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Savannah Sparrow at Bombay Hook.

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Hugh

I made the trek to Bombay Hook this morning in hopes of finding some good water birds, but it was not happening. Some ducks have arrived, and a few Snow Geese flew over, but numbers and variety were low.

It was very windy, and the birds seemed to spook easily this morning. I made the circuit 4 times, and got a few decent images, but I’m hoping for better birds next time.

Dawn at Bombay Hook.

On the road to Alan House.

This is a Northern Shoveler.

Many Northern Pintails have arrived.

This Great Blue Heron flew over as I was leaving.

A Bald Eagle seemed to be soaking up the morning Sun.

About 50 Snow Geese flew over the refuge.

I saw many Greater Yellowlegs in the distance.

Black Ducks were plentiful also.

You can often find Savannah Sparrows by the side of the road.

Chipping Sparrow at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Hugh

I got to Sandy Point about an hour before sunrise, which is the best time to see the colors when the elements line up, but they didn’t cooperate today. I’ve spent several mornings in the parking lot this year waiting for a colorful dawn that never arrived.

Terrapin was the next stop, and it was OK, but not nearly as active as yesterday.

I haven’t been to CBEC for while, so I gave it a try, but it was really slow. There’s plenty of distant ducks, but none close enough to photograph. A nice butterfly made up for the lack of birds.

Many Ruby Crowned Kinglets are still hanging around.

A single Palm Warbler was feeding near the boardwalk.

This is probably the same Red Tailed Hawk I saw yesterday.

I was lucky enough to see another White Crowned Sparrow today.

This Chipping Sparrow was foraging near the lake.

This Question Mark butterfly landed right in front of me.

White Crowned Sparrow at Terrapin Nature Park.

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Hugh

I started at Sandy Point, as I often do at this time of year, and got a few looks at a decent sunrise. I always want more color, but it was good enough.

I’ve been hearing that the migrants are on the move, and sure enough, they were. When I got to the big field near the parking lot, I could see dozens of small birds dripping from the leaves and branches. This only happens a few times a year, and it’s a real treat.

I was pleased to see it was a mixed flock of Sparrows and Kinglets. There were at least two cool Sparrows, and one of the Ruby Kinglets was kind enough to show me his ruby stripe, which doesn’t always happen.

A Hawk and a Warbler were just icing on the cake.

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Several Chipping Sparrows were in the flock.

Ruby Crowned Kinglets were everywhere.

A few Yellow Rumped Warblers were foraging with the Sparrows.

This juvenile Red Tailed Hawk seems to have lost an eye.

This appears to be a Field Sparrow.

Several Eastern Phoebes were flycatching.

This Cape May Warbler was quite close and posed well.

This is a Lincoln’s Sparrow, only the third I’ve seen.

I’ve looked for a White Crowned Sparrow for several years. This is a first for me.

Black Throated Green Warbler at Quiet Waters.

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Hugh

After yesterday’s success, I tried Quiet Waters again today, and did well. I’ve said in the past that I should try Quiet Waters more often.

I had to do some searching to find the best spot, but it didn’t take long and I had over an hour of decent activity. It can be tricky to find migrating birds.

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Several flycatchers were foraging in the area.

This is the first Blue Headed Vireo I’ve seen this year.

I heard several Chickadees in the area.

Two or more Downy Woodpeckers seem to be in the area all the time.

This Cardinal struck a nice pose.

A single Ruby Crowned Kinglet was feeding in the undergrowth.

This Pileated Woodpecker was in the area for an hour or more.

The Black Throated Green Warbler is a striking bird.

It’s rutting season, so I expect to be seeing more deer.

Blackpoll Warbler at Quiet Waters.

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Hugh

I started at Sandy point this morning, looking for a colorful sunrise. I got nada. Gray, cloudy sky with no decent colors. I found no interesting birds on the beach, so I set out for Greenbury Point, which was also a bust. A lone Great Blue Heron at Possum Point provided one photo opp.

On to Quiet Waters. I tried a couple of favorite spots, and was getting ready to quit when I saw a couple of interesting looking small birds, and lucked into a mini-bonanza. A couple of warblers and other small birds made a dull morning into something far more satisfying.

This Great Blue Heron was the only bird I found at Greenbury Point.

My first White Throated Sparrow of the season.

It will be easier to find Chickadees as the leaves fall off the trees.

This Palm Warbler was very cooperative.

I haven’t seen many Song Sparrows lately.

Two Downy Woodpeckers were examining this nesting box.

I had to get help identifying this Blackpoll Warbler.

American Avocet at Bombay Hook NWR.

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Hugh

It’s been another long dry spell around here. I’ve gotten out most days, but there just wasn’t much to see. That’s odd for this time of year when migration should be in full swing.

I went to Bombay Hook again this morning, just to get a look at some decent birds rather than take another chance on getting skunked around here.

It was actually slower than I’d hoped, but a big improvement on the local spots.

Dawn at Bombay Hook.

This juvenile Mute Swan was probably born at Bombay Hook, as I saw several much smaller ones earlier in the year.

I don’t often see Short-billed Dowitchers.

This Great Egret was one of only a handful I found this morning.

This is a Northern Pintail hen.

American Avocets aren’t as colorful at this time of year.

American Avocet at Bombay Hook NWR.

Posted on October 9, 2018 by Hugh

Yet another three day stretch without decent activity. I’ve been to several places without any luck at all, and even the old reliable places are slow.

I made it to Bombay Hook this morning and got a few decent images, but not what I expected from previous years,

Sunrise at Bombay Hook.

Many Snowy Egrets were foraging in the marsh.

Greater Yellowlegs were in every marsh.

Great Egrets were numerous.

This American Avocet posed nicely.

A few Northern Pintails were moving around.

You can often find Bald Eagles along the marsh drive.

One Double Crested Cormorant was relaxing in a tree.

I found this Wood Duck at Lake Artemesia on Saturday.

Tennessee Warbler at Terrapin Nature Park.

Posted on October 2, 2018 by Hugh

It’s been a slow and wet September this year. I probably found fewer warblers than every other year.

I managed to get out most days when it wasn’t raining, which it did a lot. In most cases I found very few birds, and not as many migrants as in the usual September.

I made the trek to Bombay Hook this morning to change my luck, and did a great deal better. It still wasn’t as good as I’d like, but I’m sure it will get better soon.

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

There were easily 200 American Avocets present this morning.

I could have had a better image of this Harrier, but I was a little too slow.

There were only a few Greater Yellowlegs this morning.

I saw this Mute Swan a few weeks ago when the Cygnets were much smaller.

This appears to be a Northern Pintail hen.

There were many Egrets fishing in the marsh.

I found this Savannah Sparrow near Bear Swamp Pool.

This Northern Parula was at Terrapin Nature Park.

This Palm Warbler was at Greenbury Point.

Caspian Terns are regulars at Sandy Point.

These Sanderlings were foraging in the puddles at Sandy Point.

This Great Egret was at Schoolhouse Pond.

I haven’t seen many Tennessee warblers.

Brown Headed Nuthatch at Blackwater NWR.

Posted on September 21, 2018 by Hugh

It’s been a while since I posted anything. The recent hurricane and many days of rain and and severe clouds have kept me from getting out very much, and when I did get out there wasn’t much to see. It’s been a warm Summer, and migration seems later than usual.

I’m posting images from several place I’ve been to recently, including Terrapin, Wooton’s landing, Sandy Point, Greenbury Point, Quiet Waters and Schoolhouse Pond.

Blackwater Dawn.

Red Headed Woodpeckers seem to favor dead trees.

Many Double Crested Cormorants were fishing today.

Only a few Great Egrets were around today.

Several Eagles were soaking up the sum today.

The Chestnut Sided Warbler was at Wooton yesterday.

There are Caspian Terns at Sandy Point at this time of year.

Many Forster’s Terns were fishing at Blackwater.

This Snowy Egrets was at Bombay Hook.

This American Avocet is another Bombay Hook bird.

Goldfinches are regulars at Greenbury Point.

Many gulls hung out at Sandy Point while the storm passed.

You can always find a few Great Blue Herons.

This Canada Goose was at Schoolhouse Pond.

Just a low light experiment with a Mockingbird.

I think this Song Sparrow was at Jonas Green Park.

This Great Crested Flycatcher is preparing for the flight South.

Brown Headed Nuthatches were very active today.

This Dragonfly seemed to be drying his wings.

It’s the right time of year for butterflies.

Northern Harrier at Bombay Hook.

Posted on September 6, 2018 by Hugh

My internet has been screwed up for a few days, so I haven’t been able post anything. Stay away from Comcast, folks.

I made a trip to Bombay Hook a few days ago, which was OK, but not as fruitful as I’d hoped. We need some cool weather and some rain to speed up migration.

Today I stopped early at Sandy Point, but the sunrise wasn’t worth photographing, and the birds on the beach were the same-old, same-old.

Greenbury Point was much better, and I suspect I found enough variety to proclaim that migration has begun!