This is the first deer (There were two of them) I’ve seen at Sandy Point. She looked to be pretty skinny.

It’s always a treat to hear a Carolina Wren.

The beaches are littered with Gulls.

Mockingbirds are thriving at Sandy Point.

It’s my understanding that the Chesapeake Bay is the largest Osprey breeding ground.

This appears to be a first year Great Black Backed Gull

This may be a Little Yellow, but I’m not sure.

This would make a good cover for a Gothic novel.

I watched this Great Blue Heron fish for a while, but he wasn’t having much luck.

This Cardinal needs to eat to finish molting.

I haven’t found an ID for this butterfly.

When I first saw this Blue Grosbeak he was sitting atop a corn plant, but I couldn’t get a decent shot.. Fortunately, he flew to a nearby willow tree and posed.

I can’t recall any place I’ve been that didn’t have a Cardinal singing nearby.

This may be a Peewee, but Flycatchers are hard to identify. There weren’t nearly as many in sight as last time I went.

I can always tell a slow day when I find my self capturing multiple Cardinals.

This House Finch may have heard the shutter click.

My first Owl!

I’m working on an ID for this bird. Female House Finch.

I believe this is a Western Tiger Swallowtail.

These birds are hard to identify, but I’m calling it an Acadian Flycatcher.

My Android Audubon Butterfly app says this is a Zebra Swallowtail.

Hardly a great image, but a nice find for me. I believe this is a Northern Parula, and I’ve only seen a couple in the past.

I’m fairly confident this is an Aphrodite Fritillary.

When I set up for this shot, there were two Yellow Bellied Flycatchers sitting on the branch, so the other two were a nice surprise.

This Goldfinch will be adopting a winter plumage before long.

This view of the Bay Bridge was taken looking across the marina at Sandy Point.

When it’s too hot for the birds, you can usually find a dragonfly.

The local Sam’s club did a decent job of keeping a green border, and it looked promising, but it’s largely populated by Blue Jays, Mockingbirds, Starlings, stray cats and Sparrows.

Mockingbirds seemed to be everywhere, and they were quite aggressive with one another.

This Red Winged Blackbird was one of the few birds braving the heat.

I’ve taken a lot of photos of birds, and it can get a little ho-hum in cases, but some birds always give a thrill and leave you a little breathless. That’s the way I feel about Hawks. This Red Shouldered Hawk flew into the woods and I despaired of getting a good shot, but I moved nearer and was able to get some respectable images of this magnificent bird. I believe this is a juvenile.

This butterfly appears to have led a hard life. I’m calling it a Black Swallowtail, but it differs somewhat from the Audubon image.

The Black Vulture is another commonplace bird at Sandy Point

There are many Ring Billed Gulls in the park. The red eye ring and red “Gape” mentioned in Sibley are easily seen here.

This shot isn’t as sharp as I’d like, but it’s my first Great Egret and will have to do.

Sandy Point State Park is at the Western terminus of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. It’s well maintained and includes many amenities such as the picnic tables and BBQ grill seen here.

One of the beaches is filled with Canada Geese and Ring Billed Gulls.

This is the first time I’ve seen this wing drying posture from a Great Blue Heron.

I don’t often get this close to an Eastern Kingbird.

There are many Mockingbirds in the park, and they pose willingly.

When I watch a Downy Woodpecker foraging, I’m always impressed by their attention to detail.

Dragonflies are everywhere you look in the park.

The Great Blue Heron (Juvenile) has yet to get is adult colors or plumage. He was not nearly as wary as an adult.

These Eastern Kingbirds were very active, and feeding well.

There was a flock of 20 or so Black Vultures hanging out at the dumpster.

There were several Bluebirds, including this male and a juvenile.

This Mockingbird, like many of his brethren, was perched at the top of his tree, proclaiming multiple songs loudly.

The Savannah Sparrow is another prolific songster.

According to my Audobon Android app, this is a Red Admiral.
I’m disappointed it isn’t sharper, but it’s the first I’ve seen.

Someday I’ll get names for these guys.

Despite its name, this Great Crested Flycatcher was catching dragonflies and grasshoppers.

There were two of these birds hanging around Possum Point. They seemed to be eating something on the ground, but I didn’t see what it was.

There are still many Ospreys around, and many have successfully raised their young.

The deer are doing well. This is another doe. I’ve seen a couple of bucks, but have yet to get a picture.

This Red Bellied Woodpecker examined the dead limbs on this tree for several minutes.

I count 28 Starlings.

Some Ospreys will allow you to approach quite closely.

There were two Mockingbirds engaging in what appeared to be a territorial dispute.

The Eastern Kingbird is very handsome.

It’s hard to pass up a Cardinal.

This Blue Gray Gnatcatcher led me a merry chase and I was lucky to get this shot.

There seems to always be a Chipping Sparrow around the Nature Center building.

This Western Tiger Swallowtail is looking a little ragged.

This Great Blue Heron seemed to be resting.

For most of this year I’ve only seen Northern Rough Winged Swallows at Truxtun Park, so this Barn Swallow was a surprise.

I remember watching Dragonflies as a child, but it wasn’t until recently I realized there were many different ones.

This appears to be a juvenile Cowbird. He was a good subject, and may not have seen a human before.

A Catbird has taken up residence in a bush right in front of my house, and has confused me a couple of times. This bird was silent, however.

This is the first time I’ve seen a male and female Blue Grosbeak together.

This female Red Winged Blackbird struck a classic pose.

I was surprised to see three Orchard Oriole hanging out together. Perhaps they’re a family.

I didn’t get a perfect shot, but at one point there were 4 different species in this bush:The Blue Grosbeak and Orchard Oriole above, a House Finch a Goldfinch and a female Blue Grosbeak.

This Cardinal may be a Rod Stewart fan.

It was an unusual day for getting multiple species in the same shot.

When I started photographing birds I was mostly interested in getting clear shots that showed enough field marks to ID the bird. Now, I find the occasional shot that demands artistry in composition, and that’s a real challenge for me.

This Goldfinch was one of the few visible birds.

This juvenile Red Bellied Woodpecker searched this tree thoroughly for a meal.

There are so many Ospreys at Possum Point that I sometimes ignore them, but I’ll miss them when they migrate.

I saw this Red Tailed Hawk land in a large tree, but I couldn’t locate him until two Crows chased him from his perch into the open .

This handsome Grackle was proud of his peanut.

My friend Shannon rescued this handsome cat several years ago.