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Tundra Swans at Thomas Point

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Hugh

The weather has been good enough, with a few days of cold, followed by milder stuff right now. I’m still hanging out on this side of the bridge, but I may cross the bridge soon, as the winter ducks come in. Have I mentioned that the Bay Bridge is being repaired? This limits the times you can cross without traffic delays.

Lots of Swans and ducks are here now, but the Thomas Point ducks aren’t coming in close enough for photos. Quiet Waters has been a major disappointment. I’ve been several times without seeing much of note.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S61671404

https://ebird.org/checklist/S61667203

I found many Ringnecked Ducks at Schoolhouse Pond.

Mallards in good light are attractive.

I got close to this Canvasback hen.

I liked the colors surrounding this Canada Goose.

Many Buffleheads are in the area.

Thomas Point is a reliable spot for Black Ducks.

There’s always Song Sparrows at Thomas Point.

The Redhead has a simple, attractive design.

I like the shapes in this Tundra Swan photo.

Tundra Swans at Thomas Point.

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Hugh

We’re getting some interesting winter visitors now. Swans and Geese are flying high overhead, and looking through flocks of distant ducks is more rewarding. A single Ruddy was hanging out with 50 Buffleheads at the point.

Redheads, Wigeons and Canvasbacks are appearing now, so it won’t be long before we see other species.

https://ebird.org/checklist/S61552087

https://ebird.org/checklist/S61551845

https://ebird.org/checklist/S61551737

I saw well over 200 Buffleheads.

First Redhead of the season.

First Canvasback of the season.

Tundra Swans are here in good numbers.

This is “Julia” (T186) who we reported to the USGS two years ago.

Tundra Swans at Thomas Point.

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Hugh

We’re going through another birding drought, it seems. I’ve been a little reluctant to travel much as there’s not been much to see. Some of it’s luck, some is weather, and it’s all part of the game.

Swans and Buffleheads have arrived, and most of our migrant visitors have gone South. I’ve been recording most of my trips on Ebird, and the lack of variety is noticeable. More ducks will be here soon, and all will be well.

Lake Artemesia.

Quiet Waters.

This American Wigeon was a mild surprise at Thomas Point.

Thomas Point is one place where Black Ducks appear regularly.

50 or more Double Crested Cormorants flew overhead.

This Yellow Rumped Warbler was at Greenbury Point.

Bald Eagles have become more active recently,

Many Buffleheads have been feeding at Thomas Point.

This Great Blue Heron was at Quiet Waters.

I usually find Pied Billed Grebes at Lake Artemesia.

A Field Sparrow at Artemesia.

Tundra Swans began appearing in larger numbers yesterday.

Cedar Waxwing at Lake Artemesia.

Posted on October 20, 2019 by Hugh

Another long period with minimal action. There was a report a few weeks ago that we’ve lost a billion birds, and I think they were all from the East. We’ve just come the to end of a long drought, but the water in the marsh ponds has been high all year. Many birds prefer to forage on the flats that appear at low water, so the number of birds in the area has been greatly reduced.

I’ve been out almost every day, and there’s a decent shot or two, but most days were quite slow.

Morning at Lake Artemesia.

A CBEC morning.

CBEC Dawn.

I saw this Palm Warbler at CBEC. Not much warbler variety this year.

A nut always improves a Red Bellied Woodpecker image.

Sometimes the morning light can be dramatic.

Just a little snack for this Great Blue Heron.

White throated Sparrows have just begun arriving.

I’ve often seen this pose from the back, but only seldom from the front.

This is a Marbled Godwit, a bird we seldom get to see.

American Avocet at Bombay Hook.

Marsh Wren in the classic “Straddle” pose.

We should be seeing many Greater Yellowlegs and other Sandpipers.

Great Egrets were around in good numbers.

I experimented with a frame for this Wood Duck.

This Domestic Goose has been at Lake Artemesia for a couple of months.

I couldn’t have asked for better conditions for this House Wren image.

This is a juvenile Cowbird.

Many Cedar Waxwings were at Artemesia this morning.

A single Downy Woodpecker entertained me for a while.

I found this Fox as I was leaving CBEC.

Wood Ducks at Lake Artemesia.

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Hugh

It’s been a long dry spell around here. I suspect migration is a little slow, but one big kink in my favorite spots is the high water. Many wading birds look for shallow water and mudflats, and that’s hard to find around here right now. I can’t put any real blame on climate change, but you gotta’ wonder.

I’ve mostly been to CBEC and Terrapin, with a few trips to Wooton, Governor Bridge and Sandy Point. None are living up to historical norms, but there’s probably some bad luck also.

Anyway, here’s a few images from the last two weeks. Maybe we’ll have better luck soon.

This is a link to my Ebird checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S60147634

CBEC in the morning.

A pair of late season Yellow Billed Cuckoos were foraging at Lake Artemesia.

My first Pied Billed Grebe of the season.

Catbirds have been numerous lately.

This Domestic Goose is still hanging around Lake Artemesia.

Caspian Terns have returned to Sandy Point.

An early morning Egret at CBEC.

This Common Yellowthroat was migrating through Terrapin.

A Solitary Sandpiper was looking for a meal at Wooton’s Landing.

This has been a good year for Brown Thrashers.

A Black and White Warbler from Artemesia.

This is a Chimney Swift. I rarely try to photograph these erratic, fast avian missiles.

Arctic Tern from my trip to Seal Island.

American Redstart from Terrapin.

Several Wood Ducks were cruising the shoreline at Artemesia.

I’ve seen a lot of Eastern Box Turtles lately.

Tricolored Heron at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Hugh

We’ve had another slow week. I can’t fault the weather, but I’d like to see more migrants. How many times have I written that?

I’m sticking with my routine for now. Check out Sandy Point for morning colors, Look in on Kent Narrows. then head for CBEC, which is open 24/7, so I can show up when it’s convenient for me.

I’ve been told that CBEC is a good warbler spot, but I haven’t seen the proof yet. Still, there’s enough action to keep me interested, and migration is advancing every day. I stopped at Greenbury Point this morning for a change of pace, but I found nada there.

CBEC Dawn.

I found this Chipping Sparrow at Greenbury Point.

I’m seeing a few more Great Blue Herons recently.

I’ve seen as many as 15 Forster’s Terns at CBEC.

Several juvenile Black Crowned Night Herons are finding good pickings at Kent Narrows.

A few Snowy Egrets are still hanging out.

A few Great Egrets are foraging in Lake Knapp.

Most of the Wild Turkey poults have gotten quite large.

There are usually 75 or more Canada Geese on the lake in the morning.

3 juvenile Tricolored Herons have been hanging out at CBEC for month or more.

This Orbweaver set his trap in the blind, and I was able to get a fairly sharp closeup of the action.

American Avocet at Bombay Hook NWR.`

Posted on September 4, 2019 by Hugh

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, and that’s a reflection of the slow birding climate around here. Even trips to Blackwater and Bombay Hook weren’t sufficiently productive for a post.

So:this will be a compilation of the last week’s occasional decent photo. I entered a contest where you need to submit 20 Ebird reports from the same place during August, so I spent a lot of time at CBEC.

CBEC Dawn.

Several Caspian Terns are hanging out at Sandy Point.

The Red Headed Woodpeckers were very active today.

I’m seeing more Great Blue Herons now.

Great Egrets are present in good numbers.

Small flocks of Eastern Kingbirds are gathering to migrate.

Brown Thrashers seem to be very territorial.

Least Sandpipers appear as soon as the mudflats are exposed.

Several juvenile Tricolored Herons are hanging out at CBEC.

There were about 1000 American Avocets at Bombay Hook.

White Tailed Deer at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

Posted on August 23, 2019 by Hugh

The hot, humid weather seems to be cooling. It was coolish and a little windy this morning, and I cut it short for fear of rain.

Egrets are still plentiful, Eagles are more visible, and a few Sandpipers are starting to show.

I suspect we’ll see many more species as migration picks up in the next week or so.

Ebird checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S59193190

CBEC Dawn.

The Tricolored Herons are attracting many birders.

There is a large contingent of Great Egrets.

% or more Forster’s Terns are present each morning.

I found this Black Crowned Night Heron at Kent Narrows.

This Song Sparrow found several large worms in the mud.

There are not as many Great Blue Herons as usual.

It’s easy to hear the Red Headed Woodpeckers at CBEC, and hard to get a good photo.

I assume these Whitetail Fawns are related.

Wood Ducks at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Hugh

We’ve had a couple days of hot, humid, nobird kind of weather, but it cooled off a bit today and some migrants dropped by, including Blue Winged Teal and Spotted Sandpiper.

The Egret population is impressive, Eagles were very active, Herons and Least Sandpipers were easy to find. There were many other birds as well, and here’s a link to the Ebird checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S59148351

CBEC Dawn.

Great Egrets in the light of a low Sun.

Someday I’ll get a good Osprey silhouette.

At least one (Rare) Tricolored Heron is still hanging out at CBEC.

Wild Turkeys seem to enjoy foraging in trees.

If you spend any time in the woods at CBEC, you may meet some Wild Turkeys.

I expect the number of Great Blue Herons to improve.

This Wood Duck flew over my head, and I didn’t know the species until I got it on the computer.

Tricolored Heron at Chesapeake Bay Environmental.

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Hugh

Once again, Sandy Point and Kent Narrows were disappointing. No color at all, all the way to the horizon.

The entrance road to CBEC was almost completely flooded, but it wasn’t very deep, so I got in OK.

Many (60) Egrets and Herons were foraging all over the lake, and the Tricolored Herons were easy to find. These are fairly small birds, and they blend with the shoreline.

Terns, Eagles and Ospreys were also active and made for a good morning.

Ebird checklist https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S59025045