Thursday, April 14, 2016

Great Dismal Swamp NWR

It's time to link up with Skywatch Friday  and Good Fences and Random 5 Friday and Friday's Hunt ...I hope you can join in on the fun and share your post with these fun memes.

My post is more on our Virginia Beach trip. On our first day in Virginia we stopped for a visit at the Great Dismal Swamp NWR near Suffolk Va. We drove the wildlife autotour, walked on a few of the trails enjoyed the scenery and wildlife.  The Great Dismal Swamp wildlife refuge was created in 1974 from a combined land purchased and with land donated to the government from the Nature Conservancy. The refuge encompasses over 112,000 acres. It is also considered one of the (IBA) Important Bird Areas.



For Friday's Hunt.  Thanks to Teresa for hosting Friday's Hunt.
1. Starts with P
2. Week's favorite
3.  In Motion

For Nancy's Random 5 Friday, my randoms are listed above the images.

1. Viewing wildlife and anything nature related is one of my simple Pleasures.

On the wildlife drive we saw many turtles out sunning themselves, a swallowtail butterfly, Brown-headed Cowbirds, Coots, Common Grackles, Killdeer, Belted Kingfisher.


2. Visiting and touring the national wildlife refuges is one of my favorite things to do. The scenery is usually pretty and we always see some kind of birds or wildlife.



A favorite photo...Pretty blue sky and lake, a fence and sky shot at the Lake Drummond at the Great Dismal Swamp NWR.

3. Lake Drummond is a freshwater lake located in the middle of the Great Dismal Swamp.


The photo below of the Coots "in motion" for Teresa's Friday Hunt prompt. The Coots have neat looking red eyes and white bills.



4. Hubby and I try to get our exercise walking outside and enjoying nature. This shot below has some fences for Tex's Good Fences meme.



We walked on some of this trail shown above, you can walk all the way to the same lake that we drove to on the autotour. Along the trail we saw and heard a lot of Yellow-rump Warblers, Pine Warblers and Woodpeckers.

A nice boardwalk thru the Great Dismal Swamp.




5. My addiction continues with taking photos of the moon.



Another Favorite photo, this was the moon as we left for Virginia on the morning of March 22nd.

Thank you so much for stopping by and for the nice comments.
To see more pretty skies, fences and fantastic photos from around the world please visit the memes below.   I wish everyone a happy day and weekend ahead..


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  

96 comments:

  1. Hello,

    Wonderful photos! The view with the Drummond Lake is so beautiful. Nice moon too :)

    Happy Thursday, and enjoy you day!

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  2. I do not thing that addition will do yo any harm Eileen. I love all your takes for Friay's Hunt. I love joining in on this meme and I will post mine tomorrow. I love you favourite shot and i think that would be mine also.

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  3. Love that boardwalk shot--those are always fun to walk on.
    Have a great weekend, Eileen

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  4. Que lindas fotos e lugares,Eillen! Que teu dia seja lindo! bjs, chica

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  5. Gorgeous photography! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

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  6. I like the mosaic.

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  7. Good morning Eileen! I'm glad the name of the NWR does not in any way detract from the beauty of the area!
    Loved the blue sky and lake shot and your photos of the coots were great!
    The boardwalk looks like a fun place!
    Enjoy your day!

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  8. Hari OM
    Anything BUT dismal!!! I think these are even smarter than your always smart shots Eileen - LOVE your favourite... YAM xx

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  9. I could go here with you Elieen...any ol' day. Such a beautiful area. Kinda a misnomer, 'dismal'.

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  10. Love those blue skies! Looks like an awesome place for a nature walk!

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  11. What a wonderful view! The blue sky and the fence are pretty, Eileen.

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  12. Great pics Eileen . . .
    Randoms, Fences and others . . .
    A prize in that MOON pic today!
    I would call that a healthy addiction . . .

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  13. Loved the visit. 'Great Dismal' ... is a great name :)

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  14. Beautiful photos. I always love your wild life images. The view of lovely blue sky, lake and fence at Lake Drummond is beautiful.

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  15. Very beautiful and a wonderful place to visit. I've never been but I know I would love it. The swamps look like some of ours here in FL. Enjoy your day! Hugs, Diane

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  16. There are some beautiful preserves in this great country. I am so glad that you post the photos that you do because I see places that I probably will never visit. Wonderful photos of the birds, as always.

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  17. thanks for showing the swamp.. i love swamps.. and the odd thing is the swamps here and in GA and this one all look so very much alike... that blue sky and board walk is really beautiful...

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  18. It doesn't look very dismal, quite nice actually. All those birds, so much fun.

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  19. Beautiful pictures of the trip and go.
    Birds, beautiful sky and the moon is great to see. The birds are a wonderful variances :-)

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  20. What a great selection of photo's, and I like your mosaic too.
    But what a name 'Great Dismal Swamp' for a truly beautiful place. The pictures you've shown of Lake Drummond at the Great Dismal Swamp, are just lovely.

    I do hope you are enjoying your Thursday ...

    All the best Jan

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  21. Beautiful images! I especially enjoyed the beautiful butterfly + sky shots! Have a lovely day!

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  22. You are such a pleasure, Eileen!

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  23. Really many of them, the wildlife, the swamp and the moon, brilliant.

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  24. Next week, I will be attending their Spring Birding Festival, and I can hardly wait! Have not yet been to Dismal Swamp... thanks for sharing!

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  25. Thanks to you and your husband for sharing your walks with us. These are lovely pictures. I love the variety of birds. Awesome moon shot too. Have a great day.

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  26. Beautiful place - but with a funny name. It's doesn't look dismal to me!

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  27. Hi Eileen,
    Beautiful series of photographs and collages.
    Nice setting also to photograph.
    The moon is amazing.
    Best regards, Irma

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  28. Always interesting, Eileen. Love the blue sky would like to see it here right now. Gray gray gray here but tomorrow is looking better
    Enjoy!
    MB

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  29. Gorgeous nature shots and some neat fences besides ~

    Happy Weekend coming to you ~ ^_^

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  30. Really beautiful captures, Eileen, and the reflections in your photo of the Coots is brilliant!

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  31. You have such wonderful places to visit and enjoy nature. Loved the turtles sunning themselves. That was a nice fence and a good boardwalk through the swamp (Wonder why they named it Dismal) as it looks plesant enough to me. Great shot of the moon to. A very nice post to view.

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  32. Great blue sky and so many creatures to watch...
    Never seen such a "woodway" through the forest before.
    Enjoy the springtime

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  33. Wonderful photos like to see the Turtles and the swallowtail butterfly is lovely.
    Amanda xx

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  34. All of your photos here have been my pleasure this evening!

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  35. great shots of your trip! we haven't been to the great dismal swamp yet but will get there eventually...i enjoyed the photos!

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  36. I love walking on a boardwalk like that! Super pics, Eileen!

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  37. What an amazing place to visit. I can see why you love it. Have a great weekend Eileen :)

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  38. Great images Eileen!
    Hug Crissi

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  39. really nice boardwalk, pier, and water scenes!

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  40. Like the wooden foot bridge.
    Such pretty blue sky pictures.

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  41. Such a pleasure to watch your captures, Eileen. Great blue skies and lovely scenery.

    Happy weekend wishes from Irene

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  42. Looks like you had a beautiful day for going to the dismal swamp! I love the big beautiful moon. Hope you have a wonderful day!

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  43. Glad the name didn't deter your visit. It really looks like an interesting place to explore.

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  44. The combination of blue lake and whispy white clouds on blue sky is awesome.

    Worth a Thousand Words

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  45. Such an interesting variety of photos. Very nice.

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  46. A funny name for a very pretty area! As always, I really love your moon shot!!

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  47. I cannot resist a trail or a path or windy road or that Boardwalk.

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  48. such a wonderful way through the forest. wonderful pictures.
    best regards
    susa

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  49. What an incredible place, Eileen!
    I love your sky shots and the turtles are awesome.
    Have a Happy Day!
    Peace :)

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  50. You did an awesome job with all these prompts Eileen!! I always enjoy seeing a kingfisher, I hope someday I will see one in "real life"!!!! Beautiful blue skies and your moon shots are always outstanding!!

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  51. Great walking trails you have there with a lot of bird sighting possiibilities.

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  52. Great photos! I like most the photo of the coots and the photos of the blue sky and the moon. Happy weekend!

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  53. It certainly doesn't look dismal! I only learned of the auto tour this year. I think it's only on weekdays; hubby said he wants to go, but with so much happening at work, I don't know when that will be. Thanks for sharing your visit.

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  54. I'm still smiling about the naming of the swamp ;-)

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  55. I love that picture of the Kingfisher and I love those beautiful blue skies and the paint strokes of clouds :)

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  56. Excelente trabalho e fantásticas fotografias.
    Um abraço e bom fim de semana.

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  57. So nice :) Awesome clicks.
    Greetings from India

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  58. why is somewhere so beautiful called Great Dismal?

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  59. Such a beautiful place. You really scored with beautiful National Wildlife Refuges on this roadtrip ... incredible to hit three such wonderful places in such a short time!

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  60. Hi Eileen,
    fabulous photos of this wonderful area and a pretty collage of the birds. Amazing !
    Best regards, Synnöve

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  61. I work in a school that continuously celebrates the Moon . . . cool.

    I wonder if the creatures know you love them . . . I hope so.

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  62. back again....because i did not comment on your favorite photo and it is a real beauty. so peaceful, so serene, i could sit on the end of that dock for hours and never get bored!!! i know you could as well!!!!

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  63. outstanding skies-my hubby is a moon lover too, this is a super photo... I love the little bird with a frilly hairdo, cool creature collage :-) Have a great weekend.

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  64. Great shots! Love the azure beauty

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  65. Traveling with you today is a joy! Your sky is so blue and the water so calm. It offers peace. Thank you!

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  66. Amazing photos and such a beautiful peaceful place.

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  67. Hi Eileen, These are some excellent photos. Not only are the subjects good, but you prepare your pics for online posting in a most excellent way. It delights me that you are adicted to moon photos because I aways enjoy your postings. I wonder if you have ever gotten into other kinds of astronomy photography? Using a telescope? I would like to do that but need a darker sky than I have here in the city. Have a great weekend!

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  68. Terrific photos!!! You were in my neck of the woods, almost literally! We looked at a house on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp a couple of months ago. Have a blessed weekend!

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  69. Nice shots, all! I wish I could find a neat walking trail around here..but unfortunately all are too far for regular visiting. Love the turtles..they are so cute sunning.
    Have a great day Eileen!

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  70. Great series from your Virginia trip. Love the board walk and I'm glad you are addicted to the moon! Happy Friday!

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  71. These are all fabulous photos Eileen. Thank you for sharing them.

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  72. Beautiful place. I love the blue sky !

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  73. I love the boardwalk shot and the name of the swamp! Your Moon shots are always awesome.

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  74. Preciosas!!! love those as blue skies, it seems to have painted the clouds Eileen :))
    Besos.

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  75. Great moon shot...love the coots...Gorgeous sky..Have a great weekend Eileen

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  76. Wonderful photos as always Eileen. I love the name of this place! It looks like a great place to enjoy nature.

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  77. great series of photos, eileen! i love that beautiful big moon shot.
    xoxo

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  78. Returning the compliment and calling by from Skywatch Friday, loved this post!
    That fence is the same style as the one in my photo

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  79. I love places in nature to walk too Eileen, so peaceful and if one is lucky, some wildlife to photograph.

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  80. Love all those skies and woods...

    Here's my submission for this week.
    <a href="https://thehiddenpanorama.com/2015/01/09/panoramic-view-mount-kinabalu/>Panoramic View : Mount Kinabalu</a>

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  81. I'm truly enjoying your addiction. The moon shot is amazing! Love the coots, and all the blue skies are wonderful. Looks like an amazing place to visit. Thanks so much for joining Friday's Hunt. I really do appreciate it.

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  82. Despite its name the Dismal Swamp looks like a great place for a walk. Happy Sunday.

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  83. I love that path, trail... It's such a lovely place for observations! For sure was a great time seeing and listening all of these critters! Greetings!

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  84. Wonderful photos and a great place for photos!

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  85. Regardless of its name, the Great Dismal Swamp looks like a cheery place to visit. Name change due?
    When I pkayed golf in the mornings, have pretty well stopped playing now, I loved to see the turtles, all sizes, out sunning. Like birds on a wire, they seemed to have a pecking order for spots on the logs. The swamp and lake banks too?
    I am envious of your moon shots. I have a tripod and my pocket Sony has a screwin socket so I'm sure that would help my quality. Then use the timer so as to not jiggle things. Lazy people should not be getting envious.
    ..

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  86. Great photos and it looks like a nice place to visit.

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  87. Lovely clear skies, but don't find them as lovely as the paths, because clear skies are always with us here now. Those paths in the woods are so inviting for me, as they feel cold there. I am also envious of your plenty of comments, which i haven't encountered in my years of blogging. It is reaching 100 now.

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  88. Thanks for sharing so much beautiful places with us... and so many beautiful species... which we can't find on this side!
    Great captures, once again!...
    Great work, Eileen!
    Kisses!
    Ana

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

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Have a happy day, Eileen

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