Hooded Merganser at Blackwater NWR.

Posted on February 13, 2018 by Audubon

We were promised sunny weather, so I made the trek to Blackwater this morning after several days of crummy weather. The weather was certainly good enough, but there were fewer birds than I had hoped.

Eagles, Geese and Swans dominated, but other species, like ducks. were not as numerous as in the past. I ventured further afield than usual, but had no luck.

Still, it was good enough, and I expect to make more trips soon.

I only found one pair of Northern Shovelers.

Several Great Blue Herons were standing guard in the marsh.

There were three different flocks of Snow Geese.

I found more Red Winged Blackbirds than usual.

This Bald Eagle flew off just as I approached.

I haven’t seen a Delmarva Fox Squirrel in quite a while.

There were only a few Hooded Mergansers, and they spooked easily, as usual.

Cooper’s Hawk at Blackwater NWR.

Posted on February 6, 2018 by Audubon

The weather guessers called for sunny, today, and it was:for about an hour, after which it was quite cloudy.

There were plenty of decent birds at Blackwater, but the poor light meant marginal images in some cases.

I made another stop at Oakley Street in hopes of some better images, and did OK.

Blackwater Dawn.

There were 50 or so Tundra Swans.

Bald Eagles seem to getting more active as nesting season approaches.

Another nice surprise. Northern Flickers don’t often cooperate as well as this one did.

Several Great Blue Herons were fishing in the marsh.

Only a few Northern Shovelers were feeding in the marsh.

A dozen or so Common Mergansers were feeding in the marsh.

A couple of thousand Snow Geese are still hanging around.

I found this American Wigeon at Oakley Street.

There were hundreds of Canada Geese in the fields and on the water.

This juvenile Cooper’s Hawk was a nice surprise, as I haven’t seen many hawks recently.

Greater White-fronted Goose at Lake Artemesia.

Posted on February 3, 2018 by Audubon

I met Graeme at Lake Artemesia this morning, and we made several circuits of the lake. A rare goose has been reported here a couple of times, and we found it right away, mixed with a flock of Canadian Geese. It’s not uncommon for odd species to mix with these geese, and I have looked many times, but this is one of the few times I found anything.

There were several interesting birds on the lake, but there was a lot of ice, also, which limited the places to search.

We walked along Indian Creek on the way out, and found a few passerines as we left.

This Brown Creeper was a nice surprise.

We saw about 200 Canada Geese.

Two Hooded Mergansers were hiding in the large flock of Geese.

There were 20 or more Ring-necked Ducks.

A single Bufflehead male was foraging near shore.

Many Mallards were feeding in the lake.

Several Chickadees were playing along the trail.

Cornell: “Breeding across the tundra from Nunavut to Siberia, across Russia, and in Greenland, the Greater White-fronted Goose has one of the largest ranges of any species of goose in the world. In North America, however, it is common only west of the Mississippi River, where it is found in large flocks in wetlands and croplands.”

Graeme was dressed for the weather.

Hooded Mergansers At Blackwater NWR.

Posted on January 31, 2018 by Audubon

I was hoping to get some super moon shots at Blackwater this morning, but it was too cloudy.

There was a lot of ice in the marshes, so the ducks weren’t as abundant as usual, and I had to settle for Geese and Eagles.

I stopped by Oakley for some sitting ducks, so the trip wasn’t a total bust.

Blackwater Dawn.

This female American Wigeon was at Oakley Street.

There were hundreds of Snow Geese, but fewer than usual.

A Lesser Scaup.

There were only a few Redheads.

This Canvasback hen was having a snooze.

You can usually find a Bald Eagle perched on Wildlife Drive.

Several Great Blue Herons were perched along the ice.

Hooded Mergansers don’t always stay long enough for a picture.

Hooded Merganser at Thomas Point.

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Audubon

Yesterday I tried Bombay Hook, and it was disappointing. The ice has mostly melted, but the water birds haven’t returned in numbers.

I found a few ducks, but they were scarce, and many were too distant.

I went to Quiet Waters this morning, but it has too much ice, so I headed to Thomas Point. There were plenty of birds, but too far out for images. I did find a few good birds at my friend’s house.

This Canvasback is accompanied by two Ruddy Ducks.

I don’t always get this close to a Bufflehead.

Tundra Swans are still abundant.

Only a few Scaup were present.

There were many Black Ducks at Bombay Hook.

Thousands of Snow Geese were at Bombay Hook.

Northern Shovelers were feeding rapidly.

It’s unusual to find a Hooded Merganser at my friend’s house.

Snow Goose at Blackwater NWR.

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Audubon

I went to Blackwater this morning, hoping the ice had melted. The marsh was ice free, but the ducks haven’t returned yet.

Still there were plenty of geese and a few eagles to make things interesting.

I made a stop at Oakley Street on the way home, and there was a decent crowd of ducks there.

These two Bald Eagles greeted me this morning.

This Scaup was at Oakley Street.

Hooded Mergansers often spook as soon as they see you.

Many Tundra Swans were feeding with the Snow Geese.

I saw only a few Great Blue Herons.

There were several thousand Snow Geese at the refuge.

American Wigeon at Thomas Point Road.

Posted on January 21, 2018 by Audubon

I started at Kent Narrows at dawn, and found nearly nothing. It’s odd how it can be so crowded one day and barren the next.

I made a quick stop at Possum Point, also, and there was nothing to see.

Thomas Point wasn’t as busy as yesterday, but there were a few birds, and a goods variety, including four Horned Grebes.

My friend’s house was very busy. with many Tundras, Canvasbacks and a few American Wigeons.

Thomas Point Lighthouse.

Kent Narrows at dawn.

Four Horned Grebes were feeding at the point.

Many Canvasbacks were cruising near shore.

There weren’t as many Ruddy Ducks as yesterday.

There were more than 50 Tundra Swans.

Many Mallards were present also.

I saw at least two American Wigeons.

Short-eared Owl at Bombay Hook NWR.

Posted on January 20, 2018 by Audubon

I got up early to make the trek to Bombay Hook and got there shortly after sunrise. I immediately ran into a Short-eared Owl, who posed very nicely. A life bird and a rarity for me!

I hadn’t checked for closings before I left (I should know better) and quickly found that most of the refuge was closed. I decided to make a first visit to Prime Hook to check for the Snowy Owl who’s been seen there. He didn’t show, but I found a nice Sparrow.

I made a quick stop at Kent Narrows on the way back.

This Scaup was feeding at Kent Narrows.

Only a few Double Crested Cormorants are around at this time of year.

This Savannah Sparrow cooperated well.

I found a lone Bufflehead at Bombay Hook.

Redhead at Kent Narrows.

Posted on January 18, 2018 by Audubon

There hasn’t been much action lately, and the weather hasn’t cooperated, but I had a decent day today to make up for it.

I started at Kent Narrows, where birds were scarce, but there was a decent variety.

Sandy Point was almost completely iced in, and a complete bust.

Thomas Point was teeming with birds, and had even more variety. I’m still not finding great ducks, but it’s getting better.

Another unusual Mallard.

This Mallard hen has unusual colors.

This Bufflehead hen was quite close to shore.

You can almost always find a Great Blue Heron at Kent Narrows.

A few Hooded Mergansers were foraging near shore.

I seldom see more than a few Red Breasted Mergansers at Thomas Point.

Scaup are usually the dominant birds at Thomas Point.

I only found a few Canvasbacks.

The Redhead is a striking bird.

I found this young deer at Sandy Point.

Snow Geese at Blackwater NWR.

Posted on January 10, 2018 by Audubon

I went to Blackwater yesterday, and it was a disappointment because the marsh was mostly ice, and very few ducks were around. I found some Snow Geese in a nearby field, and a couple of Eagles, but it was otherwise barren.

Thomas Point was much better, this morning. There were plenty of birds, and a good variety of species. calm winds, bright sun and temps in the forties made for a nice morning.