Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Tundra Swans

For my World Bird Wednesday and  Watery Wednesday post I have some Tundra Swans we saw while visiting Middle Creek WMA. Not only does the Middle Creek wildlife area attract huge counts of Snow Geese you can also see hundreds on Tundra Swans.

My field guide says they winter on lakes and estuarites in the lower 48 states. Feeding in open waters, marshes and croplands.






Thanks to Springman of World Bird Wednesday  and thanks to 2sweetnsaxy for hosting Watery Wednesday  .  Also thank you for visiting me and I appreciate the comments from everyone. Have a great Wednesday.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

My yardbirds and a walk

I am linking up this post with  Mary's Mosaic Monday and  That's My World  it is of my recent yardbirds and a walk today along the fireroad to the lake.

It is Spring at least on the calendar, I am not sure if my yardbirds know it though. I am still seeing my winter birds and I am on the watch for any sign of my summer, migrants or my breeding birds. Some winter birds still here are the Juncos, White throated Sparrows and Pine Siskins and the Fox Sparrow.


Pictured in my yardbird mosaic are the male Pine Warlber, Junco, Bluejay, Chickadee, female Cardinal and a Fox Sparrow.


After watching my yardbirds in the early morning hubby and I drove around the lake for a walk on another fireroad. It was a pretty day with a beautiful blue sky but very cold temps were in the high 30's. Nice day for a brisk walk and I wanted to see a different part of the lake then the usual part we just walk to. Goldie Girl enjoys a car ride and the walking. I was happy to see my first of the year Eastern Phoebe.



I was hoping the fireroad would take us all the way to the lake but, the trail down to the lake was rocky and steep. I decided to let hubby and Goldie Girl take the small trail down to the lake edge. I stayed at the top and took a shot of the lake from the fireroad. Below is Goldie Girl huffing and puffing back up the steep hill.

Please join in and visit Mosaic Monday and That's My World.  Thanks to Mary of Mosaic Monday and to the gang at That's My World.

Also, thanks for stopping by and I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Birding Bombay Hook NWR

On Saturday hubby and I drove to Delaware's Bombay Hook NWR. It is one of my favorite places for birding. We also wanted a good flat spot to see the Supermoon rise. We had a great day birding, we saw lots of ducks, three juvenile Eagles and one adult Bald Eagle. Since we stayed long enough to see the Supermoon rise and we also saw a beautiful sunset. These shots are all captured on my mosaic for Mary's Mosaic Monday.

Pictured below top left is the Northern Shoveler, on the top right are the Green Winged Teals, middle left is the juvenile Eagle, middle right is a tagged Snow Goose, bottom left are two GB Herons.


I love the colors on these Green-winged Teals.

Two juvenile eagles playing around


Bombay Hook sunset

The colorful Supermoon rising over Bombay Hook NWR



I hope you enjoyed my Bombay Hook photos and mosaic. Please visit Mary's Mosaic Monday to see more wonderful mosaics. Thanks to Mary for hosting and thanks for stopping by to see my post. I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Keel Billed Toucan

Keel Billed Toucan seen at the at the National Zoo in DC this past weekend.


The Keel Billed Toucan I saw in the wilds of Costa Rica last year.


I love seeing birds anywhere but seeing them in the wild is so much nicer.

To see more wonderful birds please click on my link for World Bird Wednesday and more fun post at Wordless Wednesday

Thanks to the hosts of both World Bird Wednesday and Wordless Wednesday. Also, thanks for stopping by my post. I hope the rest of your week is great.

Friday, March 11, 2011

White Breasted Nuthatch

My post for this weeks CAMERA CRITTERS is the White Breasted Nuthatch. It is a year round bird for me and visits my feeders on a regular basis. You can see they have a white belly with a tiny bit of rust, a pale blue on their back and a slightly darker crown. They love the suet, peanuts and the Black Oiled sunflower seeds. They can be seen favoring the big oak trees in the woods across from my driveway.  These WB Nuthatches are one of my favorite yardbirds, but then I have a lot of favorite birds.


These pic's are taken from my dining room window




Please visit Misty Dawn's Camera Critters  to see more cute and wonderful critters. Thanks Misty for hosting and thanks for stopping by my post. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Snow Geese

My favorite shot of the Snow Geese for World Bird Wednesday and Wordless Wednesday







Please visit World Bird Wednesday to see more beautiful birds and Wordless Wednesday is always great to visit. Thank you to the wonderful hosts and thanks for stopping by my blog.



Sunday, March 6, 2011

Snow Geese at Middle Creek WMA

I am linking  up Mosaic Monday. Please visit and check out all the wonderful mosaic's at Mary's Little Red House.

Yesterday hubby and I joined a couple of my birding friends on a daytrip to Middle Creek WMA to see the Snow Geese. It was a foggy morning to start off but the fog lifted and it turned out to be a great day of birding. I believe the Snow Geese count was estimated around 80,000. The Snow Geese are an amazing sight to see and hear so many at one time. Along with the Snow Geese we also saw Tundra Swans, Canada Geese, Ringed Neck ducks, American Wigeons, American Black ducks, Gadwalls, Pintails, Mallards, adult Bald Eagle and a juvenile Eagle. Best of all was a Rough Legged hawk which was a lifer for me. It was a very cool viewing of this hawk hovering over a field not far from our car.




 This is just a small amount of the Snow geese we saw at the Middle Creek WMA.



Below are the Tundra Swan and Canada geese. The feathers floating on top of the water look like snow.


The ducks below are far left the Gadwall, American Wigeon has the white stripe on its head , next maybe a female Wigeon and in the back is the Canada Goose and far back on the right is a Ring Neck Duck

Below a not so good photo of my lifer the Rough Legged hawk. But it is good enough to help with the id.




It was a great day of birding and spending time with my friends. I hope you enjoyed my Snow Geese post. Please visit Mary's Mosaic Monday for more wonderful mosaics and photos.

Thanks to Mary for hosting and thanks for stopping by my blog. Have a great week!


Saturday, March 5, 2011

Common Grackle

For this weeks Camera Critters I am showing the Common Grackle. They are found in woodlands, farmlands and suburbs. In optimal light the iridescent hues are just beautiful to me. They seem to pig out on my bird seed and they love suet.  They are not one of my favorite yardbirds but they can be pretty.




The bronze and violets colors on the wings are gorgeous and check out those eyes.

I hope you enjoy my grackle post and to see more cute and wonderful critters go and visit Misty Dawn's Camera Critters 

Thanks to Misty Dawn for hosting and thanks for stopping by my blog. Have a great weekend!



Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Pine Warbler

For this weeks World Bird Wednesday I am showing off my pretty Pine Warbler. He is a bright yellow where as the female to me is a little olive brownish looking. I have been seeing this beauty during the winters for quite a few years. They are known to be residents from the Carolinas and south. I guess I am lucky to keep seeing this guy at my feeders.




I hope you enjoyed my Pine Warbler and to see more wonderful birds go and visit World Bird Wednesday

Thanks to Springman and thanks for visiting my blog.

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...