Our local parks are closed on Tuesdays, so I took another stab at Sandy Point this morning.
I arrived about noon, and noticed that the ice had blown onshore in the last two days. The ducks weren’t as numerous, but the merganser was a nice find.
This image of the Lighthouse gives an idea of how much ice there is.
Several Ruddy Ducks were feeding close to shore.
There were large flocks of Lesser Scaup out in the bay.
This Red Breasted Merganser was feeding with a flock of Lesser Scaup.
It was cold but clear without much wind this morning, so I went back to Sandy Point. The ice has increased, and the ducks were there in larger numbers.
A few eagles were looking for a meal, and I saw my first heron in a week.
This Herring Gull has found a fish abandoned by another bird, probably an eagle.
Lesser Scaup are still the dominant duck.
Canvasbacks are present in large flocks.
When I first spotted this Great Blue Heron, he was being pursued by several gulls trying to steal his breakfast.
It was a little warmer this morning, but somewhat cloudy. Snow was predicted for later, but it seemed worth a trip to Sandy Point to see the duck bonanza.
I was surprised to see much of the ice gone, but a friend suggested the overnight winds had blown it South. It certainly hadn’t melted.
There weren’t nearly as many birds, but they still numbered in the multiple hundreds and provided some good looks, albeit in poor light.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge, looking South from Sandy Point.
Cornell: The black-and-white Common Goldeneye is one of the last ducks to migrate south in fall. It often will winter as far north as open water permits.
Cornell:Ruddy Ducks are compact, thick-necked waterfowl with seemingly oversized tails that they habitually hold upright. Breeding males are almost cartoonishly bold, with a sky-blue bill, shining white cheek patch, and gleaming chestnut body. They court females by beating their bill against their neck hard enough to create a swirl of bubbles in the water. This widespread duck breeds mostly in the prairie pothole region of North America and winters in wetlands throughout the U.S. and Mexico.
Lesser Scaup seemed to be the most numerous.
Cornell:A large diving duck, the Canvasback breeds in prairie potholes and winters on ocean bays. Its sloping profile distinguishes it from other ducks.
A friend saw 9 Bald Eagles circling the ducks.
It’s been a weird year for ducks. I’d have expected to see many Red Breasted Mergansers by now, but I’ve only seen a few. Correction:This is a Common Merganser, a bird we don’t usually see in the bay. The local creeks and rivers are frozen which probably accounts for its presence.
The upper part of the bay is largely frozen, so our wintering ducks have found open water near the shipping channel. I was able to get some good looks from the beach at Sandy Point.
All the expected species are present, as well as several Bald Eagles looking for a quick snack.
There is snow and ice all along the beach, and many of the ducks are foraging close to shore.
There was a foot or more snow in some places.
There are at least hundreds of Canvasbacks.
Lesser Scaup probably numbered in the thousands.
Ruddy Ducks were well represented.
This Song Sparrow was foraging along the beach.
Several flocks of Common Goldeneyes flew by.
At least ten Bald Eagles were harassing the ducks.
This Dark Eyed Junco was in the parking lot looking for my sister.
This is the worst stretch of snow and cold I’ve seen in 40+ years in Maryland.
There’s a lot of ice on the bay, and all the shore areas are completely iced in.
I went out this morning and found very few birds, but plenty of snow.
View from Possum Point. Ice all the way to the bridge, with a a few birds in small areas of open water.
Entrance to Possum Point.
This Song Sparrow was the only bird I found.
A few birds from years past.
Cold and cloudy. Not my kind of morning, but there was enough light to take a chance, so I went to Possum Point to see what was there. There was actually a good variety, but not many chances for good photos.
I also stopped at Jonas Green Park and Thomas Point, which were both devoid of water birds. Unusual for this time of year.
The ice was thick on the grass.
I was late this morning, but there were still some nice cololrs in the sky.
Ring Billed Gulls are regular visitors.
I was lucky to get any shot at all of this Peregrine Falcon.
Bald Eagles regularly perch on this antenna, which also holds an Osprey nest.
Double Crested Cormorants are almost always found at Possum Point.
It’s been a couple pf very slow days on the bird watching front.
I went to the Eastern shore yesterday without getting a single decent shot. Today wasn’t much better, with only some squabbling geese to watch. Where are the ducks?
This poorly lit Lesser Scaup was the only shot I got at Possum Point.
This Song Sparrow took pity on me at Jonas Green Park.
Canada Geese get quite raucous at mating timne
It was cloudy and warming this morning, so I canceled my plan for the Eastern Shore and went to Sandy Point. Ducks were scarce, but the Sanderlings were still around.
I stopped at Quiet Waters also, but there was too much ice and no water birds at all.
Thomas Point had a lot of ducks and swans, as well as a cooperative eagle.
Dawn at Sandy Point.
Sandy Point Lighthouse
This large flock of Canvasbacks and Scaup was at Thomas Point.
This juvenile Bald Eagle greeted me at Thomas Point.
Sanderlings seem to be regulars at Sandy Point.
There are many Herring Gulls on the beach.
This seems to be a juvenile Ring Billed Gull.
Tundra Swans are beautiful in flight.
I managed to get out yesterday, but it wan’t much of a day, with few images.
Today I started at Sandy Point, which was slow, then Jonas Green, which remains barren. Ducks have been very scarce this year.
Chesapeake Bay Bridge from Sandy Point beach.
Sandy Point Light house
Mallards were present in small numbers.
A few more feet, and I might have stepped on these Sanderlings.
I found this Downy Woodpecker at Possum point yesterday.
Another Crow in the sand.
This Great Blue Heron flew right over me.
There was a large raft of Lesser Scaup not far from shore.
Graeme and I journeyed to Blackwater this morning. And found lots of good birds. We were surrounded by eagles at one point, and found a number smaller birds.
A quick trip to Oakley Street in Cambridge was well rewarded with close up ducks.
Cornell:Two scaup species live in North America: the Greater Scaup prefers salt water and is found in America and Eurasia, while the Lesser Scaup prefers freshwater and is found only in North America. The Lesser Scaup is one of the most abundant and widespread of the diving ducks in North America
Canvasbacks will winter here, then migrate to the mid west.
Cornell:An aptly named diving duck, the Redhead can be easily identified by its bright red head and gray back. Many female Redheads make no nests of their own, but instead lay their eggs in the nests of other ducks.
American Wigeon. Hen in front.
Cornell:One of the few birds found almost exclusively in the United States, the Brown-headed Nuthatch is restricted to the pine forests of the southeastern states. A small but declining population is also found in the Bahamas.
Some Great Blue Herons will let you get very close.
Cornell:The Bald Eagle has been the national emblem of the United States since 1782 and a spiritual symbol for native people for far longer than that. These regal birds aren’t really bald, but their white-feathered heads gleam in contrast to their chocolate-brown body and wings. Look for them soaring in solitude, chasing other birds for their food, or gathering by the hundreds in winter. Once endangered by hunting and pesticides, Bald Eagles have flourished under protection.
We found one small flock of Northern Shovelers
There were lots of Song Sparrows in the grass.
Red Bellied Woodpeckers seem to like this tree.
We saw a lot of Bluebirds.
Cornell:North America’s littlest falcon, the American Kestrel packs a predator’s fierce intensity into its small body. It’s one of the most colorful of all raptors: the male’s slate-blue head and wings contrast elegantly with his rusty-red back and tail; the female has the same warm reddish on her wings, back, and tail. Hunting for insects and other small prey in open territory, kestrels perch on wires or poles, or hover facing into the wind, flapping and adjusting their long tails to stay in place. Kestrels are declining in parts of their range; you can help them by putting up nest boxes.