Backyard birds

With my backyard birds I am linking up with World Bird Wednesday and Michelle's Nature Notes

This past weekend we had a few inches of snow and when it snows my yardbirds go into a feeding frenzy. I filled the feeders a few times on Saturday. I did get to see a Townsend's Warbler last Friday . The warbler a new lifer for me, has been visiting a  feeder at a private home. The homeowner has been really nice by inviting  birders into his yard and even let me view the feeders from his deck. I was not able to get a clear photo but was very happy to see a new warbler.

Here are a few of the birds visiting my feeders and deck.

In this mosaic, I have the American Goldfinches, a Redbellied Woodpecker, a male Cardinal and a female Cardinal.

This shot of the female Cardinal is one of my favorite. She looks like she has attitude!

The Cardinals have begun the chase, my nesting pair are constantly chasing off other Cardinals that try visiting my feeders and yard. They are very territorial, the male Cardinal is chasing off other males and the female is chasing away her competition.

Above are two cuties, the American Goldfinch and the Tufted Titmouse

The American Crow one of my bigger yardbirds, it is a piggie too.

American Goldfinches enjoying the variety of seeds I put out on my deck railing.

A couple of Tufted Titmouse perched in my Weeping Cherry tree.



To see more beautiful and wonderful birds please visit Springman's World Bird Wednesday  and Michelle's Nature Notes.

Thanks to Springman for hosting World Bird Wednesday and to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.  I also thank you for stopping by to see my post and birds. I hope everyone is having a great week and Happy Birding!

Birding & Hiking at Cunningham Falls State Park

I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday

These photos are from a few weeks ago hubby and I visited the Cunningham Falls State Park here in Maryland.

 The weather had been mild and it was a lovely day to be outside taking a walk.  Our first hike was on the trail to the waterfalls  from the parking close to the lake. I was surprised that there were no ducks or geese on the lake at Cunningham Falls State park. It is a nice trail with pretty trees and lots of boulder size rocks in places. There were also new plantings of what looked like Hemlock trees along the trail. We met up with a family hiking with their cute blue eyed Husky puppy dog. I asked if I could take a photo of their puppy, I just love dogs.

I am not sure what kind of tree these are but they do not seem to loose their old leaves. I thought maybe in spring the new leaf pushes out the old leaf.  I thought the woods looked pretty with these trees with their bronze colored leaves all around.

The birds seen along the trail were a lot of White Breasted Nuthatches, and lots of Chickadees. I think this area could see a mixture of the Black Capped Chickadee and the Carolina Chickadee. I also heard the White Throated Sparrows, Juncos, Downy Woodpeckers and some Kinglets.

The Chickadee has to be one of the cutest birds even their sounds are cute.

The Cunningham Falls is a popular place, visitors like to climb up the rocks to the top of the falls.

There is also an easy boardwalk trail to view the falls, we also walked this trail so we could see a different angle and view of the falls. This is the creek at the bottom of the falls, a pretty scene with the trees and in the background the falls. Cunningham Falls State Park is located in Thurmont, Maryland. Also, nearby is the Catoctin Mountain National Park.

I am happy you stopped by to visit my post and I appreciate the comments. I hope everyone has a great week.
To see more wonderful mosaics and photos please visit Mary's Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday

Thanks to Mary the host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Sylvia, Sandy, Lady Fi, Gattina.

Back Roads equals Horned larks

I am linking up with Camera Critters

A good tip from a birding friend of mine, she told me after a snowy day I should take a ride on the back roads around my neighborhood to look for new birds. It seems the birds like to find food along the road where the snow melts. So, on this day I took a slow ride around watching the birds fly away from the edges of the road. You never know what you might find  Horned Larks, Sparrows, Juncos, Longspurs and sometimes even Snow Buntings.

On this day I found the Horned Larks and some Juncos. They flew away when I got close, so I stopped the car and they came right back. 

Above, you can just barely make them out but there are four Horned Larks along the edge of the road. One has its head way down in the snow.  Must be something really tasty there. Do you think they like road salt?

It seems like where ever I go I am always seeing vultures. These Turkey Vultures seem to be watching a group of donkeys. Not sure why?

The donkeys do not seem to mind being watched by the vultures and by me. I think they are so cute.

I hope you enjoyed my critters this week and  to see more wonderful and cute critters check out Camera Critters..   I have added the new Linky followers for those who will soon be loosing Google Friend Connect. Thanks to Misty Dawn for hosting and Thank You for stopping by to see my critters. I hope everyone is having a great weekend and Happy Birding.

SWF>>>Backyard & the reservoir

Happy Weekend!!!

For my Skywatch Friday  I have some sunset shots from my backyard and some pic's from our walk to the lake.

 

I like the sky reflecting in the shot above, you can see the white clouds in the water. When we walked closer to the lakeshore we spooked off a few Common Mergansers. They flew to the far side of the lake and much too far for a photo. When I scanned the lake with my binocs I noticed there were pairs and groups of Common Mergansers all over the lake. I like seeing the usual Canada Geese at the lake but the mergansers were a treat.

The photo above is not from my lake but, I wanted to show the Common Merganser.

I did not catch them in this photo, but the Turkey and Black vultures always make their way back to my woods to roost for the night. Sometimes, there are as many as fifty flying toward my yard. What a sight!

Above are a  few of the sunset photos taken from my backyard on Sunday. I love how the sun turned the edges of the clouds a pinkish color. The clouds reminded me of charcoal burning in a grill during a summer cookout.

I'll end my post with a pretty Mourning Dove shot from my birdcam. Looks like she is enjoying a feast.

I am wishing you all a great weekend and Happy Birding. Thanks to the host of Skywatch Friday  : Sylvia, Sandy and Wren. Also, thank you for stopping by to see my skies and post.

Common Eider

With my Common Eider I am linking up with a few memes World Bird Wednesday and Water Wednesday  and Nature Notes

 I was hoping for some better photos of these neat looking sea ducks. But they were a little too far out and they were getting lost in the waves.


The Common Eider breeds on rocky coasts and in the Artic tundra. They winter along seacoasts and they are fairly common along the Atlantic coast. The male has a white back and breast. Their long nose appearance is distinctive. The females have more rufous tones.

 It was a little upsetting to hear a week after our visit to Barneget some duck hunters were seen a little closer in than the supposedly mile out that is required for hunters. And even more of a concern is that the Harlequin ducks that are seen at Barnegat are off limits to the hunters but with the waves and all the ducks that are around are these hunters really that good of marksmen to hit another duck?

I do know for myself if I were there to see the ducks I would be terribly upset to see a duck killed while I was there watching.   Another question, why do the hunters have to be hanging around a spot like Barnegat Lighthouse beach when they know it is a tourist spot with lots of people and birders?  Now, I am hoping that the ducks stay away just to be safe from the hunters.

Lately it seems that there are more and more hunters and less people out just to enjoy the critters. In the winter months (Sept-Jan) the reservoir around my house allows bow deer hunting. So even around my own neighborhood it is only safe to go out on Sundays when hunting is not allowed. I have even heard some places are even allowing hunting on Sundays. So when is it a good time for the nature lover to be outside enjoying nature and  the wildlife.



To see more wonderful birds check out Springman's World Bird Wednesday
And 2Sweetnsaxy's Watery Wednesday   and Michelle's  Nature Notes..  Thanks to Springman, 2Sweetnsaxy and Michelle for hosting these fun memes. Thank you for stopping by to see my post.