Short Billed Dowitcher at Bombay Hook.

Posted on June 29, 2018 by Hugh

It’s still the slowest time of year, and I’m not having much luck, so I braved the bugs at Bombay Hook this morning. They actually weren’t too bad. I’m sure the bug spray helped, but I’ve seen more bugs in other places.

It was really quite birdy this morning. I found some Glossy Ibis, but they were too far off. The Skimmers were more cooperative, and my Willet was still hanging out in Bear Swamp Pool. There were hundreds of Egrets and Herons, but not as many Sandpipers as I expected. No Eagles at all, which is surprising.

A very good morning indeed.

Sunrise at Bombay Hook.

I saw well over a hundred Great Egrets.

Several Eastern Kingbirds were flycatching along the roadside.

Black Skimmers showed up early.

Many Forster’s Terns were fishing in the pools.

Dozens of Great Blue Herons were scattered through all the pools.

I think this is a Greater Yellowlegs.

This may be the same single Willet I saw a few weeks ago.

I often see Blue Grosbeaks at the road’s edge.

It’s easy to find Goldfinches by the side of the road.

This juvenile Wood Duck was at Lake Artemesia a couple of days ago.

I thought these were nice looking Mallards.

Theses Short Billed Dowitchers were just barely in range.

Roseate Spoonbill at Walton Beach

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Hugh

There have only been 5 Roseate Spoonbills recorded in MD, and I got to see the fourth one a few days ago. I actually went to find it several times, with varying success. There were many people doing the same dance, probably a hundred or more. In any case, North Beach looks like a good birding area and I’ll be back.

There wasn’t a lot of variety to be found at this time of year, so I haven’t posted much. I made a trip to Blackwater today, so I’m going to combine several day’s images in this post. Blackwater wasn’t exactly overrun with good birds either, but I managed a few decent shots.

Blackwater Dawn.

A few Great Egrets were feeding in the marsh. There will be many more in a few weeks.

Red Headed Woodpeckers were very active.

This Barn Swallow was resting near Wildlife Drive.

A few Purple Martins were looking for insects.

This Great Blue Heron let me get very close.

This is probably a young Mallard.

This Catbird was very vocal.

Many Red Winged Blackbirds were foraging in the marsh.

These Ospreys were feeding two chicks.

A few Tree Swallows were resting by the side of Wildlife Drive.

I saw several Eastern Kingbirds.

These gulls were at Walton Beach.

This Green Heron flew overhead at North Beach.

This Snowy Egret was very intent on his fishing.

This Roseate Spoonbill stayed on the same piling for two hours or more.

These Foxes found some roadkill.

Black Crowned Night Heron at Kiwanis Lake.

Posted on June 19, 2018 by Hugh

Graeme and I and Prayoon set out early for Wildwood Lake in Pennsylvania and Kiwanis Lake in York. It’s a 2 hour ride, but it turned out well. I think once a year would be worth it.

Wildwood lake wasn’t as prolific as it’s been in the past, but we found many chipmunks, an animal that has eluded me until now. A Baltimore Oriole was cooperative, but we didn’t find much else,

Kiwanis Lake was much better, with nesting egrets and herons, as well a lake full of Canada Geese and Mallards. I haven’t seen many rookeries, so it was a treat.

This very rare Roseate Spoonbill is only the fourth ever recorded in Maryland.

This Mallard was at Lake Artemesia a few days ago.

This young Great Egret Heron is trying out his new wings.

This is a juvenile Black Crowned Night Heron.

This seems to be a domestic Mallard.

This Baltimore Oriole and her mate were feeding their chicks.

I seldom get this close to a Black Crowned Night Heron.

I see very few chipmunks, but Wildwood Lake is home to dozens.

This Eastern Box Turtle was crossing the path at his own speed.

Many Turtles were soaking up the sunshine.

Tree Swallows at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Hugh

I started at Sandy Point this morning, hoping for a decent sunrise, but it was not to be.

I was at Terrapin right after dawn, and it was almost deserted. A lone Osprey and a couple of Egrets were all that was on offer. A lone Wood Duck hen made brief appearance.

CBEC was next, and the usual Tree Swallow flock was present and very active. I managed a few good shots.

Another single Osprey allowed a few good looks. I made another stop at Sandy point on the way home, but even the gulls were scarce.

I found this early morning Osprey at Terrapin.

The CBEC Barn Swallows nest under the blind.

If you spend enough time, you can get a few good flight shots of the elusive Tree Swallow.

This lone Wood Duck didn’t stay long.

Sika Deer at Blackwater NWR.

Posted on June 14, 2018 by Hugh

“The sika deer is a small, brown elk that lives in quiet marshes and forested wetlands on the lower Eastern Shore of Maryland.” I have known of these elk for some time, but my few sightings produced no decent photo opps. Today’s encounter was much more fortuitous. These animals usually run off at first sight, but today’s animal was hardly concerned at all with out presence, and Graeme and I got several decent images.

We found many distant herons and egrets, a few eagles and a nesting pair of Red Headed Woodpeckers as well.

We spent a fair amount of time looking for other species, with minimal success. It’s still early, though, and I expect better luck soon.

Graeme brought along a portable chair.

This Bald Eagle was in the usual tree along Wildlife Drive.

These Red Headed Woodpecker parents were busy feeding their young.

We found this Barn Swallow at the observation tower.

Graeme spotted this Wild Turkey at the end of Wildlife Drive.

Many Great Blue Herons were feeding in the marsh.

This Red Winged Blackbird seemed to be carrying food for her young.

We spotted this Red Tailed Hawk along Key Wallace Drive.

Only a few Great Egrets were close enough for images.

This Orchard Oriole posed in a very nice setting.

We found this Sika Elk along Key Wallace Drive.

Black Skimmer at Bombay Hook NWR.

Posted on June 12, 2018 by Hugh

Back to Bombay Hook because that’s where the birds are. I’ve been checking my local spots with very little luck, so it’s worth the trip to get a chance at some good birds.

There were more egrets and herons than last time, but fewer eagles. The second pool was virtually empty, and Bear Swamp Pool had the most action. I kept a close eye on the vegetation bordering the road and found a couple of good birds that way.

The Skimmers were the highlight. They’re so spectacular as they fly within inches of water, and I was lucky enough to be in a spot they flew quite close to. A nearly tame Fox added to the mix.

There’s a large Purple Martin colony at Bombay Hook.

If you watch the shrubs near the road carefully you’ll find birds like this Common Yellowthroat.

There were many Great Egrets in the marsh today.

I found only a few Black Necked Stilts today.

This Yellow Warbler was a surprise.

There are many Goldfinches at Bombay Hook.

This is a female Blue Grosbeak.

I believe this a Willet.

Several Eastern Kingbirds were flycatching along the roadside.

These may be first year Wood Ducks.

I found only two American Avocets today.

It’s fun to watch these fast Black Skimmers slice through the water looking for fish.

Some Foxes seem to be nearly tame.

King Rail at Blackwater NWR.

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Hugh

Some days you wonder why a grown man would wander around in the heat, the mud and the bugs looking for birds who don’t give a damn about you. Other days, however, make you wonder why everyone isn’t doing it.

Today was a good one. The King Rail is a life bird for me;in 6 years of frequent jaunts into the marsh I haven’t seen one, or even come close, yet two crossed my path and posed nicely this morning.

In addition, several nice birds and a couple of mammals took advantage of the very nice weather to be out in front of my lens and made my day several times over.

Blackwater Dawn.

Ruby Throated Hummingbirds were very active today.

The Purple Martin Colony at Blackwater is thriving.

Red Headed Woodpeckers were easy to find today.

I was surprised to see these Ospreys mating so late in the season.

These Ospreys were feeding at least one chick.

A lone Catbird was singing at the visitor center.

A Carolina Wren was singing also.

Only a few Great Egrets were present.

Several Bald Eagles were foraging in the marsh.

I don’t often see Turkey vultures drying their wings on the ground.

Eastern Kingbirds were flycatching along the drive.

You’ll usually hear an Orchard Oriole before you see him.

This Red Winged Blackbird has found a nice bug.

The secretive King Rail is hard to photograph.

It’s not always easy to photograph a Delmarva Fox Squirrel.

This Fox was hanging out at the visitor center.

Woodpecker v. Crayfish at Blackwater NWR.

Posted on June 6, 2018 by Hugh

Occasionally, I run into a situation that’s so extraordinary that it needs its own post, and that’s what happened today.

I was looking for Red Headed Woodpeckers when one landed in the grass quite nearby. He was immediately engaged with some kind of prey in the tall grass, but I couldn’t see what it was. As I moved closer, I was able to get better images, but things were moving quickly, and I didn’t really have a good overall picture of the situation until I looked at the images in the camera.

I’ve edited some of the images and uploaded them with captions to add some clarity to a special moment.

This is just after the bird (A Red Headed Woodpecker) has landed on the road.

The woodpecker has spied the crayfish.

He takes a closer look at the crayfish.

The crayfish isn’t going to go easily.

Who’s going to win the battle?

Another attack by the crayfish.

Up and away.

Here, the battle has ended and he’s taking his prize home.

Mute Swan at Bombay Hook NWR.

Posted on June 5, 2018 by Hugh

It’s that time of year when birds are getting scarce, so I took a chance on Bombay Hook this morning. The bugs were held down by a relatively low temperature and just enough breeze. It was the right place to be to find birds, also.

The pools were actually relatively sparsely populated, but there were enough birds in close to get a few decent pics. A snapping turtle and a leopard frog helped out also.

Now, if they’d just move Bombay Hook closer to Annapolis.

There is a large Purple Martin colony at Bombay Hook.

I found only a few Black Necked Stilts this morning.

This Bald Eagle was enjoying a sunny morning high in a tree.

A flock of American Avocets was foraging in the marsh.

Many Tree Swallows nest at Bombay Hook.

I found this Barn Swallow on the boardwalk trail.

I found this Catbird on the marsh boardwalk.

Least Sandpipers were not as numerous as last week.

Several Eastern Kingbirds were feeding in the high grass near the road.

I saw two Wood Ducks this morning.

This Great Egret stayed in one place for quite a while.

Many Goldfinches feed along the roadside.

Only a few Black Skimmers were present this morning.

The Snowy Egrets stayed quite distant.

A single Mute Swan was cruising in the marsh.

I found two Snapping Turtles crossing the road.

This Leopard Frog was quite cooperativve.

Black Skimmer at Bombay Hook NWR.

Posted on June 1, 2018 by Hugh

I don’t usually go to Delaware this late in the year because the bugs can be ferocious. I took a chance anyway, as it’s been very slow around here. I’ve also been cooped up with a bad wheel bearing, which took a few days (And $266.00) to fix.

Bombay Hook was well populated with birds, including the first Skimmers I’ve seen there. My first experience with these birds was years ago in Florida. They’re fun to watch. There were also a few other interesting birds, so it was a worthwhile trip. It’s likely to be Fall before I go again.