Thursday, June 30, 2016

North Point State Park

Hello,

Another Friday is almost here and it is the last Friday in June. Gee, this month flew by!  June 10th my brother, hubby and I visited the local North Point State Park. It has been one of my favorite local places for birding and walking.


Two Ospreys, one seem to be hovering right above the one sitting in the tree.



My mosaic shows some of the birds were saw during our park visit: top row are the Indigo Bunting, Little Blue Herons, Cardinal, Tree Swallows. Second Row: Redwing Blackbird, Male Wood Duck, Great Blue Heron, Cormorants. Third row: Red-headed woodpecker, Great Egret, Osprey, GB Heron. Bottom row: Osprey, Little Blue Herons and the Cattle Egrets.


Around 10 Cattle Egrets were seen in the field across from the parking lot. I do not see these egrets often in Maryland.


My only fence shot at the park's parking lot, we were heading to see the Cattle Egrets on the field. Across the way is the barn I have shown in other posts and my brother can hardly be seen walking behind one of the tree on the other side of the fence.


A view of the bay from the park, you can see the Chesapeake Bay Bridge in the distance.


The moon seen with the planet Jupiter (tiny dot on the top right side) on June 11th.


A closer look at the first quarter moon on the evening of June 11th.


Thanks for visiting and for all the nice comments. As always, thank you for visiting and for the nice comments. I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead.

Here is a list of linky parties for part of the week, I hope to see you there.

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences.
Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Shenandoah National Park

Hello,


On June 6th hubby and I went on a daytrip to Shenandoah National Park. We walked on my favorite Limberlost Trail and drove on the Skyline Drive as far south as the Big Meadows. We had a late lunch at their camp store and restaurant before heading back north on the Skyline Drive and homeward bound.



On the Limberlost Trail we saw and heard a lot of American Redstarts. This is the male above.


In my mosaic above are some wildflowers and birds we saw during our visit to the park. The birds are the American Redstart, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee and the Cedar Waxwing.


A pretty blue sky and the Scarlet Tananger.


I believe these were wild Columbine flowers growing along the Limberlost trail.





A view of the Appalachian mountains from the range view overlook. I hope you enjoyed my post and my views of Shenandoah Nat'l Park.


For Tom's Barn Collective, on the way home I have a drive by shot from our daytrip to Shenandoah.

Thank you for visiting and for the nice comments. As always, thanks to the wonderful group of hosts listed below.

Here is a list of linky parties for part of the week, Sunday thru Wednesday. I hope to see you there.

Thanks to Tom the host of the The Barn Collective
Thanks to Jesh our host for Seasons

Thanks to Judith our  host of Mosaic Monday  this will be the last Mosaic Monday for Judith and possibly the end of Mosaic Monday.

Thanks to Monica for hosting NF Trees
Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes
Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Saturday, June 25, 2016

Saturday's Critters #132

Saturday's Critters #132

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

I am sharing these images of some birds and critter were seen on May 26th. Looking forward to see your critters, birds, animals and pets of any kind.


A Carolina Chickadee seen during my walk on the fire road near my house.


One of the Great Blue Herons from the neighborhood's heronry.



I believe this is an Acadian Flycatcher, a common bird seen in the nearby woods.


A Northern Cardinal another common bird in our neighborhood.


My Chipmunk critter was fussing loudly for some reason.  I hope you enjoyed my birds and chipper.


As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!







To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-BirdinThanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

Blue skies


Hello, at this time we had pretty blue skies and lovely weather. I am a warm weather person and I love sunny warm days. How about you, do you love summer?

This week I am sharing some fence, sky scenes and birds from my yard. Also, sharing some of the clematis, beautiful blooms this year on my fence. Sometimes I find the hummers sitting in the tree tops but my hummingbird likes to sit on top of an old antenna on our roof.



The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird has been seen often sitting on top of an old antenna on our roof. I guess it gives him all over view of the whole yard and his feeders. The male hummer is very protective of his space and feeders.



"When we feel stuck, look at the sky. The clouds reminds us that everything changes."  unknown

I just loved seeing the clematis growing in my yard this year, I hope you do not mind I am sharing more blooms growing along my fence.


 "Where flowers bloom, so does hope." Lady Bird Johnson. I love all our summer blooms, they make me happy.


Another species of called Jackmanii Clematis growing in our yard.


Happiness is feeding the birds. The Blue Jays seem to know just when I come outside with the peanuts.



I never get tired of the blue sky! Above my capture May 29th of the moon and a couple of jet contrails.  Thanks for visiting and for all the nice comments. As always, thank you for visiting and for the nice comments. I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead.

Here is a list of linky parties for part of the week, I hope to see you there.

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences.
Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Monocacy River Trail

Hello, officially our summer starts Monday June 20 at 5:24PM. Our weather has been a mixture of cool and hot days. More cool than hot. When the weather cooperates and all is well,  hubby and I enjoy our walks. The Monocacy River Trail near Frederick Maryland is one of our favorite spots for a walk. Here are some scenes and birds from our walk.


Hubby is surprised I can find a hummingbird on the tree tops as we walk, we also saw the Red-shouldered Hawk, A few Indigo Buntings, House Wrens and the American Robins.


The Red-shouldered Hawk posed nicely on a tree branch for me.


I am not sure what kind of tree this is, but the tree has these thorn like thingys growing out of the trunk.  I did a google search and came up with a similar thorn tree called the Honey Locust.


Hubby and I always enjoy seeing the wildlife on our walks. Can you find the three deer in this photo above? With all the bushes and trees I was not able to get a clear shot of the deers.  They all seem to be missing their heads.


Above is a shot of the trail, ferns, wildflowers or weeds, black rat snake on the trail,  a toad and a Downy Woodpecker. I hope you enjoyed our walk.






For Tom's Barn Collective, I found some barns during our drive to Frederick, Md. Thanks for coming along.  Thank you for visiting and for the nice comments. As always, thanks to the wonderful group of hosts listed below.

Here is a list of linky parties for part of the week, Sunday thru Wednesday. I hope to see you there.

Thanks to Tom for hosting The Barn Collective
Thanks to Jesh our host for Seasons
Thanks to Judith our  host of Mosaic Monday   last Monday of the month
Thanks to Monica for hosting NF Trees
Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes
Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Saturday, June 18, 2016

Saturday's Critters #131

Saturday's Critters #131

Happy Saturday, it's time to share your critters and post. Any kind of critter will do, even a new or old post.. I appreciate everyone who is linking in with this week's critter party.

Wishing a Happy Father's  Day to all the father's in blog world.  I am sharing my male Red-bellied Woodpecker. He is a treat to see any time he visits my yard.


 The Red-bellied Woodpecker put on a show for me.






The woodpeckers are always vocal around my yard. If this one sees me outside he will start chatting away. I think he is asking for some peanuts.


As always thanks for the visits and the nice comments. I also thank everyone who is linking up and sharing their critters.. Happy Saturday, have a great weekend!





To see more beautiful birds and cute critters, check out these two memes below.

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-BirdinThanks to the gracious host: Anni.  Also check out Camera Critters. Thanks to Misty for hosting this fun meme.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Around the yard

Hello, it is amazing how fast the weeks are flying by. My photos are still from the month of May. There is so much activity with the birds in my yard, babies are already growing quickly.



My thoughts and prayers are with all the Orlando victims and their families. Also for Christina Grimmie (from The Voice) also shot in Orlando. Also, very sad at the Disney resort a Gator attacking and killing a 2 year old. 


For Teresa's Friday's Hunt: the letter "y", week's favorite  and "in my shoes".

I am sharing some birds, flowers and sky shots from around my yard.



 A closeup of one of the Carolina Wrens. Carolina Wrens are known to be very loud birds. They can have up to 20-32  patterns of songs and can sing year round.


A family of Carolina Wren pecking at the droppings from my suet feeder above.


For Today's Flowers . Thank you to Denise the host of Today's Flowers



We have a lot of pretty Clematis blooms on our fence. There are around 300 species of Clematis. We have at least three different species growing in our yard.



A House Wren has been busy all over my yard, singing up a storm. The courtship of male house wren consist of singing and showing the female houses for potential nests. They often puncture eggs of other birds to prevent other birds nesting nearby. If it is possible for a bird to be mean, the House Wren  are meanies.



This is one of neighborhood Great Blue Herons standing close to it's nest.


I can stand "in my shoes" on the fire road not far from my house and look over at the Heron's nest. Sometimes I can see the heron on the tree tops from my kitchen window. On this day I think the heron decided to pose nicely for me.  LOL not really just for me, I was kind of far away from the nest.


The moon on May 26th, the waning gibbous and 81% visible. My addiction to the moon continues, as long as the sky is clear.


 As always, thank you for visiting and for the nice comments. I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead.

Here is a list of linky parties for part of the week, I hope to see you there.

Thanks to Theresa @ The Run*A*Round Ranch for hosting Good Fences.
Thank you to Sylvia, Yogi and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday.
Thank you to Denise the host of Today's Flowers
Thanks also to Teresa Friday's Hunt
Thanks to Tom for hosting The Barn Collective

Sunday, June 12, 2016

Hashawha Nature Center

Hello, I hope everyone is doing well. We are finally enjoying some warm weather, the past month was kind of chilly.  The rainy weather pattern has stopped. Knock on wood!  On this day we visited one of our favorite parks in Carroll County, Maryland called Hashawha Nature Center. 


Above some of the birds we saw top line the Barn Swallow and an Eastern Kingbird. The bottom row the Green Heron and an Eastern Bluebird. They all posed nicely on the wire that runs across the lake.


It is not often I see a Green Heron perched on a wire high off the ground. It has some feathers stuck to it's beak from preening.



The lake at Hashawha!


Some irises growing close to the lake. The wildflowers this time of the year are beautiful.


Birds we saw during our walk at the park: top row Indigo Bunting, Eastern Kingbird, Tree Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, Song Sparrow, Gray Catbird, Blue Jay, Green Heron



Some barns scenes from the ride home, these are drive-bys and not the best shots with electric poles and wires in the way. But, there are lots of trees in the distance. I hope you enjoyed our walk, I appreciated your company.

I do appreciate your visits and the nice comments. As always, thanks to the wonderful group of hosts listed below.

Here is a list of linky parties for part of the week, Sunday thru Wednesday. I hope to see you there.

Thanks to Tom for hosting The Barn Collective
Thanks to Jesh our host for Seasons
Thanks to Judith our  host of Mosaic Monday   last Monday of the month
Thanks to Monica for hosting NF Trees
Thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes
Thanks to the hosting team of Our World Tuesday!
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday

Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a ha ppy new week! "One small positive thought in the morning can change your whole day." "T...