Friday, January 11, 2013

Birding Loch Raven

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

These photos are from last weekend, hubby and I took another walk at the Loch Raven Reservoir. Loch Raven seems to attract more ducks in the winter than the reservoir near my home.


Most of the ducks were across the lake on the opposite shore from where we stood. I can make out the Canada Geese, Common Mergansers, Buffleheads, Hooded Mergansers and I am sure there are some ducks I could not id without having my scope.



Loch Raven is great place to visit on the weekends, since the road is closed and used for hiking, biking and jogging around the lake. The road is line with the tall green pine trees that you can see in the distance.



Above, hanging out on a small island we saw the Great Blue Heron, lots of gulls, and some Ringed-neck Ducks.


I was playing around with the setting on my camera and I thought it made the water look neat.


Look the ducks are swimming uphill.


Families with small children are often seen in this spot at the lake feeding the gulls, ducks and geese.

Almost home, we see the usual peacocks hanging out on the snowy field. Now, that not a usual sight for some to see.


A cropped photo for a closer look. These birds live on a farm around the corner from me and I see them often on my way home from work. A few times they have been on the road right near a curve, luckily they were safe while I had to brake for them. It seems our neighborhood has a few farms with these peacocks, I have passed signs along my road saying BIG BIRD crossing.


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.

50 comments:

  1. the sunken water shots made me a little nervous! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. i agree - is that a whirl pool or something ... so wild??! nice views. love the old red barn. ( :

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love that great blue! These are wonderful. I really enjoyed the way you played with your camera to create those effects.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just adore the shots where you played with your settings! That is so cooool!!!! And the ducks swimming uphill!!! LOVE IT! Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Eillen,

    Você sempre nos trás imagens lindas, mas cada vez me surpreendo mais com a beleza desses lugares.
    Um lindo e abençoado final de semana. Abraços

    ReplyDelete
  6. Phew, swimming uphill! It makes me feel breathless to think about it! Hope you're having a great weekend. Jo

    ReplyDelete
  7. Good morning from Ireland Eileen.

    What a fantastic place to visit
    I loved the water shots and the snowy fields
    I have only seen a peacock in Dublin zoo so thought these pics were amazing.

    I hope that you have a lovely weekend.


    Fiona

    ps playing around with the camera setting was fun but the water looked a bit scary!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lovely scenery and with snow, cheers Eileen.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ciekawe i bardzo ładne miejsce na spacer. Podoba mi się Twoja zabawa zdjęciami. Pozdrawiam.
    Interesting and very nice place for a walk. I like your fun photos. Yours.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great series of shots! You have peacocks too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Olá Eileen, absolutamente fantásticas essas fotos aí! Imagino que esse local deve ser um Paraíso! Muito obrigada por partilhar fotos de lugares tão belos. Desejo-lhe um bom fim-de-semana. Abraço Ailime

    ReplyDelete
  12. (yay! it's the weekend and i can finally do a little blog-catch-up)

    love your header pic's....
    and your bird shots from Loch Raven (love that name too!)

    AND the shots where you played around with the settings.,...so cool!! almost feels as though you're about to be sucked into the earth...a vortex...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Great place to walk..had3 me tricked with yr camera settings...and how diffrrent to see peacocks on the snowy ground. Would make fot a lovely photo up close ...loved your header images Eileen

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautiful -- great way to start my day Eileen. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Peacocks...in the 'wild'. I've only seen 'em in zoos. What a treat. As for you playing with the setting on your camera, that photo turned out awesome.

    And of course, as always, love your photos Eileen.

    ReplyDelete
  16. How neat to see peacocks! I love them. Your camera has some cool settings - some of those photos are like crazy optical illusions!

    Hope you have a good weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  17. How beautiful these pics are. The snowy field is gorgeous. Have a wonderful weekend, Eileen.

    Mildred

    ReplyDelete
  18. Once again, I have enjoyed the walk with you. I enjoyed hearing about the Peacock farm. It is my maiden name. We often see Peacocks in the south west part of Ireland. They aren't fenced or caged. They walk freely about here and there. The white Peacock is beautiful with spreaded wing!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Great shots of nature's gems ~

    (A Creative Harbor ~ Carol L McKenna)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Isn't camera play fun?!!!! Loch Raven Reservoir looks like a wonderful place. Happy Critter Day!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Funny about the peacocks! There's a neighborhood here that I have seen some in, but was never sure if they were pets or zoo escapees.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Such beautiful images! I've never seen a camera with a fisheye setting built into it. How neat!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Hallo Eileen
    für mich zeigt du Bilder aus dem Paradies..so wunderbar :D

    LG vom katerchen

    ReplyDelete
  24. What a lovely lake. Love that shot with the heron!

    ReplyDelete
  25. That was a fun setting on the camera for the water shots.
    I've never seen peacocks in the wild and for some reason I thought they were warm weather birds.

    ReplyDelete
  26. You have such an eye for spotting and identifying the birds that you see. I sometimes have to consult a bird book just to figure out who is flitting about in my backyard!
    -Karen

    ReplyDelete
  27. so pretty....great sightings!!

    have a wonderful weekend!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Am trying to visit the comments to my blog this week -love your walk by the lake - the first one with the globe setting is kinda otherworldly! Very interesting are the faint (reflections) shadows of the people in the water:)

    ReplyDelete
  29. It is always the great pleasure that to browse your blog. Bravo for photos ;-)
    Céline & Philippe

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hallo Eileen!How beautiful these photos are!!Amazing shots!The snowy field is gorgeous!! Have a wonderful weekend!!
    Dimi..

    ReplyDelete
  31. Poor birds having to "climb" up that water (that's what it looked like to me at first). I wondered for a minute there where those peacocks came from -- how funny to see them on the street. My favorite picture is the one with the heron and all the other water birds...always love to see a mixed group of birds like that.

    ReplyDelete
  32. These are all just wonderful. I love them all.

    We tried with peacocks here. But, one flew away and the other got taken away by a bobcat.

    I love all sorts of birds and especially water fowl and pea fowl.

    I also love your blog. I am following you now on Google and FB Networked!

    I am getting so hooked on all of this birding that I may just have to change my blog form a three column to a two...so I can show larger photos.

    Thanks for going out and bird hunting with your camera so we could all enjoy these wonderful shots!

    Happy week!

    ReplyDelete
  33. Great image series showing :) Hanne Bente

    ReplyDelete
  34. Dearest Eileen,
    Oh, how I wish I could see peacocks hanging out in my neighbor p;) Do you see they open their wings sometimes?
    Haha, I enjoyed the way you fiddled with camera and outcomes♡♡♡
    Not getting better perfectly from cold(^^;)
    Sending you lots of love and hugs from Japan, xoxo Miyako*

    ReplyDelete
  35. You know what I'm gonna say, in fact I can't add much to what I posted yesterday when I was over at Hootin' Anni's admin.

    But I will jot down this -

    Thanks for linking up this week at the Bird D'Pot. Your post is a remarkable addition for all.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Great captures of the big gathering of assorted birds and ducks at the lake and corn fields.
    I didn't know Peacocks wintered in the north.

    Happy weekend, Eileen.

    ReplyDelete
  37. A good serie of photos!
    Nice "camera-play", - but swimming in that water...? No!
    Have a nice day!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I like the wide angle perspective you got with the camera setting!

    ReplyDelete
  39. Beautiful images. The ones you played around with made me a little sea sick. LOL Funny how peacocks love to roam the streets.
    MB

    ReplyDelete
  40. looks like a lovely place for a walk, love the swirly water with the ducks swimming uphill!

    ReplyDelete
  41. haha, you had some fun that day. I´m not sure my camera can do that. Guess I have to check. :)

    ReplyDelete
  42. Wow! So many ducks!!
    Beautiful shots as always!
    Have a great week ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Beautiful shots, especially the snowy field!

    ReplyDelete
  44. Great spot!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

    ReplyDelete
  45. What an exciting sanctuary for the birds and photographers alike.
    Laurie

    ReplyDelete
  46. So many interesting things to see in your shots, Eileen :)
    Thanks for dropping by.

    http://www.1sthappyfamily.com/2013/01/a-graceful-chicken.html

    ReplyDelete
  47. Stunning photos!!
    I just love the way you see nature!
    Have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
  48. Peacocks are really interesting to see in person....but to see them in snow and on a farm....strange:) Very cool image!

    ReplyDelete

Hello, thank you for visiting my blog. I always appreciate your comments.

BTW, Anonymous comments unless a name is included will not be published. Also, comments with links will be deleted.

Have a happy day, Eileen

Happy Monday!

Wishing everyone a great day and a ha ppy new week! "Sometimes miracles are just good people with kind hearts." Rick's Cafe, N...