Sunday, May 29, 2016

Birds & Blooms

I have a list below of memes I am joining for this week, and to save time I am doing one post for all. They are all fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts. Special thanks to all the wonderful host and their memes, I hope you have some time to check them out.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! God Bless our Veterans and  our country.

I am sharing some of our blooms and birds seen in our yard or in the woods next to our house.  The Pink Lady Slipper a wild orchid is found growing in the same spot every year.


We found a few Pink Lady Slippers along the fireroad near home.


A pretty Scarlet Tanager can be seen in the woods next to our home.



Our Clematis is starting to bloom.


Wild pink azaleas in the forest next to our home.



A pretty Rose-breasted Grosbeak seen on 5/15/16


The Red-bellied woodpecker seen right outside my dining room window. The male is on the feeder dropping crumbs for the female on my deck. Bird watching from the windows has been happening a lot lately. We have had many rainy days this spring.


For Tom's Barn Collective I have a local barn, over the years it has sat empty. It is somewhat a famous barn for us it was used in the movie Runaway Bride which was filmed in our area. This barn is just across from my son's old elementary school.

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, May 28, 2016

Saturday's Critters #128

Saturday's Critters #128

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.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY weekend!!!!

We have been staying closer to home lately so I have been watching my yard birds as often as I can. You never know when you may see a new bird show up. I am sharing the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks, it has been the longest amount of days I have seen them here. They arrived around April 29 and as I type this post I am still seeing a few on May 19th. The Indigo Buntings are still here, my Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are here and a few other regular yard birds like the House Finches, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird and the Red-bellied Woodpecker.


 A pretty Indigo Bunting in the rain.


A female Rose-breasted Grosbeak showing a little yellow on her wings.



House Finch couple, the female is in the feeder.



A Caroline Wren, there was a family of five hopping all around my yard.


A Gray Catbird enjoys the suet feeder.


The female Rose-breasted Grosbeak also loves the blueberry suet.


The male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were fighting over the suet feeder.


A Red-bellied Woodpecker up my deck railing. She is looking for peanuts.



A silhouette shot of my Ruby-throated Hummingbird.


Three male Rose-breasted Grosbeaks were all trying out the sunflower seed feeder. I hope you enjoyed this variety of yard birds. They are a joy for me to see and watch right from my windows. Most of these photos were taken with my Canon SX40 out my dining room window.

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, May 26, 2016

Making lemonade

I have a list below of memes I am joining for this week, and to save time I am doing one post for all. They are all fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts. Special thanks to all the wonderful host and their memes, I hope you have some time to check them out.

I am behind in sharing my photos and jumping all around these are from April 30th. At this time the weather was usually either cloudy, rainy and chilly. The reason for my title, the weather was not going to clear up days so we took our chances and made lemonade out of one of the cloudy days. We were able to do some walking, birding and make it home before the rain started.


Teresa's Friday's Hunt:  The letter V,  Week's Favorite, Sunshine.

Start's with V..photo below. I like the Virginia Bluebells in bloom along the river trail.


 Weeks Favorite  is below, I like the mill and the big knotty tree. These trees in the spring are full of warblers and Baltimore Orioles. The birds, it is one of the reasons for being at the park on this day.







Random 5 Friday

1. Rock Run Historic Area with the Grist Mill at the Susquehanna River State Park in Maryland. I was looking for some fence scenes, the fence around the mill is perfect for Tex's Good Fence meme. The Grist Mill was erected in 1798 and in 1958 three hundred acres of this land was donated to the State of Maryland to create a park.



2. "Go all out, don't be embarrassed or scared." I love this shot below with the Great Blue Heron sticking it's head into the water for a fish.



3. We enjoy a spring walk at the Susquehanna River State Park, the wildflowers are so pretty in the spring. Advice from a wildflower: Show your true colors, delight in simple pleasures, celebrate your natural beauty, open up, spread seeds of joy, it's OK to be a late bloomer and be wild and wonderful. Thanks to Denise the host of Today's Flowers!



4. I do try to learn the bird id's. I guessed right on this bird and received confirmation that it is the Northern Rough-winged Swallow. This bird was flying around and under the fishing bridge at the Susquehanna River.




5. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.  In our case it was get out for a walk on a cloudy chilly day. The weather was only going to get worse. My Friday Skywatch, a cloudy day at the Susquehanna River.


Did you have fun on my walk?  I hope you enjoyed my post and images. As always, thank you for visiting and for the nice comments. Have a happy weekend ahead!

To see more pretty skies, fences and fantastic photos from around the world please visit the memes below.  Thanks for visiting and for all 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
Thank you to Nancy the host of Random 5 Friday
Thanks also to Teresa Friday's Hunt 
Thanks to Tom for hosting The Barn Collective

Sunday, May 22, 2016

Cordoras Reservoir, Pennsylvania

I am sharing a list below of memes for this week. If you want try to link up and join in they are fun memes to participate in...I hope you can check out some of the participating posts too. Special thanks to all the wonderful host and their memes, I hope you have some time to check them out.

On the way home from our son's new house we found a trail at the Codorus Reservoir called the Mary Ann Furnace Trail. It was another gloomy dreary day but we took a quick walk maybe 10-15 minutes to see what is was like. I think we will be going back and taking a longer walk soon.


The trail signs and a platform for viewing the wetland and birds. I think we missed seeing the muggles, unless we were the muggles?


Some of the trail was boardwalk, it was nice not to walk in mud.


The mosaic above includes a Gray Catbird, some wildflowers, Spotted Sandpiper, the boardwalk and creek.



Above are the Yellow-rumped Warbler, Wood Duck with ducklings and a Yellow Warbler. I wish the sun was out, the photos would possibly turned out better.




My Youtube video of the Spotted Sandpiper. This Spotted Sandpiper was so cute to watch, I taped him/her bobbing all around the stream.


A barn scene for Tom's Barn Collective, we pass this farm a lot on our way to our son's place in Pennsylvania.

I hope you enjoyed my post, birds and walk on the trail. The video is an added extra to enjoy. 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, 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, May 21, 2016

Saturday's Critters #127

Saturday's Critters #127

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 skipping all around and sharing photos from May 8th, I have some birds seen in my neighborhood and from our walk to the lake to see the Bald Eagle's nest.





A first for me this time of the year I saw a few Common Loons on our lake.


I am pretty sure, even though this is an awful photo the Bald Eagle is standing in front of an eaglet. I see a dark body and the beak of the eaglet. I wish the nest was closer, but it is across the lake and too far for a good photo.


The Scarlet Tanager is a breeder in my area and in the forest next to our home.



Above is the Louisiana Waterthrush video taken during my walk on the nearby fireroad. You can see the Waterthrush hopping around catching bugs and some other bird sounds like the Worm Eating Warbler and I believe an Ovenbird is fussing at me.


The ovenbird is another breeder in the forest next to our home. We are lucky to have our property back up to this forest. 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, May 19, 2016

Warbler Time

I have a list below of memes I am joining for this week, and to save time I am doing one post for all. These links are not just for me but you can also copy them and join in with any of these linky parties. . They are all fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts. Special thanks to all the wonderful hosts and their memes, I hope you have some time to check them out.


Teresa's Friday's Hunt
1. Start's with U
2. Weeks Favorite
3.  Morning

Random # 1. In the spring we see some pretty warblers pass thru our neighborhood and around our lake. The warblers like to stay high up in the tree tops which makes it almost impossible to get a good photo. I still like to document what I see and when.


#2. My name is Eileen and I have an addiction to birds. On this day I saw the Prairie Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, possibly a female Pine Warbler or Kinglet and a Chestnut-sided Warbler, Woodpeckers, Hermit Thrush and the Eagle nest.


We watched the Prairie Warblers chasing each other around the trees and bushes. This may not look like the best photo. But it is my favorite for the week, mainly because I love the bright yellow warbler checking me out. 


The Lousiana Waterthrushes show up a near the creeks that run into our lake, the same time that the warbler arrive.


Overhead looking up at the top of the pine trees, we saw a Red-tailed hawk.

"The sky is the daily bread of the eyes."  Ralph Waldo Emerson



3. Skywatching is another one of my simple pleasures. On this day, we drove around the lake for a walk on another fireroad, it is the same spot where we found the eagles nest. Another favorite photo, this shot of the sky and field was taken from the parking area.


4. Hubby and I are proud of our son at 23 years old, he has purchased his second home. After living in his first home for two years, he spent a lot of time renovating the first place and sold it within a week of listing. Some scenes from our ride to our son's new place, we take the back roads and there are a lot of farms, barns and animals.



5. The spring baby animals are so darn cute. We pass by this farm with the Longhorn cattle, do you see the little calf  laying in front of the whitish colored mom. Click on the image for larger viewing, it is in the middle of the photo.


  Lots on contrails from the jets and a pretty blue sky.  Make time for the simple pleasures. My simple pleasure is skywatching.

"Be thankful for what you have. Simple Pleasures are the best part of life."

I hope you enjoyed my post and images. As always, thank you for visiting and for the nice comments. Have a happy new week ahead!

To see more pretty skies, fences and fantastic photos from around the world please visit the memes below.  Thanks for visiting and for all the nice comments. I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead.

Here is a list of linky parties for part of the last 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 Nancy the host of Random 5 Friday
Thanks also to Teresa Friday's Hunt 
Thanks to Tom for hosting The Barn Collective

Sunday, May 15, 2016

Swan Harbor Farms

I have a list below of memes I am joining for this week, and to save time I am doing one post for all. They are all fun memes to participate in...I hope you can join in with the fun  and check out some of the participating posts. Special thanks to all the wonderful host and their memes, I hope you have some time to check them out.

Swan Harbor Farm in Havre De Grace Maryland is one of my favorite spots for birding. It is part of Maryland's Open Space Program. It is also a hot venue for weddings and receptions.

Above top row: Swamp Sparrow, Yellow Warbler, Common Yellow-throat. Second row: Tree Swallows and Orchard Oriole. Third row: Bobolink, Solitary Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs. Bottom row: Blue-winged teal, Yellowlegs, Great Egret, Canada Goose, Wood Duck & ducklings.


The Swamp Sparrow seen with it pretty rusty cap. The nest in fresh water marshes and bogs.



During this visit, we were in the bird blind and we also walked around the pond and marshland.


Canada Goose, Great Egret and can you find the female Wood Duck and duckling?


Walking around the pond, I heard this Bobolink before I actual saw it. It has a pretty song.



Barn at the Swan Harbor Farms


I am sure we will be visiting again soon, it is a hotspot for Maryland birders. Always some great birds to be seen, waiting for me. 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, 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, May 14, 2016

Saturday's Critters #126

Saturday's Critters #126

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 various yard birds. Lately I have been doing more birding from my windows and just around the neighborhood.



My first sighting of the Rose-breasted Grosbeaks was just one on April 29th. Then there were 3 males sighted on May 1st and then I had 6 males on May 2nd.


This photo above shows 4 of the 6 on May 2nd. It is hard to get all 6 into one photo.




The Indigo Bunting will visit the feeders if it is not bullied.



The Blue Jays seem to be daily visitors to my feeders. I hope enjoyed my birds LOL, yes if they are in my yard they are my birds.

From my walk on the neighborhood fireroad, the Barred Owl, A neighbor on her horse and the Double-crested Cormorant at the lake.

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.

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...