The Possum Point sunrise was a disappointment again, so I started at Quiet Waters this morning. I looked around for about an hour, but there’s just not much happening there yet,

Thomas Point was about the same as previously; plenty of birds too far away for good images.

I stopped at my friend’s house on Thomas Point Road and got the best images of the day.

This Wood Duck is still hanging out with his Mallard pals.

A few Buffleheads were close enough for pictures.

Several Canvasbacks had ventured out close to the point.

Scaup can be very attractive in the right light.

The Tundra Swans were very active today.

A pair of Long Tailed Ducks is staying near the point.

Several Cardinals were foraging near the point.

Many Mallards have been feeding in the shallows.

I frequently find Redheads mixed in with Canvasbacks.

I was going to try for sunrise at Possum Point this morning, but it didn’t look very exciting, so I waited awhile and went to Lake Artemesia. I got a couple of dawn sky images, but it wasn’t as colorful as I’d like.

Artemesia was as fruitful as it was last week. There were plenty of interesting birds willing to pose, and the light was nearly as good as it gets.  The Trumpeter Swan is still hanging around, and a couple of Mergansers posed as well. I only got one look at the Eagle, who flew right in front of me.

Yet another very good morning.

Dawn at Lake Artemesia.

Mallards look good in the right light.

There weren’t as many Canada Geese as usual.

There were at least 17 Double Crested Cormorants.

Ring Billed Gulls are regulars at the lake.

This Great Blue Heron moved around quite a lot.

Several Buffleheads were foraging in the lake.

My first good look at a Hooded Merganser this season.

The Common Goldeneye hens are still hanging around.

This Great Egret should be far South of here by now.

This Trumpeter Swan poses quite readily.

I tried Possum Point early, to look at the sky, and it wasn’t at all interesting.  I tried Schoolhouse Pond next, and it was not at all interesting. Only the usual suspects, and mostly too far away.

I ended up at Thomas Point. The weather was perfect and the water was calm, which can be ideal at Thomas Point. There were certainly plenty of birds, including two FOS birds, a Merganser and a Grebe. Again many of the birds were too far for good images, but it was a good morning nonetheless.

This Belted Kingfisher made only a brief appearance.

Many Ruddy Ducks were at the point, and most seemed to be sleeping.

You can hear the call of Surf Scoters from quite a distance, a soft whistling noise.

There were many Scaup, but only this one came in close enough for a picture.

I haven’t seen as many Common Goldeneyes as in past years.

First Horned Grebe of the season.

There will be Buffleheads at the point all winter.

Tundra Swans hang around all winter as well.

I found this Great Blue Heron at Schoolhouse Pond.

First Red Breasted Merganser of the season.

We’re supposed to have good weather for a few days, and I’ve been hearing good things about Lake Artemesia, so I left early to catch the morning sky.  I try to avoid heading West in the morning during the week because I really hate the traffic.

The morning sky didn’t disappoint, and there was an astonishing variety of birds, including the Trumpeter and a Great Egret.

A really good morning, overall.

The dark sky and smooth water make for a nice composition.

Only a few Buffleheads were on the lake.

There were 50 or more Ring Billed Gulls.

A pair of Red Shouldered Hawks were very vocal.

A pair of Red Shouldered Hawks were very vocal.

At least three Bald Eagles were soaring above the lake.

Three Common Goldeneye hens have been at the lake for a week or more.

I found only a single Ring Necked Duck.

Several Double crested Cormorants were fishing in the lake.

3-4 Hooded Mergansers were feeding in the shallows.

This Great Egret is in the area very late.

I have sent off for the info about the tag on this Trumpeter Swan.

I started at Possum Point this morning, and got some decent dawn shots. There were very few birds about, so I headed to Sandy Point to look for the Snowy Owl that’s been reported. No luck with the owl, but I saw a very large number of Cardinals, more than I’ve ever seen in one place. There weren’t many ducks.

Thomas Point had plenty, but most were too far out to ID. The Wood Duck is still hanging out, and a few birds were close enough to capture.

Not a bad morning, but more variety would be nice.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

Morning at Possum Point.

This Canvasback was at my friend’s house.

I’m finding more Long Tailed Ducks than in previous years.

Buffleheads are plentiful at this time of year.

This single Wood Duck seems to have been adopted by a flock of Mallards.

There were 10 or more Cardinals in the grass at Sandy Point.

I saw this White Breasted Nuthatch as I was leaving.

I checked out Possum Point for the sunrise, which was a bust this morning. I went to Quiet Waters next, and it was seriously slow.

Thomas Point was the hot spot this morning, and found some Black Scoters, which I hadn’t seen yet this year. They were distant, but close enough for an ID shot.

I don’t often see Wood Ducks at Thomas Point.

There seems to be more Long Tailed Ducks than usual.

Buffleheads are plentiful.

Ruddy Ducks were present in large rafts.

Lesser Scaup were the largest group.

These are Surf Scoters.

I haven’t seen Black Scoters for a couple of years.

The early skies were very cloudy, so I delayed my departure until 7:00. I began at Possum Point, which was disappointing, with only a few ducks and geese.

Thomas Point was more promising. Hundreds of ducks were in view, but most were a bit too far for good images. I met a couple of fellow birders, though, and we chatted a while.

I stopped at my friend’s house again and got some good close up shots.

The Lesser Scaup was at Possum Point.

I think this is the first time I’ve caught a Canvasback with its beak open.

Ruddy Ducks are numerous everywhere I go.

Several Long Tailed Ducks were at the point.

There weren’t as many Buffleheads as usual.

I made the usual stop at Sandy Point to check the sky, and left almost immediately when I saw all gray from horizon to sky. Possum Point is about 10 minutes away, and I’ve gotten some good sunrises there recently, so I made the trip.

I ran into the base cops once again, and they were not impressed with my permission slip from the base commander’s office, so we went ’round and ’round for a few minutes before they let me go with a promise to arrest me next time. I called the base commander’s office again, and the deputy assured me that won’t happen again.  More as the situation develops. I like Possum Point, and it’s great for ducks and sunrises in the Winter, so it’s worth the hassle (Which hasn’t happened in the last 6 years). 

I didn’t have any luck there, so I went to Thomas Point, which actually had a lot of ducks, but it was windy and cold, and the birds were too far out for good images. 

I’m lucky to have a friend who lives nearby, and I got some good shots from her dock to save the morning.

I checked out the sunrise at Sandy Point and Possum Point this morning, and it was another gray dawn. I pondered for a few minutes, then decided to give Schoolhouse Pond a try. It’s often productive at this time of year.

Visibility was pretty poor, but I could see hundreds of Canada Geese, many Mallards and seagulls. but not much else. As the sun rose I was able to see a few Hooded Mergansers.

I walked around a while, and was thinking about leaving when I saw a disturbance in the water which turned out to be a River Otter. 

I followed him around the pond for 45 minutes or so and managed to get a few close ups in the poor light, which made the trip worthwhile.

The weather is being very kind lately, so all I need is more variety from the birds. I’ve  seen several interesting species, but only briefly and in small numbers. My guess is that things will pick up as December progresses.

Sunrise has gotten far more interesting lately. I’m trying to learn more about low light photography, because the early morning reflections provide some interesting colors, but it’s tricky to get a fast enough shutter speed to capture a moving bird.

Sunrise at Possum Point.

The Tundra Swan on the left appears to be very young.

The water is reflecting the sunrise colors.

Buffleheads are numerous everywhere I go.

This Bald Eagle was hunting at Thomas Point this morning.

Ruddy Ducks are the most numerous of all.

The water is reflecting the sunrise colors.

Some years Long Tailed Ducks are hard to find.

Lesser Scaup are very numerous at Thomas Point.