Saturday's Critters # 618

 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!

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." John Muir

Click on images for better viewing.

1. Still behind with my photos.  These are from Sept 3rd, we went to the Hashawha Nature Park. Miney seemed to enjoy the walk and all the new smells. 

"The best therapist has fur and four legs."

"May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day."

2.  A group of wildflowers, the Cardinal flowers are a favorite. 

"Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it."

Miney is waiting for her daddy to finish looking at all the Cardinal flowers. 

3. The bee below likes the Thistle. 

4. I am guessing the next two images are Skippers? 

"To me, flowers are happiness."

I am not sure what the flowers/weeds are called, they look pretty to me. I like the color. 

5. Hashawha Lake I usually see lots of dragonflies. I was lucky to catch this Blue Darter.

6. Heading back to our car, I noticed this Cardinal in a tree next to the trail.  It looks like a young Cardinal.

7. Sept 3rd, back at home and in my yard we saw the peacock in the back of the yard and I believe the butterfly is a Common Sulfur.  I could be wrong the Orange Sulfur looks similar.

8. My flashback photos are from our time in Florida 2016-2017 and again a Florida trip in 2019. I am sharing one of my many favorite Florida birds the Wood Stork. 

Florida 2019, the Wakodahatchee Wetlands Park, Florida.  Previously the wetlands nature park was part of the wastewater utility property. 

8. Florida 2017, two Wood Storks seen at the Circle B Reserve in Lakeland.

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! 

Our World, My World

 Hello, Happy Monday everyone!


I am sharing more on our road trip to Florida. I mentioned before how I like to research new parks and places to visit before leaving home.  On this day I already had the address in our GPS for the Haw Creek Preserve State Park.  It is nice to find these parks, which are new to us. Florida as a lot of nature preserves,  state parks and local parks.  The 1005 acre park is located in Bunnell, Flagler County. 

The park has a 1.5 mile round-trip boardwalk and also has a boat launch. 

It was a cloudy day and some rain the morning we were there. The scenery is beautiful, even with the rain drops. There are spurs off the main boardwalk that take you to views of the creek. The birds we saw were mostly waders and very shy, they flew off as soon as they noticed us.

Two birds hung around for a photo op, the Limpkin and the Wood Stork. Other birds seen were the Great Blue Heron, Great Egret and a Little Blue Heron.  Yes, people there are trash cans for your trash. Please use them. 

 A view of the Haw Creek.

The boardwalk views remind me of our other park visits in Florida like Lettuce Lake and the Hillsborough River State Park.

 

 The boardwalk goes by Cypress trees, tall Palms and  lots of Palmetto Palms.  I am sure there were lots of alligators there too. 

 Another look and view from one of the boardwalk spurs, the Haw Creek.

 A nearby Limpkin did not seem shy around us, it must have been searching for snails.

 The Wood Stork was a little hidden by the tree.

 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 Critters #268

Welcome to Saturday's Critters !

Happy February!  
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!

These are some images from the Wakodahatchee Wetlands Park, Florida.  Previously the wetlands nature park was part of the wastewater utility property. 


The Wood Storks were a great bird in this nature park, they were roosting in the trees right next to the boardwalk. 

It seems the Wood Storks do not mind sharing their space with the Great Blue Heron, Anhinga, and Cormorants. The trees were filled with birds, they did not seem to mind the crowd of people that come to see them.

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





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!

Sweetwater Wetlands Park

Hello,

I am sharing another great Florida park called Sweetwater Wetlands Park near Gainesville Florida. Sweetwater is considered a thriving habitat of 125 acres of wetlands and ponds. We met a Florida resident and birder at the Paynes Prairie Park earlier in the day and he told us that Sweetwater was a great place for seeing birds. Thankfully our Garmin GPS and my Iphone were able to take us there.

At Sweetwater Wetlands there are 3.5 miles of gravel trails and boardwalks. It was a pretty day for a walk on the trails and a lovely sky.

A Sora, a small secretive rail that hangs out in the marshes. It has a triangle body shape with a small yellow bill.

Black-bellied Whistling ducks with some Cormorants in the background.

This shot below looks better enlarged, there is a Belted Kingfisher perched on a stick in the background, a Great Blue Heron, two Wood Storks and a Limpkin far lower right.

Cormorant with fish.

A pretty blue sky with the white puffy clouds.

I believe these are two Savannah Sparrows below. These sparrows have a little telltale yellow colors near their eyes.

A Wood Stork showing off it's pretty wings.

I am sharing two videos, one with a large group of Whistling Ducks and Cormorants. the second video was of an alligator crossing the trail.





Be thankful for each day, because not everyone gets to see another one. 


For my thankful list today:
I am thankful for my Garmin GPS
I am thankful for friendly and nice people we meet on our outings.
I am thankful for blue skies and puffy white clouds.

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.

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 #168

Saturday's Critters #168

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.

If you have not guessed already from my other post, the Circle B Reserve in Lakeland is one of my favorite birding places in Florida. Sometimes we visit the Circle B twice in a week. Here are some more of my favorite scenes, birds and a butterfly from the reserve.

Two Wood Storks.

A Zebra Longwing Butterfly

Two baby gators.

A Roseate Spoonbill

A Pied-billed Grebe

Green Heron

Sandhill Cranes

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.