SWF>>>>Atlantic City Sunrise

I am linking up with Skywatch Friday

These are some shots of the sunrise from our visit to Atlantic City last Sunday.  I thought the colors were beautiful and I enjoyed watching the gulls flying over and seeing a few Common Loons in the ocean. It was a very peaceful morning and we practically had the beach to ourselves.

The least movement is of importance to all nature. The entire ocean is affected by a pebble.
by Blaise Pascal

A pretty Crescent moon and pinkish contrail. 

Every drop in the ocean counts. 

by Yoko Ono

One of my main reasons for the weekend  in New Jersey was to do some birding at the Edwin Forsythe NWR. I will be doing another post on the birds and ducks we saw at the refuge.

But for now the only birds I saw while on the beach were a lots of gulls and a few common loons seen in the orange ocean. They are quick, diving into the water and coming up in totally different area.

I hope you enjoyed my sunrise and skywatch post. To see more beautiful skies from around the world click here: Skywatch Friday. Thanks to the hosting group at Skywatch: Sylvia, Sandy and Wren.  Thank you also for stopping by to see my skies. I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend. Happy Birding!

Le Conte's Sparrow

I am linking up with World Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

On Saturday, I added the Le Conte's Sparrow to my life list. I had been watching my listserve when I noticed the Le Conte's Sparrow was being seen at the local Irvine Nature Center. This bird breeds in Canada and winters in the South Eastern United States as far west as central Texas and as far north as central Illinois. Certainly no way near Maryland, it must have made a wrong turn somewhere.

The Le Conte's Sparrow is a small sparrow with a large head, with a short gray bill and short pointed tail. It has a buffy-orange yellow face, gray cheeks and a dark crown with a white central stripe. The neck has chestnut streaks, the back is streaked with brown and beige. Its belly is off white and the sides are buffy orange yellow with dark brown streaks.

This Le Conte's Sparrow enjoys moist open grassy areas with sufficient vegetation to provide cover. It's diet is seeds of grasses in the winter and insects in the summer.

The Le Conte's sparrow was seen in the grasses behind where I was standing when I took this photo.  I have posted about one of my previous birding outings with the bird club here Birding Irvine Nature Center.   At that time this field was covered in wildflowers and looked beautiful. It is always nice to add a new bird to my life list, especially so close to home.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my latest lifer and to see more beautiful and wonderful photos please visit: World Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes.  Thanks to Springman and Michelle for hosting these fun memes. Also, I thank everyone for stopping by my post and for leaving the lovely comments.

More from Hashawha

I am linking up Camera Critters and Sunday Bridges

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!!!

These photos were from last weekend's hike at our local Hashawha Nature Center.  It was a pretty day for a hike and we saw many signs of Spring.

Above is a beautiful male Eastern Bluebird, a footbridge over a stream, turtle and the boardwalk at the Hashawha Lake.

Above a White Throated Sparrow, I believe the bottom left and right are Song Sparrows.

There are a few places where you have to cross these footbridges over the streams on the trails.

I am pretty sure this is a Northern Red-bellied Cooter. I looked up turtles seen in Maryland to find the name of this turtles at first I thought it was a Red-eared Slider but my turtle does not show the red stripe behind its eye.

Another footbridge over the stream, this is where I found a few Song Sparrows near the edge of the stream.

One of the many Song Sparrows I saw while hiking and birding Hashawha.

On the way home we passed by this farm with these cute Alpacas. I just love these cute critters.


To see more cute and wonderful critters, please visit Camera Critters.  Thanks to Misty Dawn for hosting Camera Critters.  Also, please visit Louis's Sunday Bridges.   Also, thanks for stopping by to see my post. I hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend.

SWF>>>Hashawha Nature Center

I am linking up with Skywatch Friday

On the weekend hubby and I always pick some place to go for a walk, this past weekend we went to the local Hashawha Nature Center. They have miles of trails, a lake, streams, a raptor center and it is great for birding.  The sky was a beautiful blue and it was a lovely day.

A robin perched on the wires with a pretty blue sky for a background.

Hubby and I were trying to figure out what kind of tree this is? It had these little round balls hanging on the branches that the birds were picking at? 

I am seeing hawks just about everywhere I go, I believe this is a Red Shouldered.

The full moon looked beautiful last week.  I hope you enjoyed my skywatch.  As usual thank you for visting my post and for the lovely comments.

To see more beautiful skies from around the world  please visit Skywatch Friday.  Thanks to the hosting group of Sylvia, Sandy and Wren. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Backyard birds

I am linking up with World Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

This week I am showing a few of my yard birds. I have been watching the Carolina Chickadees go in and out of one of my bluebird houses.

This Carolina Chickadee enjoys my feeder with sunflower seeds.

A White Breasted Nuthatch outside my window.

The Black Vultures found a carcass of a deer around the corner from my house. Yesterday, I drove by there had to be over a hundred Black Vultures on the ground, on the deer and in the trees. One of my blogger friends asked why I see these Vultures hanging around so much. I think they like my neighborhood because of the deer carcass and the woods for roosting. During the hunting season, the hunters were taking what they wanted and leaving behind the rest of the deer. So that would leave plenty of food for both the Turkey and Black Vultures.

I hope you enjoyed my post and I want to thank you for stopping by and your wonderful comments.

To see more beautiful birds please visit Springman's World Bird Wednesday   and for more nature scenes please visit Michelle's  Nature Notes.  Thanks to Springman for hosting World Bird Wednesday and to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.