Saturday's Critters # 402

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 of the critters seen in my Prettyboy neighborhood and my back yard.  These photos were taken on various days from around July 16th through August 7th. 

1. We enjoy seeing the deer walking around our yard, this mama deer and her baby visited our yard often in the morning and again later in the day.

2. Hubby and I are taking our morning walks to the reservoir . The walks lately are early in the morning before the hottest part of the day. The photos below are take on July 16 and July 27th. We saw the Great Blue Heron both days, unknown ducks flying away, a large snapping turtle, a Belted Kingfisher, another Heron and a Carolina Wren. 

3. A closer look at the female Belted Kingfisher. She has the rufous belly band unlike the adult male.

4. In my backyard, I am seeing 5-6 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, a bullfrog hanging out near our little pond, Monarch Butterfly, Clear-wing Hummingbird Moth, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies, Eastern Bluebird with insect, waterlily and a rabbit near our pond.

5. The male Eastern Bluebird, caught an insect to take to his babies in the birdhouse. 

6. Monarch Butterfly with a Clear-wing Hummingbird Moth. 

7. The male Ruby-throated Hummingbird sits close to the feeder. 

8. The Bull frog sits on a rock at the little pond. 

9.  On this day, a Rabbit was sitting close the our little pond. 

I hope you enjoyed these photos and the wildlife seen in my backyard and around my neighborhood. 

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. 

Saturday's Critters #321

Welcome to Saturday's Critters!


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 birds from my back yard and the forest around our home.  I enjoy birding right outside my windows.

 The male Cardinal is sitting in bush in our yard, waiting for a turn at the feeder. 

The Male House Finch and seen below is the female House Finch. 

 The Carolina Wren eating some suet. 

The Red-bellied Woodpecker love the suet. 

 Top row, the male Goldfinch getting his summer colors and the male Red-bellied woodpecker. Bottom row, 2 Dark-eyed Juncos and a female House Finch.

I keep seeing this Yellow-bellied Sapsucker sitting in our Rhododendron outside our front window.  He is taken over the Cardinal's job of flying to the window scaring it's rival away.

Thanks to all my visitors and for all the wonderful comments. I appreciate everyone who loves critters and has linked up their post.


Here is a list of my linky parties;

Also visit:  I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the host Anni.

Hermit Thrush

 I am linking up my  post with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

This week I am showing my Hermit Thrush. The Hermit Thrush is a winter visitor to my yard. Here is some info on the Hermit Thrush: they have a white eye ring, heavily spotted below, a reddish tail that contrast with its back. It will flick its tail often, so look for the wagging tail.

This shot was taken out my dining room window, I was spooking the bird easily just by looking at it. I am trying to hide behind the curtain to take these shots. I guess now you can me a bird stalker.

My field guide says they enjoy insects and berries, but I am happy this one enjoys my bird seed or peanut nuggets.

A good view of the eye ring and the pink legs.

This Hermit Thrush is a bird I have been seeing in my yard the last couple of weeks. It is not a life bird for me but it is a nice bird to have in my yard. I hope enjoyed  my bird this week.

To see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.
I wish everyone a happy week ahead and Happy Birding!

At home and the NCR Trail

I am linking up with  Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin.

Last weekend we enjoyed the snow and the birds at home and took a walk New Year's Day on the NCR Trail.

 At home I am seeing Pine Siskins mixed in with my American Goldfinches. You can make out their splash of yellow on their wings.

 I do not always see Brown-headed Cowbirds at my feeders but sometimes they show up.

The feeders were busy during the snow, this Carolina Wren was checking out the BOSS feeder.

The NCR trail is a hiking, biking and walking trail on an old Northern Central Railroad trail. There are several places to park your car and start hiking we have our favorite places to start our walk.

There was some green here and there but the NCR trail was showing off its winter colors mostly. Along the trail I was watching Eastern Bluebirds, lots of Kinglets, Juncos, Chickadees and a cute Winter Wren. Most of the birds were either moving qickly or were camera shy.. except for the pretty Bluebirds.

Not sure what kind of berries these are but they added a splash of color to my photo.

I like the reflection of this bare tree in the stream.

More reflections caught in the stream.

Looking straight up at the Bluebird, showing more of their rufous color underparts.

The winding river follows along the NCR trail for most of the way.

I hope you enjoyed my yardbirds at home and our walk along the bike trail.

To see more beautiful photos and cute critters please visit:   Green Day and Camera Critters and I'd-Rather-B-Birdin. Thanks to the gracious host Fiona of Green Day, Misty Dawn of Camera Critters and to Anni of I'd Rather-B-birdin.  Thanks for visiting my blog and post. I wish everyone a very safe and happy weekend.

Woodpecker yardbirds

I am linking up my Woodpecker with Wild Bird Wednesday and Nature Notes

For this week's post  I have a couple of my yardbirds.... the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and the Downy Woodpecker.

 The Yellow-Bellied Sapsucker is in the woodpecker family. It is a winter bird for my area and is found in deciduous and mixed forest. They trap their food by drilling holes and forming sap wells which traps the insects.

Above the adult female has a red crown and white nape. The male has both the red crown and a red throat. It is a mid-size woodpecker ranging from 7-8.7 inches in length.

The Downy woodpecker is the smallest American woodpecker.  They can range in size from 5 1/2 to 7 inches in length. It is a resident to my area and it can be found in any wooded environment.

The female lacks the red spot that shows on the nape which is found on the male Downy woodpecker. It has a tiny bill and they eat insect, seeds and berries. And as you can see they love suet.

Other woodies I can see in and around my yard are the Hairy Woodpecker, The Northern Flicker and the Pileated Woodpecker.

I hope you enjoyed my woodie post.To see more beautiful and wonderful bird photos please visit:
 Stewart's Wild Bird Wednesday and Michelle's  Nature Notes.
Thanks to Stewart for hosting Wild Bird Wednesday and thanks to Michelle for hosting Nature Notes.
I wish everyone a happy week ahead and Happy Birding!

Vulture Sky

It's time for some of my favorites memes Skywatch Friday and  NF Winged.

As I am typing this post, I am listening to the weather for the evening. They have called for this Northeaster storm to come up the coast and bring lots more rain, wind and possibly snow. After storm Sandy, I believe the East coast has had enough rain, wind and snow. I have a feeling I will wake up tomorrow with a dusting of snow on the ground.  Gee, winter is not even here yet and I am wishing for Spring.

Another sign winter is here, the vultures are returning every evening to roost in the trees next to my house. For my skywatch, I am sharing some of the shots of the vultures flying toward and over my yard.

 Above there is a long line of vultures, just about as far as you can see above the pergola. They seem to just keep coming. Probably the biggest group of vultures I have seen in flight, except my sighting in Panama.

 If you look at the very tops of the trees, you can see the black shapes of the vultures that had already landed in the roost for the night.

The sunset was actually the evening before my vulture photos. I love how the clouds look and how they turned a pretty color

To me the clouds above , resembles a bird the beak facing toward the right side of the photo and the wing stretched far out. What do you think it look like? I hope you have enjoyed my skies.


To see more beautiful photos and pretty skies please visit Skywatch Friday
and to see more of the winged critters check out NF Winged

Thanks to Sylvia and Sandy for hosting Skywatch Friday! Thanks to Monica the host of NF Winged. Also, thank you for stopping by to see my post. I wish everyone a safe and happy weekend.

Morning Walk

Hello, I am linking up with Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday. 

The last few days we have been enjoying the Autumn colors locally around our lake and of course I am always watching my yardbirds.

On Sunday morning , Goldie Girl and I took a walk down to the lake. I think the colorful reflections on the lake were pretty.

 I tried hard to get a clear shot of the lake but between the slippery mud near the edge and the tree limbs I could not manage a perfect shot.

On the way to the lake I took shots of the beautiful and colorful trees along the fireroad.

Taking walks is one of Goldie Girls favorite things to do next to playing with her tennis balls.

This mosaic includes some of my Pine Siskins and a pair of Purple Finches.

Last weekend, I starting noticing one Pine Siskin hanging around and I thought to myself he was a scout and would be bringing back lots of his friends. I was right yesterday I counted around 20 Pine Siskins  on my deck railing and feeders.

Above is a male Purple finch that is visiting my yard with his lady friend below. The male is a pretty raspberry color.

The Purple Finches have that white line on their face near their eye.



To see more wonderful photos and mosaics please visit Mosaic Monday and Our World Tuesday
 Thanks to Mary of Mosaic Monday and to the hosting group of Our World Tuesday: Arija, Gattina, Lady Fi, Sylvia and Sandy .  Thanks also for stopping by to see my post.  I wish everyone a happy week!