Red Breasted Merganser at Thomas Point

The morning was quite cloudy, but I decided to try Sandy Point for the sunrise. It wasn’t much to see.

I drove by Jonas Green Park, which was deserted, then went to Thomas Point.

There were actually quite a few birds at the point, but most were too distant, and the light was poor in any case. Still, it’s good to know they are finally starting to arrive. This weird, warm weather seems to be affecting a lot of things.

Sandy Point 159

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Great Blue Heron 368

This Great Blue Heron was feeding at the Sandy Point marina.

Tundra Swan 118

Two flocks of Tundra Swans flew over the point.

Bufflehead 202

There were several flocks of Buffleheads, but most were far out in the bay.

Red Breasted Merganser 144

Red Breasted Merganser 145

Two Red Breasted Mergansers were feeding near the point.

American Wigeon at Thomas Point

It’s been a while since my last post. Between a nasty cold and lousy weather, I haven’t gotten out much at all.  I managed a trip to Possum Point and Thomas Point this morning, but conditions weren’t ideal.

Possum Point is still fairly dead, with only a few cormorants. Thomas Point wasn’t much better, with a few flyby birds but none feeding near the point. I did find a few birds at a friend’s house on Thomas Point Road.

Possum Point 116

Sunrise at Possum Point.

Tundra Swan 116

Tundra Swan 117

Tundra Swans often flock along Thomas Point Road to be fed by the residents.

Common Goldeneye 155

A flock of Common Goldeneyes with a couple of Canvasbacks mixed in.

American Wigeon 18

This American Wigeon was hanging out with the swans.

Dinosaur 1

This Dinosaur statue is in Thomas Point Park.

Northern Flicker at Thomas Point

Sunrise was  kind of average, but good enough. I made a brief stop at Possum Point, which seemed to be devoid of ducks, and the same at Jonas Green.

There were no ducks or loons at Thomas Point, but the eagles were very active, fishing and doing their courting ritual. A Northern Flicker posed unusually well.

One of the omnipresent fisherman finally caught a decent fish, and posed for me.

Sandy Point 156

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Bald Eagle 447

Two Bald Eagles were very visible.

White Throated Sparrow 219 - Copy

I found this White Throated Sparrow deep in the woods.

Bald Eagle 447

Two Bald Eagles were very visible.

FIsherman 1

I see many fishermen, but not many fish.

 

Fox Sparrow at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center

The Sandy Point sunrise was quite good this morning.

The local parks are closed on Tuesdays,  so I headed to Terrapin, and it’s still kind of slow, but picking up.

Kent Narrows remains barren, but CBEC was a big improvement, with a good variety of distant ducks and the Fox Sparrow.

Sandy Point 154

Sandy Point 153

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Northern Harrier 202

I don’t see as many Northern Harriers as I’d like to.

White Throated Sparrow 218

This White Throated Sparrow was one of two decent shots I got at Terrapin.

Belted Kingfisher 129

Belted Kingfisher 130

This Belted Kingfisher flew right over my head.

Fox Sparrow 100

Fox Sparrow 101

This Fox Sparrow was a pleasant surprise at CBEC.

 

Bald Eagle at Thomas Point

The sunrise was much better this morning. Lots of reds and pinks with an almost completely still bay surface.

I stopped at Possum Point first, and a couple of eagles treated me to a  fishing spectacular, but they were too far away for a good image.

Jonas Green Park remains devoid of ducks, so I went on to Thomas Point, which is improving, but not very active just yet.

Sandy Point 152

Sandy Point 151

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Common Loon 161

Common Loon 162

“My” Common Loon is still fishing at the point.

Bufflehead 201

There were 50 or so Buffleheads near the entrance to Thomas Point.

Bald Eagle 446

This Bald Eagle flew by as I was photographing the Buffleheads.

Tundra Swan at Thomas Point

After yet another boring sunrise at Sandy Point, I did the usual rounds, with a brief stop at Jonas Green Park, which still has no ducks, and then to Thomas Point.

There were a few Buffleheads at the point, but still no large flocks of ducks. A couple of loons and some swans helped, and I found a few smaller birds.

Sandy Point 149

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

White Throated Sparrow 217

I see a lot of White Throated Sparrows, but they’re never boring.

Cardinal 209

This Cardinal was foraging near the entrance to the park.

Common Loon 159

Common Loon 160

I wonder if Common Loons have taken up residence for the Winter?

Tundra Swan 114

Tundra Swan 113

These Tundra Swans flew over the point, as they often do.

Leda and the Swan
BY WILLIAM BUTLER YEATS
A sudden blow: the great wings beating still
Above the staggering girl, her thighs caressed
By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill,
He holds her helpless breast upon his breast.

How can those terrified vague fingers push
The feathered glory from her loosening thighs?
And how can body, laid in that white rush,
But feel the strange heart beating where it lies?

A shudder in the loins engenders there
The broken wall, the burning roof and tower
And Agamemnon dead.
Being so caught up,
So mastered by the brute blood of the air,
Did she put on his knowledge with his power
Before the indifferent beak could let her drop?

Long Tailed Duck at Thomas Point

The Sandy Point sunrise continues to disappoint.  Cloudy, mildly foggy mornings seem to be the worst conditions.

I went straight to Thomas Point afterward, and it was fairly barren, but a Long Tailed hen was a nice surprise. A couple of loons and a fishing gull provided some decent photos.

Sandy Point 148

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Herring Gull 18

This Herring Gull was unable to handle this relatively large fish.

Common Loon 158

Two Common Loons were fishing at the point.

Long Tailed Duck 201

Long Tailed Duck 200

Long Tailed Ducks were scarce last year.

Common Loon at Thomas Point

When I arrived at Sandy Point, the sky was so blah I almost left. I waited long enough to see a little color, but it never got exciting.

I stopped again at Jonas Green Park, but there’s still nothing to see there.

Thomas Point was nearly barren, with a few distant Swans and a couple of Common Loons, one of whom eventually got close enough for a decent image.

The construction at Quiet Waters deterred me from trying any photography there.

Sandy Point 147

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Crow 108

Fish Crows were calling loudly.

Common Loon 157

Common Loon 155

I waited half an hour for this Common Loon closeup.

Common Loon 154

Not much of an image, but it’s the first time I’ve seen a Common Loon in flight.

Common Loon 156

Common Loon, diving.

Downy Woodpecker at Possum Point

After a mediocre sunrise at Sandy Point, I went to Jonas Green Park, which remains devoid of interesting birds.

Possum Point was better. I managed to spook two adult Bald Eagles, but there were a few gulls around. Still no ducks that I could see.

Sandy Point 146

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Black Backed Seagull 34

Black Backed Seagull 33

Only a few Black Backed Seagull were in residence this morning.

Downy Woodpecker 040

I saw several woodpeckers, but only this Downy Woodpecker posed for me.

 

American Coot at Terrapin Nature Park

After an average sunrise at Sandy point, I went back to Terrapin, which had many more birds, but not much variety.

Kent Narrows had nothing at all, so CBEC was next, and it had many birds, but too distant for good images. Still the weather was perfect and I got to see a lot of birds.

Sandy Point 145

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Mallard 186

Mallards are common, but the light and the reflection makes this one special.

Great Blue Heron 367

There’s almost always a Great Blue Heron in the marsh ponds.

Herring Gull 16

Herring Gull 17

Many Herring Gulls were fishing in the pond.

American Coot 103

Cornell: “The waterborne American Coot is one good reminder that not everything that floats is a duck. A close look at a coot—that small head, those scrawny legs—reveals a different kind of bird entirely. Their dark bodies and white faces are common sights in nearly any open water across the continent, and they often mix with ducks. But they’re closer relatives of the gangly Sandhill Crane and the nearly invisible rails than of Mallards or teal.”

Fox 33

This Fox was foraging along the shore of the marsh pond at Terrapin.