It was cold, but sunny with a light wind this morning, not too shabby for mid January. The local park is closed on Tuesdays, so Possum Point seemed like a good choice.
There wasn’t much at the point proper, so I wandered the field then checked out the marina, which had some good birds.

Possum Point at dawn.

I saw this hawk from a distance, and wasn't sure it was a bird at all, until I got closer and it flew off.

These Mallards were feeding in the marina cove.

It seemed unusual for the Great Blue Heron to be hanging out with a Canada Goose.

This may be the same Hermit Thrush I saw last week.

There's always a few Black Backed Seagulls at the point.

This Redhead was a nice find as I haven't seen one since last year.

Cold temps, but bright sunshine and no wind to speak of. When I can get by with no or very light gloves, it’s a good day.
I started at Possum Point, which had a lot of gulls and geese, but no ducks. Bluebirds and woodpeckers were around, as well as a few juncos. There are always Crows, but they seldom pose for me.
I spent an hour at Thomas Point, which was also barren of ducks except for a few Buffleheads, but I did see two eagles and several gulls, as well as the usual Tundra Swans.

There are usually a few Red Bellied Woodpeckers at the point.

I got very close to this Eastern Bluebird.

Dozens of Canada Geese shelter in the cove.

The king of the Atlantic waterfront, the Great Black-backed Gull is the largest gull in the world, with a powerful build and a domineering attitude. They harry other birds to steal their food and even hunt adult birds such as grebes and puffins. Adults are handsome with broad black wings, gleaming white head, and big yellow bill. North American populations were once severely threatened by the feather trade, but numbers rebounded in the twentieth century and they are now a common East Coast sight.

White Throated Sparrows forage in the big field.

Double Crested Cormorants are almost always present at the point.

Ring Billed Gulls always seem to be having fun.

American Crows are found most places I go, and I usually pass them by, but this one caught my eye.

Cold and icy. I’m a little leery about walking on ice after last year’s broken arm, so I stayed on the clear spots and the deep snow while I looked for birds. I want to experiment with the new camera without risking another injury.
Graeme suggested using aperture priority and a higher ISO to get a decent shutter speed and some depth of field. Most of these photos are at ISO 1000, f9-10 and 1/2000-1/4000.

Several Red Bellied Woodpecker were in the area.

It was bitterly cold, but I was feeling cooped up and had a new camera to try out.
I went to Possum Point and found a few birds, but it was so cold I didn’t stay long.

This Northern Cardinal looked very content in the sunshine.

Cedar Waxwings are regulars at the point.

It was windy and cold this morning, but the light was good. I went back to Possum Point, which wasn’t as active on the waterfront, but there were plenty of birds in the field.
My Nikon D7100 arrived today, and I’ll post some test shots soon.

The Black Backed Seagull is fairly common on the Chesapeake Bay.

A flock of 25 or so Cedar Waxwings was feeding on berries.

There were dozens of Dark Eyed Juncos in the field.

With hundreds of small birds on the ground, I was expecting a hawk, and this Red Tailed Hawk bore me out.

This morning featured rain and heavy clouds, which cleared a little around 9:00, and I was bored enough to try Thomas Point. I got lucky when a Coast Guard boat spooked a flock of Tundra Swans, who flew right over my head. One last look around the woods brought me to a Bald Eagle, who posed nicely for a few minutes.
I’m throwing in a few other images I’ve been working on recently.

This Carolina Chickadee is from a few weeks ago.

My shutter speed wasn't quite fast enough for this White Throated Sparrow.

I see many Bald Eagles at Thomas Point, but I don't often get this close.

I saw this Downy Woodpecker at Possum point.

These Tundra Swans flew right over my head, almost close enough to touch.

I started out at Quiet Waters this morning, and didn’t see much at all. The ducks are still missing and there wasn’t much else. I was lucky to spot this fox at the edge of the woods.
I’ve thrown in some other images I’ve been editing to catch up.

Sunny and cold weather had me off to Possum Point to see if the ducks were there. Not a single one, which is mysterious. Ducks are scarce at the moment, which makes them about two weeks late.
There were plenty of other birds, though, and I got a few good images.
I spent a little time at Greenbury Point also, and it was mildly productive.

This Downy Woodpecker was foraging at the point.

This is the first Hermit Thrush I've seen in this area.

I've seen Double Crested Cormorants every time I've been to Possum Point.

A large flock of Bluebirds was feeding rapidly.

My sister will be happy to see her favorite bird.

Bald Eagles are fairly common here.

Black Backed Seagulls are also common in this area,

Several large flocks of Canada Geese flew over the point.

This is a favorite area for Cedar Waxwings.