Graeme and I met at Lake Artemesia this morning in search of Wood Ducks, and did well. We had a bright day of sunshine with a light breeze and plenty of birds.

We were met by an Eagle, a relatively rare species at the lake, then Ring Necks and Pied Billed Grebes. Geese, Mallards and Wood Ducks followed. My first good Junco of the season will please my sister.

I made a brief stop at Quiet Waters in the afternoon and found a nice Pileated Woodpecker.

Spring is coming soon!

This Bald Eagle flew overhead as we entered the park.

This Pileated Wood pecker is excavating a nest at Quiet Waters.

A few Mallards seemed to be playing in the lake.

Sveral Wood Duck pairs were cruising the lake.

Three Pied Billed Grebes were fishing.

We found only a few Canada Geese.

This Red Winged Blackbird posed in perfect light.

Only a few Buffleheads were swimming in the lake.

This Dark Eyed Junco was feeding rapidly.

Graeme and I looked for the Hooper’s Island Snowy Owl this morning without luck. Most of the waterfowl in the area seem to have moved on.

We then took a  tour of Blackwater and had somewhat better luck.  There were many Shovelers, Tundras, Geese and Eagles and a few passerines.

Very windy and cold weather probably affected the numbers of birds. It certainly affected our enthusiasm.

We found this Bald Eagle on Hooper’s Island.

This Great Blue heron didn’t move for at least two hours.

Many Tundra Swans are still at Blackwater.

A few Bluebirds were feeding along Wildlife Drive.

A Downy Woodpecker was near the observation tower.

Many Red Winged Blackbirds were singing.

Northern Shovelers were more common than usual.

We found this Horned Grebe at Hooper’s Island.

This Redhead was also at Hooper’s Island.

The Red Headed Woodpecker barely moved at all.

With nice weather promised, I took a chance on Lake Artemesia this morning, and it worked out.

There weren’t a great number of birds, but there was a good variety and they were close enough for decent images.

Most of the Geese are gone, but the Wood Ducks and Grebes have moved in, as well as a few Mergansers.

I made a stop at Quiet Waters on the way home, but didn’t see much.

Soon we’ll be seeing warblers and Spring will be here.

This pair of Horned Grebes was at Quiet Waters.

I almost missed this pair of Wood Ducks in Indian Creek.

Several Northern Flickers were foraging on the ground.

A lone Double Crested Cormorant flew in while I was circling the lake.

Several Cardinals were feeding near the water’s edge.

A few Mallards were swimming in the lake.

A single pair of Hooded Mergansers were serenely paddling about.

I found this mis-matched pair at Quiet Waters yesterday.

These Pied Billed Grebes are in breeding plumage.

Hooper’s Island, MD.

I had pretty good directions to the Snowy Owl site the other day, and parked a couple of hundred yards short of the spot.
As I walked along the roadside, a school bus puled up alongside and the woman driver opened the door and asked, “Have you seen the Snow Owl yet”?
“No”, I said, and she wished me luck and drove off. All this at 7:00 AM.
There was a pickup parked near the spot, and I walked up to it, hoping to get some insight, and saw the owl about the same time. He was perched a hundred or so yards away on a small tree near the water. Then I met Ray.
Ray must be about 60. He looks more like a banker than the waterman he is. He was dressed neatly (Much neater than me) and had a neatly trimmed beard. He then proceeded to detail every move the bird had made for the last two weeks or more.
Ray is enamored of this owl. He pointed out each tree and piece of ground the bird occupied, listed his schedule and told of the other birders he’d met, and their reactions. I was able to give him some insight to the life and behavior of Snowy owls, and he was eager for every detail, including the recorded songs.
I’ve watched birds and fished for a very long time, and I know that connecting to nature is a large part of the attraction. Watching and listening to Roy’s animated story-telling reminded me of how amazing the whole experience can be, and was as rewarding as finding the owl at all.

Ray, the Owl man.

Snowy Owl.

I got a better location on the Hooper’s Island Owl, so I made the 80+ mile trek this morning and got a decent look. Not as good as I wanted, but ‘twil do.

There were many waterfowl in the water along the road and the bridge as well.

I made a couple of rounds at Blackwater also, but there wasn’t much to see.

Northern Shovelers are still present in good numbers.

There’s still a few hundred Snow Geese at Blackwater.

This Canvasback was at Hooper’s Island.

Many Horned Grebes were feeding near shore.

This Horned Grebe is in breeding plumage.

Several Common Loons were nearby as well.

Many small flocks of Buffleheads were around.

I didn’t get as close as I wanted to this Snowy Owl.

We’ve had 3 days of high winds, which has kept me mostly at home. I did get out for a few hours, but it was hard to get decent images until today.

I was really hoping to see the season’s first Osprey, but that hasn’t happened yet.

I’ll settle for Pileateds and a few Waxwings.

I found this Horned Grebe at Quiet Waters yesterday.

A small flock of Cedar Waxwings was raiding the berries on this evergreen.

A small flock of Red Breasted Mergansers was cruising in the cove.

I heard at least two Pileated Woodpeckers today,.

After 4 days of rain and fog, I was eager to get out. There was another report of as Snowy Owl at Hooper’s Island, so I went back to take a look. My bad luck continued.  I did find a nice Merganser to make the trip worthwhile.

Wildlife

Drive was a little barren with many fewer Snow Geese, but an increase in Tundra Swans. There were very few ducks, no terns and no sandpipers.

The eagles weren’t terribly active either. 

This Dark Eyed Junco was part of a flock at Quiet Waters.

An Eastern Bluebird.

I usually pass up Mourning Doves.

Only a few Northern Shovelers were present.

A lone Great Blue Heron was passing by.

Many Ruddy Ducks were resting at Quiet Waters.

I found this Horned Grebe at Quiet Waters.

I don’t see sitting Black Backed Gulls often.

Turkey Vultures often dry their wings like this.

Many Tundra Swans were resting in the marsh.

This Snow Goose stayed in one spot all the while I was there. It may be injured.

Red Winged Blackbirds were very numerous.

This American Wigeon was at Oakley Street.

A Lesser Scaup at Oakley Street.

This Mallard was stretching his wings.

This Red Breasted Merganser was fishing at the Hooper’s Island Bridge.

There was a Snowy Owl reported at Hooper’s Island, which is just a few miles from Blackwater, and I took a look this morning. By the time I got to Blackwater, the fog was so thick that I waited a while before heading to the Hooper’s Island bridge.

Alas, my lack of Snowy Owl luck continued, and I found only a few birds, and in poor light.

At Blackwater, there were thousands of Geese feeding in the surrounding fields, which gave some good photo opps.

Still the fog continued for quite some time, and the light never got really good. I’m including a few images from yesterday’s trip to Possum Point and Quiet Waters.

You can usually find a Bald Eagle perched along Wildlife Drive.

I was able to get quite close to the large flock of Snow Geese.

Only a few Northern Shovelers were feeding in the marsh.

There were two Great Blue Herons standing in the shallow water.

I got this image just as this Bufflehead rounded the corner at Possum Point.

You can usually find a Black Backed Seagull at Possum Point.

10-12 Red Breasted Mergansers were feeding near the point.

This Canada Goose was the only image I got at Quiet Waters.

This Horned Grebe and two companions were foraging right under the bridge.

I started at Quiet Waters this morning, and it was nearly dead. I went straight to Thomas Point, and it wasn’t any better, with only a few, distant birds.

I then stopped at my friend’s house, and got lucky.

Shortly after I arrived, they all started moving around, and I managed a few decent flight shots. A good morning.

I didn’t know I had the American Wigeon until I uploaded the images. There were a lot of birds, moving quickly.

This Canada Goose was the only image I got at Quiet Waters.

Several Mallards were travelling with the large flock of Canvasbacks.

There were 50 or so Tundra Swans.

There were a hundred or so Canvasbacks.

I didn’t know this was an American Wigeon until I uploaded the images. There were a lot of birds, moving quickly.

I made another long trip this morning, which isn’t my usual practice. It looked to be the last good weather day for a while, so I took advantage of the chance.

Eagle were plentiful which is unusual, and Geese and Swans were in good supply. The Kingfisher landed quite nearby, which is unusual.

There were more ducks than in recent visits, ‘though not as many as I’d like.

I followed this Northern Harrier for a while, but never got really close.

A few Northern Pintails were foraging in the marsh.

There were more Buffleheads than on previous visits.

I don’t recall seeing as many Eagles on any previous visits.

There were a few Northern Shovelers in Bear Swamp Pool.

There were several hundred Snow Geese flying around.

This Belted Kingfisher is a female, but you can’t tell from this image.