Northern Rough Winged Swallow At Terrapin Nature Park

I’m dealing with a minor domestic crisis, so I only got out out for a short while yesterday. Today I tried some more sunrise images, but it was a dull sunrise indeed. Afterward, I went to Terrapin Nature Park, which was also very slow.

I did manage to find a few insects.

Sandy Point 34

Today’s sunrise didn’t compare to that of a few days ago.

Cardinal 199

Another beautiful, singing Cardinal.

Crow 106

I’m not sure what this Crow is carrying.

Red Winged Blackbird 110

 

Red Winged Blackbird 111

Red Winged Blackbirds are common, but colorful.

Cardinal 199

Another beautiful, singing Cardinal.

Northern Rough Winged Swallow 102

Any shot of a Northern Rough Winged Swallow in flight is a good shot.

Dragonfly 57 Wasp 9

 

 

Robber Fly 17

Today’s bugs.

Carp 1

Carp were spawning in the marsh pond.

 

Sunrise at Sandy Point State Park

I tested my theory about arriving earlier for sunrise, and it worked out OK.  The time on the first image is 5:17 AM, about 30 minutes before sunrise. Next time I’ll get there a half hour earlier to allow more time for setting up.

I made a short trip to Terrapin after that, but it wasn’t as productive as yesterday.

I ran some errands after lunch, and stopped at Truxtun Park, which was very productive.

Sandy Point 32 Sandy Point 33 Sandy Point 30

Sandy Point 31

The colors are pretty much exactly what I saw.

Great Blue Heron 327

This Great Blue Heron flew right at me.

Cardinal 198

It’s hard to pass up a Cardinal who poses so well.

Snowy Egret 133

Snowy Egret 134

This Snowy Egret seemed to change direction very quickly in mid-flight.

Crow 105

American Crow in flight.

Hummingbird Clearwing 14 Insect 738 Insect 737 Bee 209 Wasp 8 Insect 736 Insect 653 Insect 652 Insect 651

Insect 739

Rose Chafer 8

Today’s bugs.

 

Purple Martin at Terrapin Nature Park

It was a beautiful morning; clear and sunny with temps in the 70s. A perfect day to be looking for birds.

I got the park a little after dawn and went right to the marsh ponds, where I spent most of my time. I saw at least 4-5 Green Herons, which is unusual in my experience. I thought the Purple Martin was a Tree Swallow when I first saw it, and it’s  first for me at Terrapin. Egrets and an eagle filled out the morning.

A few nice bugs were easy to find, so it was a good day.

Green Heron 114

Green Heron 113 Green Heron 112 Green Heron 111

Green Heron 108 Green Heron 110

Green Heron 109

This Green Heron was being pursued by a Red Winged Blackbird, something I’ve never seen before.

Caspian Tern

Caspian Terns made a short visit to the ponds.

Snowy Egret 133

Snowy Egret 132

Snowy Egret 130

I assume this Snowy Egret is carrying nesting material.

Red Winged Blackbird 109

Red Winged Blackbird 108

 

Red Winged Blackbird 107

MD marshes are home to many Red Winged Blackbirds.

Bald Eagle 419

Bald Eagles seem to be scarcer in the Summer.

Purple Martin 102

Purple Martin 100

 

Purple Martin 101

I don’t see many Purple Martins.

Deer-52

This young White Tail Deer got quite close before he spotted me.

Beetle 18 Katydid 11 Beetle 17 Damsel Fly 34

 

Beetle 19

Today’s bugs.

Yellow Billed Cuckoo at Greenbury Point

I started with sunrise at Possum Point this morning, and I’m starting to think I need to be there an hour before sunrise to get the best colors. The Osprey were active, but there just aren’t as many birds as in past years.

I did a turn around the Nature Center, where I was very surprised to find the cuckoo, a bird I’ve heard there, but never seen before.

By the time I got around to the bugs, it was getting very hot, so I didn’t stay long.

Flower 31

 

Flower 32

This field of Black Eyed Susans is growing near the Nature Center.

Osprey 355

Osprey 354

This Osprey chick is growing rapidly.

Yellow Breasted Chat 215

Greenbury Point is the place for Yellow Breasted Chats.

Yellow Billed Cuckoo 103

This Yellow Billed Cuckoo is a first for me at Greenbury Point.

Caterpillar 205 Cabbbage White 5

 

Bee 67

Today’s bugs

Orchard Oriole at Wooton’s Landing

Hot, hot, hot.  Even at 5:00 in the morning I could tell it was going to be  short day. Between the very active insects and the heat, it’s just no fun out there when the Sun gets high.

There was very little going on at Wooton, and I spent more time (in the shade) looking for bugs than I did for birds.

A short stop at Sands Road was almost totally unproductive.

 

Tawes Gardens 2 Tawes Gardens 3

Tawes Gardens 1

Scenes from Tawes Gardens, a local garden spot.

Mockingbird 102

I often pass by the commonplace Mockingbird, but there wasn’t much else to see today.

Orchard Oriole 109

 

Orchard Oriole 110

This  Orchard Oriole was easy to hear, but hard to find, high in the tree.

Ant 39 Fly 99 Insect 735 Insect 734

Bee 208

Eggs 4

Today’s bugs.

American Coot at Governor Bridge Natural Area

It was another gloomy, threatening morning, so I started with bugs until the sun peeked through the clouds. Neither the birds nor the bugs was very cooperative. I need to develop a better plan for such days.

GB Lake 3

The big lake at Governor bridge.

Indigo Bunting 113

I saw several Indigo Buntings, but it was hard to get a decent shot.

American Coot 102

This may be the same American Coot I saw about ten days ago.

Moth 206

Desmia maculalis Grape Leafroller

Cicada 4 Cicada 3 Ladybug 44 Insect 733 Fly 98 Insect 731 Insect 730 Bee 207

 

Bee 206

Today’s bugs.

Goldfinch at Greenbury Point

I started at Sandy Point this morning, looking for some sunrise images, and got a few decent ones.

I moved on to Greenbury Point, and found a few birds, but not as many as I’d hoped.

The weather started to look threatening, so I  did a quick bug hunt and went home.

Sandy Point 23 Sandy Point 24

Sandy Point 25

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Bluebird 204

Bluebirds are harder to find than they were last year.

Yellow Breasted Chat 213

 

Yellow Breasted Chat 214

Yellow Breasted Chats are still abundant.

Goldfinch 213 Goldfinch 212 Goldfinch 211

Goldfinch 214

A small flock of Goldfinches was foraging behind the Nursery Center.

Insect 729 Insect 728 Butterfly 20

 

Moth 205

Today’s bugs.

Flower 48

I found this flower in the garden at the center.

Mallard at Jonas Green Park

We had rain this morning, so I didn’t get out until 9:00. I made a quick trip to Jonas Green, where I found a few birds, then stopped at Truxtun Park to look for bugs. I did better with the bugs than the birds.

Mushroom 2

I don’t recall seeing a Mushroom like this before.

Ring Billed Gull 93

Ring Billed Gulls are very common on the bay.

Song Sparrow 136

The Song Sparrow is the only sparrow I’ve seen at Jonas Green.

Osprey 353

This Osprey was fishing right off the beach.

Mallard 153 Mallard 152

Mallard 154

 

 

Mallard 151

Mallard 150

This momma Mallard was taking her chicks out for a swim.

Spider 249

Spider 300

Butterfly 39 Katydid Nymph 3 Insect 727 Insect 726 Insect 725 Milkweed Beetle 4

 

Robber Fly 16

Today’s bugs.

Snowy Egrets at Terrapin Nature Park

A sunny morning at last. I had decided to go to Terrapin last night, and I get good shots there when the sky is clear. There was some good action in the marsh ponds, where I met Diana, a fellow birder, and we walked the whole beach loop together, not seeing a whole lot, unfortunately.

Afterward, I spent some time looking for bugs, which were plentiful, but there wasn’t much new.

Turtle 41

We found this Box Turtle crossing the path in the woods.

Rabbit 21

I see more rabbits at Terrapin than anywhere else.

Mallard 148

 

Mallard 149

This Mallard flew across the marsh pond right in front of me.

Snowy Egret 128 Snowy Egret 127

 

Snowy Egret 129

It was nice to see the Snowy Egrets have returned.

Milkweed Beetle 4

Bee 205

Dragonfly 56 Insect 724 Insect 723 Beetle 16 Beetle 15

 

Beetle 14

Today’s bugs.

American Coot at Governor Bridge

The Summer doldrums are beginning. It was already warm and humid when I arrived at Governor Bridge, and the birds weren’t cooperating at all.

After I found the coot, I switched to bugs for a short while, then retreated from the heat and humidity.

American Coot 101

I heard several birds, but only this American Coot braved the heat.

Beetle 15

Beetle 14

Ant 37

Skipper 22 Praying Mantis 48 Ailanthus Webworm Moth 3 Beetle 13

 

Beetle 12

Today’s bugs.

Slug 13

I almost overlooked this little slug.