King Rail

Linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes and Wordless on Tuesday

For this week's wild bird I am sharing the King Rail seen at the Swan Harbor Farms park in Havre De Grace, Maryland. My persistence paid off, this was our third trip to this park to see the King Rail.  The third time was a charm and not a strike out. It was not a lifer for me, but it was the first time I was able to get some photos. It is usually a shy bird but this King Rail came out into the open a few times while we sat in the blind and watched.

 I read on our listserve that this bird was being seen in the open on a few different days. I can not say enough how happy I am to be retired so I can go now and see these cool birds whenever I want..

A funny head on view of the King Rail. They are rufous above and below and they are found in fresh water marshes year round.

I hope you enjoyed my wild bird post. Till next week's wild bird post.
Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird and nature photos please visit:

 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes and Wordless on Tuesday

Thanks to all of our hosts. Michelle for Nature Notes and Stewart of Wild Bird Wednesday and Sue for Wordless on Tuesday.

  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Circle B Bar Reserve

I am linking up with   Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday   They are both fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts.

I am continuing with another post and photos from our Florida trip.  We visited the Circle B Bar Reserve located in Lakeland, Polk County. The Circle B is known as a hotspot for birding in Florida.  It is named after the cattle ranch that existed on this property. The property was acquired by Polk County and the pastures were restored back to it's natural state, the marsh land. It is now home to an impressive bird population. Nature trails, picnic areas and a beautiful Discovery center are a must see if you are near Lakeland, Florida..

Above some of the beautiful trees along the Circle B trails, Marsh land, Cormorant & Red-shouldered Hawk are seen in the mosaic.

I love the lighting on the trees and spanish moss.

One of my favorite Florida birds the Limpkin and the Common Moorhen or also known as the Common Gallinule.

Limpkin with snail

Waterway and some of the wildflowers seen along the trail..

Top row: Anhinga, aligator on trail, Blue-winged Teal
Middle row: Black Crowned Night Heron, Roseate Spoonbill, GB Heron
Bottom row: Green Heron, alligator eye, Osprey on nest

We had to wait awhile for this gator to move off the trail. I am not sure if the lady on the other side turned back and returned the way she came or not.  These are photos from our first visit to Circle B, we loved it so much we went back a second time.. I hope you enjoyed my photos.. Thank you for visiting and for all the nice comments.. Have a great day and week ahead!

I use Pic Monkey to create my mosaics, you can use Pic Monkey free or pay for an upgraded version.

I hope you can join in on our fun with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday

 Thanks to Judith our host of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia, Sandy and Jennifer.  I wish everyone a happy week ahead!

Saturday's Critters #74

Saturday's Critters #74

Happy weekend, everyone!  It's Saturday and it's time to share your critters.. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who has linked up in the past and for those who are linking in on this week's critter party. And of course I always appreciate my blogging friends stopping by just for a visit.

I am sharing more of the birds we saw while visiting the Circle B Preserve near Lakeland Florida.

A Little Blue Heron

A Black-crowned Night Heron

A Tricolored Heron, I love the breeding blue color on this heron's bill.

We saw a lot of White Ibis, Great Egret and Wood Storks

I hope enjoyed my Florida birds.. I still have more Florida places and birds to share..that will be in a future post..Thank you for the visits and for all the nice comments.. As always I appreciate your participating with my critter party..Have a happy weekend!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thanks to Tex Theresa aka Tex, I was able to add this link up button and thanks to  Jennifer for creating my photo badge.

<a href="http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/"><img src=" https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3915/15299083201_9709303697_m.jpg" width="185" height="240"></a>

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.

Lake Hollingsworth, Lakeland Florida

Linking up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences  

For this week's Good Fence and Skywatch Friday memes I am sharing more birds, skies and fences from our visit to Lakeland Florida. On this day we walked close to three miles around Lake Hollingsworth in Lakeland Florida. It was a little foggy in the early morning, we could not even see the whole lake during our walk.

Above is one of many of the Limpkins we saw during our walk.

Scenes from our walk around the lake, ducks were plentiful and lots of fences in front of the big homes on the lake. My contribution for Tex's Good fences above. During our walk, various groups of ducks would actually run up to us like they were greeting old friends. I know they were looking for food but we did not have anything for them.

This may have been one of the few days we did not have sunny skies while in Florida.. A foggy look at the lake..that is if you can see the lake.

Not a lifer, but one of my favorite Florida birds the Purple Gallinule. It's beak color is different than the Moorhen or Common Gallinule.

A look at the sky, trees and fence as we walked around the lake. Another combo fence and sky shot for both of the memes. I love the trees. I am pretty sure later in day the weather was much better.

It was easy this morning to look straight into the sun..this is it folks, my view of the sky on this day.

More of the Lakeland Birds we saw during our walk around the lake. On the top row: Little Blue Heron, Wood Stork with Limpkin, Mallards or Mottled ducks.  Bottom Row: White Pelicans, Wood Ducks, Duck family.

I hope you enjoyed this series of skies, fences and birds. I know you all know me by now, I can not do a post without my birds, lol! Thanks for stopping by and for the nice comments..

To see more pretty skies from around the world please visit  Skywatch Friday
and check for more fence shots at Tex's Good Fences

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences and thanks to Sylvia, Yogi  and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.    I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead..

Sora

Linking up with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes and NC Sue @ Image-in-ing

For this week's Wild Bird I am sharing the Sora I saw while in Florida.. It came out into the open at the Viera Wetlands..just as I was driving by..The Sora was not a lifer for me my first sighting was Sora @ Bosque del Apache NWR in New Mexico and last year I saw it in a local Maryland Park.  They are always cool birds to see..

The Sora is a secretive bird in the rail family. It has a short yellow bill, black face and a triangle-shaped body..

I was able to click two some what clear shots of my Sora..

The Sora did not stay out in the open long before it hightailed back into the reeds..

 I hope you enjoyed the Sora and my wild bird post.. Till next week's wild bird post.. I wish you happy Birding and have a wonderful week!

Join in and post your birdies and to see more beautiful and wonderful bird and nature photos please visit:

 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes and Sue for NC-SUE @ image-in-ing

thanks to all of our hosts... Michelle for Nature Notes and Stewart of Wild Bird Wednesday.

  Happy Birding and have a wonderful week!