About Hugh

Later

Yellow Breasted Chat at Greenbury Point.

We had more rain early this morning, so I didn’t get out  until 7:00. I went to Greenbury Point because it’s close, and I knew people had reported Chats. which are prolific at Greenbury in the Summer. I was also hoping for some butterflies, but had no luck.

I heard the Chats as soon as I arrived, and got some pics right away, then walked the entire loop without seeing much more.  I expect it will get better soon.

Annapolis 1

Annapolis from Greenbury Point.

Indigo Bunting 2016-4

I haven’t seen many Indigo Buntings at Greenbury.

Osprey 2016-47

This Osprey nest is located right next to a main trail.

Goldfinch 2106-2

These Goldfinches are in breeding plumage.

Grackle 2016-2

This Grackle landed in a tree near me.

Orchard Oeiole 2016-1

The Orchard Oriole is another bird I don’t see frequently at Greenbury.

Chickadee 2016-14 Chickadee 2016-13 Chickadee 2016-12

Chickadee 2016-15

A very cooperative Chickadee.

Yellow Breasted Chat 2016-1

First Yellow Breasted Chat of the season.

Warbling Vireo at Lake Artemesia.

Beautiful weather and beautiful birds! I’d say this was one of my top ten days of all time. I saw good birds, in good light from the time I arrived at Lake Artemesia until I left.

This is the height of migration,of course, so it wasn’t a total surprise, but this month’s rain has really slowed things down.

Lake Artemesia 8

The entrance to Lake Artemesia.

Canada Goose 2016-25

Canada Goose 2016-24

Canada Goose 2016-23

These Canada Goose goslings are growing rapidly.

Green Heron 2016-6 Green Heron 2016-5

Green Heron 2016-7

This Green Heron was unusually cooperative.

Wood Duck 2016-40 Wood Duck 2016-39 Wood Duck 2016-38 Wood Duck 2016-37 Wood Duck 2016-36 Wood Duck 2016-35

Wood Duck 2016-41

I saw at least two Wood Ducks with babies.

Yellow Warbler 2016-9

Yellow Warbler 2016-10

I’ve seen Yellow Warblers nest at the lake in the past.

Eastern Kingbird 2016-10

Eastern Kingbird 2016-8

Eastern Kingbird 2016-9

Several Eastern Kingbirds were flycatching at the edge of the lake.

Cardinal 2016-11

I couldn’t pass up this nicely posed Cardinal.

Cedar Waxwing 2016-10

A large flock of Cedar Waxwings was roaming around the park grounds.

Great Blue Heron 2016-23

This Great Blue Heron flew off as I entered the park grounds.

Purple Martin 2016-9

Purple Martin 2016-6 Purple Martin 2016-5 Purple Martin 2016-4 Purple Martin 2016-3 Purple Martin 2016-2 Purple Martin 2016-1

Purple Martin 2016-7

The Purple Martin houses are occupied for the first time I know about.

Warbling Vireo 2016-2 Warbling Vireo 2016-1

Warbling Vireo 2016-3

This is only the second Warbling Vireo I’ve seen.

Beaver 105

It was unusual to see several Beavers out in the daytime.

 

Cedar Waxwing at Terrapin Nature Park.

It was raining lightly this morning, so I got a late start, arriving at Terrapin a bit after dawn. It’s usually fairly active early, but it was slow for an hour or so. A few birds were out, but I left and went to CBEC sooner than usual.

CBEC didn’t have much to offer either, even though I made the complete loop.

Tomorrow is offering better weather.

North Blind 1

The North Blind at Terrapin.

Tree Swallow 2016-48

Another try at a Tree Swallow.

Tree Swallow 2016-47

This Tree Swallow posed for me at CBEC.

Great Blue Heron 2016-21

Great Blue Heron 2016-22

This Great Blue Heron has caught a small fish.

Least Sandpiper 2016-2

Least Sandpiper 2016-3

Several Least Sandpipers were foraging in the marsh pond.

Cattle Egret 2016-15

Cattle Egret 2016-13 Cattle Egret 2016-12

Cattle Egret 2016-14

Two Cattle Egrets were feeding in the big field at Terrapin.

Cedar Waxwing 2016-8

Cedar Waxwing 2016-9

Several Cedar Waxwings were foraging in a tree at Terrapin.

Catbird at Terrapin Nature Park.

The gray, dreary weather returned this morning. It was foggy when I left, but I had hopes the Sun would clear things up.  It took far too long.

I’ve often wondered how gray, wet days affect the birds, and I’m becoming convinced it delays the start of their day. It was really slow this morning.

I did manage a few images, but nothing inspiring. Better luck tomorrow?

Northern Flicker 2016-7

I was lucky to get a good look at this Northern Flicker.

Cedar Waxwing 2016-7

Two Cedar Waxwings were feeding in the trees.

Snowy Egret 2016-9

Two Snowy Egrets were fishing in the pond.

Mallard 2016-45

This Mallard and her ducklings greeted me this morning.

Great Blue Heron 2016-20

Great Blue Heron 2016-18

Great Blue Heron 2016-19

Great Blue Herons will be easy to find all Summer.

Catbird 2016-7

Catbird 2016-6

Catbirds were plentiful.

Wilson’s Warbler at Terrapin Nature Park.

A sunny day and plenty of good birds! This can be a tough hobby sometimes, but a day like today can make up for all the lousy days. I’ve seen busier days, but today was still exceptional. Plenty of warblers, including a lifer, good light and more than a few migrants made for a wonderful morning.

My back was starting to hurt, but I made another stop at CBEC to see if any wading birds were around (they weren’t) and gave the Tree Swallows another try, with some success.

Cattle Egret 2016-11

Two Cattle Egrets flew over the big pond.

Blue Grosbeak 2016-1

This a female Blue Grosbeak, a bird I don’t often see at Terrapin.

Starling 2016-3

I believe this is a juvenile Starling.

Red Winged Blackbird 2016-19

Red Winged Blackbirds look good in the right setting.

White Throated Sparrow 2016-10

May seems late for a White Throated Sparrow to be here.

Tree Swallow 2016-45

There are many Tree Swallow boxes at CBEC.

Tree Swallow 2016-46

I’m learning the tricks of Tree Swallow flight shots.

Eastern Kingbird 2016-6

Eastern Kingbird 2016-7

Eastern Kingbirds seem to be numerous at the moment.

Palm Warbler 2016-6

Palm Warbler 2016-4

Palm Warbler 2016-5

This Palm Warbler, like many, let me get quite close.

Yellow Warbler 2016-3 Yellow Warbler 2016-2 Yellow Warbler 2016-7 Yellow Warbler 2016-6 Yellow Warbler 2016-5

Yellow Warbler 2016-4

I saw more Yellow Warblers today than any previous day.

Common Yellowthroat Warbler 2016-4

Common Yellowthroat Warbler 2016-5

This is a female Common Yellowthroat Warbler.

Indigo Bunting 2016-2

Indigo Bunting 2016-3

This is only my second Indigo Bunting of the year.

Wilson's Warbler 2016-2

Wilson's Warbler 2016-1

Cornell: “A common warbler of willow thickets in the West and across Canada, the Wilson’s Warbler is easily identified by its yellow underparts and black cap.”

 

 

 

 

Red Eyed Vireo at Quiet Waters.

I met Graeme early and we made the rounds of Greenbury Point and Jonas Green Park without seeing much.

Then we went to Quiet Waters and spent some time chasing warblers before having another look at the  Pileated Woodpecker.

Great Crested Flycatcher 2016-3

Great Crested Flycatchers seem to be abundant at the moment.

Cardinal 2016-8

This Cardinal posed well.

Common Yellowthroat Warbler 2016-3

This female Common Yellowthroat was the only bird we found at Greenbury Point.

Pileated Woodpecker 2016-22

Pileated Woodpecker 2016-23

It was hard to pass up another chance for a Pileated Woodpecker up close.

Blue Jay 2016-4

Blue Jay 2016-5

Blue Jay s are very common, but they don’t often stay long enough for a decent image.

Red Eyed Vireo 2016-2

Red Eyed Vireo 2016-3

We spotted this Red Eyed Vireo while searching for warblers.

 

Scarlet Tanager at Quiet Waters.

Another excellent day!  I met Natalie at Quiet Waters early, and we went warbler hunting while waiting for the sun to get bit higher before tackling the pileated again. It was a fruitful exercise, and the warmer weather seems to have brought out many migrants.

We then spent an hour chasing the pileated, which was also time well spent.

We finished up with a quick look for Wood Ducks, which didn’t pan out, but it was late morning by that time.

Great Blue Heron 2016-17

Great Blue Heron 2016-16

This Great Blue Heron was the only worthwhile image I got while looking for Wood Ducks.

Magnolia Warbler 2016-1

This Magnolia Warbler was high in the trees.

Great Crested Flycatcher 2016-2

Great Crested Flycatcher 2016-1

I’ve heard many Great Crested Flycatchers in the last week, but this is my first decent image.

Ruby Throated Hummingbird 2016-1

This Ruby Throated Hummingbird landed right in front of me.

Pileated Woodpecker 2016-20 Pileated Woodpecker 2016-19 Pileated Woodpecker 2016-18 Pileated Woodpecker 2016-16 Pileated Woodpecker 2016-15 Pileated Woodpecker 2016-13

Pileated Woodpecker 2016-19

Pileated Woodpecker 2016-17

This Pileated Woodpecker is removing the chick’s fecal sacs from the nest.

Scarlet Tanager 2016-6 Scarlet Tanager 2016-5 Scarlet Tanager 2016-4 Scarlet Tanager 2016-3 Scarlet Tanager 2016-2 Scarlet Tanager 2016-1

Scarlet Tanager 2016-7

The Scarlet Tanager is a favorite.

Pileated Woodpecker at Quiet Waters Park.

Another drab, dreary,damp and gray day. I started at Truxtun Park, which was a complete blank, then went to Quiet Waters, which wasn’t much better.

I ran into a friend, who showed me a Pileated nest, and I got some OK images even though the severely overcast sky greatly limited the light.

I plan to try tomorrow for better shots.

Pileated Woodpecker 2016-12

The woodpeckers whacked this huge hole about a month ago.

Pileated Woodpecker 2016-11

Pileated Woodpecker 2016-10 Pileated Woodpecker 2016-9 Pileated Woodpecker 2016-8 Pileated Woodpecker 2016-7

Pileated Woodpecker 2016-11

Even with the poor light, it’s a treat to see a Pileated Woodpecker feeding her young.

 

Spotted Sandpiper at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

I met my friend Natalie Ann at Sandy Point early this morning, and we immediately decided that the fog was too thick for a decent sunrise. It was still foggy when we got to Terrapin. There was actually a decent selection of birds, but not enough light for any good images.

By the time we got to CBEC, the light had started to improve, and it was good enough in the end.

Modern cameras can compensate for a lot, but there’s a limit.

Northern Flicker 2016-6

Northern Flicker 2016-5

Natalie and I were talking about Northern Flickers when this one appeared.

Canada Goose 2016-21

This Canada Goose is still nesting.

Mallard 2016-44

Mallards and Wood Ducks are the main ducks we see at this time of year.

Great Blue Heron 2016-15

Great Blue Herons are appearing more often.

Green Heron 2016-4

We saw several Green Herons this morning.

Red Winged Blackbird 2016-18

This female Red Winged Blackbird was feeding in the marsh pond.

Tree Swallow 2016-41

Tree Swallow 2016-40

I usually see Tree Swallows in nest boxes instead of their natural homes.

Mallard 2016-43

I don’t recall seeing a Mallard in a tree before.

Ruddy Duck 2016-9

Although not rare, it’s unusual to see a Ruddy Duck in MD at this time of year.

Mallard 2016-42

This oddly marked Mallard is probably a hybrid of some kind.

Redhead 2016-7

This Redhead should be far West of here at this time of year.

Catbird 2016-5

Catbirds are still plentiful.

Osprey 2016-45

The low light seemed to slow even the Ospreys.

Canada Goose 2016-22

Canada Goose 2016-19

Canada Goose 2016-20

Canada Goose goslings are plentiful in early Spring.

Cattle Egret 2016-10

Cattle Egret 2016-8

Cattle Egret 2016-9

We saw eight Cattle Egrets in the field today instead of the usual one.

Spotted Sandpiper 2016-1

Cornell: “The dapper Spotted Sandpiper makes a great ambassador for the notoriously difficult-to-identify shorebirds. They occur all across North America, they are distinctive in both looks and actions, and they’re handsome. They also have intriguing social lives in which females take the lead and males raise the young. With their richly spotted breeding plumage, teetering gait, stuttering wingbeats, and showy courtship dances, this bird is among the most notable and memorable shorebirds in North America.”

Bald Eagle. v. Turtle at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

It was raining again this morning, so I didn’t get to Terrapin until 6:30  or so.

The pond was active, but the light was so poor I didn’t get many decent images.

By the time  got to CBEC, the clouds had diminished and I had better luck. There were fewer birds than I expected, but there will be more when the rainy season ends.

Least Sandpiper 2016-1

This solitary Least Sandpiper didn’t seem to be perturbed by a large group of noisy schoolchildren visiting CBEC.

Great Egret 2016-6

Two Great Egrets were fishing near the herons.

Yellow Rumped Warbler 2016-18

Yellow Rumped Warblers are still plentiful.

Tree Swallow 2016-39

Another attempt at a Tree Swallow.

Brown Headed Nuthatch 2016-2

Brown Headed Nuthatch 2016-1

I was lucky to get this close to a Brown Headed Nuthatch.

Eastern Kingbird 2016-5

I haven’t seen an Eastern Kingbird on the beach before.

Catbird 2016-4

Catbirds seemed to be in every bush.

Canada Goose 2016-17

Canada Goose 2016-18

These Canada Goose goslings are probably only a few days old.

Mallard 2016-40 Mallard 2016-39

Mallard 2016-41

These Mallards seemed to be courting.

Cattle Egret 2016-7

Cattle Egret 2016-5

Cattle Egret 2016-6

This Cattle Egret has been hanging out near the parking lot, by himself.

Great Blue Heron 2016-14

Great Blue Heron 2016-13

Two Great Blue Herons were fishing in the pond.

 

Bald Eagle 2016-51

Bald Eagle 2016-52

Bald Eagle 2016-49

Bald Eagle 2016-50

A first for me. I’ve heard that Bald Eagles eat turtles, but I’ve never witnessed the capture.