Saturday's Critters # 398

 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!

Hubby and I have recently visited the Great Falls National Park near Potomac Md. We make it a day trip, stopping at a local French bakery for a sandwich for our little picnic. We also stop at Riley's Lock and walk along the C&O Canal trail.  

1. Below are photos of the Potomac River @ Great Falls NP, the C&O Canal trail @ Great Falls, Great Blue Heron, Canal Lock, Canal, Mallard, Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures. 

2. A view of the C&O Canal and the trail.  

3. There is a Great Blue Heron rookery or is it called a heronry, so there are plenty of Herons to see at the Great Falls @ Potomac River. 

4. A mix of Black Vulture are seen with their Black Head and the Turkeys Vultures have the red heads. 

5. I always enjoy seeing the Great Blue Herons, they pose so nicely for me and my camera.  

6. Below are some of the scenes and wildlife we saw along the C&O Canal trail at Riley's Lock.  A group of Wood Ducks, a Common Whitetail Skimmer, more Wood Ducks, Great Blue Heron, Zebra Swallowtail butterfly, Prothonotary Warbler, Black-crowned Night Heron, Slider Turtles, Black-crowned Night Heron. 

7.  A few Slider Turtles hanging out with the Wood Ducks. 

8.  The Red-eared Slider Turtles are non-native but the Eastern Painted Turtle is a native turtle seen in Maryland.  Below the photo could be a mix of both of the native and non-native turtles. 

9. I usually see a Green Heron in this area, but on this day I saw the Black-crowned Night Herons. 

10. A Common Whitetail Skimmer above the pond and duck weed.

11. A closer look at the Wood Ducks. 

12. A Great Blue Heron was seen on the canal side hunting for food.

I hope you enjoyed our walk at the park and on the canal trail, the birds and wildlife are always great to see.  

I want to share my cute grandson, he is growing quickly almost 6months old. He has two bottom teeth now. I think this is the first time he tried a teething biscuit. 

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!

Here is my linky:

YOU are all # 1.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post. 

Happy Monday!

 Happy Monday everyone!

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

The Pileated Woodpecker, one of my many favorite birds, photo taken during one of our visits to Florida.

Comments off! Enjoy your day!

Saturday's Critters # 397

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 sharing some yard birds and birds seen from our local walk at the Hemlock Gorge part of the Gunpowder Falls State Park and our Prettyboy Reservoir watershed. 

1. Eastern Bluebirds in our yard, they are back to using one of my birdhouses.  The male Bluebird is often perched in a tree in the side of our yard which overlooks the birdhouse. A young bluebird has been sitting in the back part of the yard, easily id by the speckled chest. 

2. I am pretty sure the Bluebird below was born this year. The bluebirds can have 2-3 broods each year.  The young Bluebirds are speckled with touches of blue on their wings. 

3. The male Eastern Bluebird is beautiful, a lovely color blue, rufous underparts and a white belly.

4.  The only feeders I left up it the Hummingbird feeder, I can change out the sugar water and clean the feeders often.

5. The deer has been a regular visitor in our yard and on the neighbors driveway.  I can watch the deer from my kitchen windows.  

6.  An area of the Gunpowder State Park is always a good spot to see the Louisiana Waterthrush in the summer months.  These are some photos from one our our recent walks to Hemlock Gorge. 

7. The Louisiana Waterthrush breeds near a fast moving stream. They nest in thickets on the ground, they can be found walking along the shoreline in search of insects.  

8. A young Lousiana Waterthush below has found a tasty grub or worm to eat. We watched at least 3 Waterthrush foraging along the river on this day. 

9.  Another guess below is an Eastern Wood-Pewee. they have olive gray with dark wings and thin white wing bars. I usually can hear these birds before I can see them. They like to perch in trees with good view points. 

10. I believe below is an Eastern Phoebe, they have a dark head with a gray back and they lack an eye ring. 

I am happy to find the birds on our walks, there are times I have some great bird sightings.  Happy Birding!  

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!

Here is my linky:

YOU are all # 1.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post. 

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!!

Saturday's Critters #396

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!

These are some photos from our visit to Bombay Hook NWR, we were able to visit early in the morning since we had spent one night at the Dover Delaware hotel.  It is one of my favorite places, to bird from our car. The bugs can be horrible in the summer, I was happy to take my photos from the car window. 

1.  Top row are the Snowy Egrets and American Avocet, Black-necked Stilts, Great Blue Heron and a Great Horned Owl. Middle row are the Black Skimmers, Willet, Ospreys and Mallard. Bottom row are a rabbit, possible Mud Turtle, Bald Eagle and a Mute Swan.

2.  We saw a few Blue Grosbeaks, easy to id with their rusty colored wing bar. 

3. The Black Skimmers seen doing their thing skimming over the pond. 

4. The American Avocets are so pretty, one of my favorite shorebirds. 

5. A few Snowy Egrets with an American Avocet. 

6.  The non-native Mute Swan are a common sighting at Bombay Hook NWR. 

7. Apparently the Black-necked Stilts do not approve of the Mute Swans being in their habitat.  The Black-necked Stilts had a nest nearby they were being very protective. 

8. Hubby and I enjoyed watching this Great Horned Owl from our car, we making are way along the wildlife drive when I spotted this owl out on a branch in the open. 

9. I was happy to see this Great Horned Owl out on an open branch. 

10. Ospreys were on the same trees as the day before, a small bird is chasing one of the Ospreys. 

11.  A Great Blue Heron shows off his wing span and is happy to be social distancing. 

I hope you enjoyed the birds from Bombay Hook NWR, it is a great place for birding from the comfort of your car.  

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!

Here is my linky:

YOU are all # 1.

Thanks to all my visitors and for your comments. Stop back to see any replies to your comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their critter post.