Saturday's Critters # 511

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 catching up, I ended this post with photos from September.  These are photos from our local walks to the lake, on the local  fire roads and some from my back yard.  Several people have mentioned my header photo, it is a view of our local lake/Prettyboy reservoir and it is one of my favorite spots for neighborhood birdwatching.

1. Sightings from our walk to the local lake, the usual birds were seen in the usual places. Birds seen are the Great Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Cedar Waxwings, a nice sighting of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Slider Turtle and the Canada Geese. 

2. A larger viewing of my sighting of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo.

3. A larger view of the Belted Kingfisher. 

4. Another day and another walk to our lake, the water level is low due to the drought. Sightings included a Double-crested Cormorant, the usual Great Blue Heron and the Belted Kingfisher.  

5. In my backyard, I am still seeing the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and lots of the Fritillary Butterflies. 

6.  Another day and here we are again on our walk to the lake. For a local walk I am always happy with the sightings I see. There are lots of pine cones on the trees, is that a sign of this winter's weather? A good winter for the Finch sightings? The lake water level is still going down, the day's sightings were a Bald Eagle seen sitting in a tree across the lake from where we were, a few Great Blue Herons were hanging out on the shore, an American Robin seen in sitting in a tree above the trail, the Green Heron was seen in the usual spot too. 

I took a few photos of the Bald Eagle, until it flew away.  

7. More looks at the Green Heron seen at our local lake.  

8.  Just another walk to the lake, you can see the water levels are down even more now due to the drought. On this day I saw a Solitary Sandpiper, flock of Canada Geese, the Great Blue Heron, Mourning Doves and the Belted Kingfisher. 

9. I never know what bird I will see at the reservoir. The low water levels means there is more mud around which seems to attract different birds. This is the Solitary Sandpiper, we watched it for awhile foraging in the mud. 

10.   Sept 3, 2023 the second Maryland Cycling Classic was held, it was a hot day with temps in the mid 90's. We were able to watch them speed past our little neighborhood on their route around the Prettyboy reservoir. The race features world champion cyclists from 30 countries. The winner Mattias Skjelmose from Denmark finished the 121.4 miles in 4 hours 28 minutes. They were escorted with a line of police motorcycles, cars with extra bicycles and 2 ambulances in case of emergencies. The race ended at the Baltimore's Inner Harbor with a ceremony and a crowd of people to cheer on the winner.

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 # 454

  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!

We are still dog-sitting, waiting for my son to have his fence installed. So we continue to take the grand-dogs for a daily walk, on the local fire roads and to the lake.  

1. Aug 4, I took some photos of our flowers, Morning Glories, Hibiscus,  Fuchsia, Winnie the Corgi, a mushroom seen off the fire road and our Zinnias. 

2.  Aug 8th, our walk to the lake with the dogs, our neighbor's flowers, the fire road, one of two Great Blue Herons, wildflowers, the grand-dogs, Louisiana Waterthrush, unknown Flycatcher. 

3. This is one of the two Great Blue Herons we saw at the lake. I also heard the Pileated Woodpecker and the Yellow-billed Cuckoo on this walk. 

4. Aug 10,  before leaving our yard I heard and found this Yellow-billed Cuckoo perched high in a tree next to our yard. Winnie and Nibbles are still enjoying their walks on the fire road, we are seeing some mushrooms and fungi and the bunny was seen in our yard when we returned from the walk. 

5. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo seen from our deck, I hear them often but this was the first time seeing them next to our yard. 

6. Aug 10th, I enjoy watching the butterflies around our Buddleia Bush, I captured some of the Black Swallowtails.

I read the male Black Swallowtail has more yellow and less blue on the wings. 

7. Aug 14th, hubby and I took a walk at the local Hashawha Nature Center park.  I was only able to get a few bird photos, the flowers were looking lovely. A nice weather day for a walk. 

8. Aug 14th,  We saw a family of Eastern Bluebirds high in a tree eating berries. 

9. Aug 14th , an American Robin 

10. Aug 14, a White-breasted Nuthatch.  

11. A bonus mosaic with our grandsons, they are growing fast. I think they both love their new home. I am sure they will be happy to get their fence built and have their dogs at home with them again. Soon, I hope!

I hope you enjoyed my post. 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!

Happy Thankful Thursday

 Hello, Happy Thursday!

Hubby and I look forward to the nice weather for our walks and outings.  It seems like the weather people can not always predict the weather lately. We wanted to get away for a night or two but the weather was not cooperating.  

 

1. So we go on, taking our daily walks. On this day we were able to drive an 1 1/2 hour away to the Great Falls National Park in Potomac Maryland. We walked a total of 5.3 miles at the C&O Canal Trail earlier and at Great Falls.  

 

 

2. Great Falls National Park visitor center. It was a pretty blue sky day...My kind of weather, cool, sunny and clear skies.

3. The C& O Canal Trail at Great Falls, not a cloud in the sky.

4. The Canal Boat and canal was being worked on while we were there.

5. Me and my shadow are seen below in the white water without a raft and paddle.

 

 

 

 

 

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6. Below are a few Warblers and friends, top row Northern Parula. Bottom row is the Black & White Warbler, Blue-headed Vireo and a Black-throated Green Warbler.  These were all seen in one spot along the trail to the Great Falls Overlook.

 

 

 

7. Below is the view from the Great Falls overlook, the Potomac River.

 

 

8. From the Maryland overlook you can across the river and see the Virginia Overlook.

 

 

 

 

9. These are some of the birds I saw during our visit to Great Falls NP.

Below top row are the Black Vulture, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Great Blue Heron. Middle Row are the Northern Parula, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo. Bottom row are the Canada Geese, Double-crested Cormorants, Mallard Ducks. 

 

 10.  A Yellow-billed Cuckoo seen right off the trail. I do not usually see these birds on the ground, they are usually found in the tree tops. This Cuckoo was seen flying and landing on the ground.

 

 

 

11. Pretty blue sky and the Potomac River.  The Great Falls National Park is split between the states of Maryland and Virginia by the Potomac River. 

 

 

 

I am thankful for correct weather predictions.

I am thankful for planned outings.

I am always thankful to survive driving on the DC 495 Beltway and on the I-95, there are some crazy drivers out there.  

I am thankful for long walks with nature.

Take care and stay safe! 


Live simple and be happy!  😊 Keep smiling!



Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday


Thank you for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!!  😊

Happy Thankful Thursday!

 Happy Thursday!  

Hubby and I enjoy our local walks on the near by fire roads. On this day we walked for a little over 2 miles round trip from our house. I had some luck finding birds at what was once a clear cut area in the forest.  The Yellow-billed Cuckoo were seen out in the open, eating the tent caterpillars.  We also saw 20 or more Cedar Waxwings and a juvenile or female Scarlet Tanager.  On this day I had that deja vu feeling, maybe because previous years we had the same bird sightings during a similar walk.

1. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, we saw at least 3 of these birds during our walk.  One has a tent caterpillar in it's mouth.

2. I watched a flock of Cedar Waxwings flying around us, a few times I caught them sitting on top of a tree branch, one photos has a juvenile or female Scarlet Tanager with 2 Cedar Waxwings.

 

3. Adult Cedar Waxwing

 

 

Gratitude turns what we have into enough. We are thankful for pretty sky days and lovely weather. My prayers go out to all in the areas with the wildfires. It is so sad to see so much loss and devastation..

4. Below is the Great-crested Flycatcher, middle photo is a possible Tennessee Warbler and Red-eyed Vireo on the bottom photo.

 

 5. Cedar Waxwings, there are 2 on one branch and the Scarlet Tanager is below on the right side.

6. I was happy to see this Yellow-billed Cuckoo out in the open a few times.

 

7. Another one of the 3 Yellow-billed Cuckoo that we saw during this one walk.

 

 

 For Martha's Throwback Thursday and Skywatch Friday. I am sharing the following 3 photos from my archives. A  view of some fall colors of our nearby reservoir and a sunset at the Prettyboy reservoir. A photo of our Goldie Girl, she is missed . 

8. Some fall trees and sky reflecting at Prettyboy.

9. Prettyboy sunset, you can be blessed just being in the right place at the right time. 

10. Sky reflecting at Prettyboy reservoir.

I am thankful for my archived photos of Goldie Girl, she was loved and is missed.  We remain thankful to be virus-free and healthy.

 I hope everyone takes care and stay safe. 

Live simple and be happy!  😊 Take care, keep smiling!


Thank you to Martha  @ Throwback Thursday linky  
and her Seaside Simplicity
Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday


Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!!

Happy Thankful Thursday

Happy Thankful Thursday

I am thankful to live so close to the reservoir, a lot of our walks with nature are right outside our door. On this day we walked on one of the many fire roads in our neighborhood. It was a 2.8 mile round trip walk. 

Some mornings I am up so early I can see the moon still high in the sky. The moon phase, waning gibbous is 93% visable. 

" Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt." John Muir


A look down the fire road, we could take this dirt path all the way to the lake. That hike to the lake would be almost a 5 mile round trip.

Me and my shadow..

Some pretty clouds in the sky. 

Be like a tree.
Stay grounded, connect with your roots.
Turn over a new leaf.
Bend before you break.
Enjoy your unique natural beauty.
Keep Growing.   By Joanne Raptis

We hiked the pine tree loop off the main fire road.  It was a quiet peaceful walk.  

"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man." unknown

The forest makes your heart gentle.
You become one with it.
No place for greed or anger there. 

Some of the birds seen on our morning hike, the Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Towhee and a Great-crested Flycatcher.

We saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings, this one was nice to pose for me. This bird was perched in a tree almost right above two Yellow-billed Cuckoos. 

The most common and heard bird was the Yellow-billed Cuckoo.  In one area off the trail we saw 3 YB Cuckoos in one tree. I assume it was a Cuckoo family. 🌝🌝

I am not sure what this Yellow-billed Cuckoo is eating, maybe a grasshopper? I could see a lot of grasshoppers on the trail as we walked, the birds should be happy with the food source here. 

This Yellow-billed Cuckoo looks like a juvenile to me. 

I am thankful some birds came out in the open and posed for just for me, lol.
A thankful heart is a happy heart, my eyes are open to the beauty that surrounds me. 
I am thankful for all your visits and comments. 


Thank you Michelle for hosting Thankful Thursday. 
Thank you to Yogi the host of   Skywatch Friday



Thanks so much for visiting and for your nice comments on my previous post. Have a happy day!