of the reeds. It was so cool. We thought we also saw the King Rail, but it is not included in any of my photos..

 The Virginia Rail is a small water bird of the Rallidae family. Their breeding habitat is marshlands. They are secretive bird that usually remain hidden in the vegetation. They have a long curved red bill and gray cheeks, rufous throat and breast.

A Virginia Rail and muskrat

Together above were three Virginia Rails and a Sparrow.

 A few Sora's were being seen also.. With this bird their yellow beak is good to help with their id. This bird was able to hide and more shy than the rails..

Another Clapper Rail was seen with the Virginia Rails.. It's beak looks a little darker than the Clapper Rail I saw at Forsythe.  It was Rail weekend for me after seeing the Clapper Rail at Edwin Forsythe only two days earlier.



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 our host Michelle our host Stewart.  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!