Bald Eagle at Blackwater NWR.

Posted on November 1, 2018 by Hugh

It’s still a bit slow around here, so I journeyed to Blackwater this morning. It was quite nice for early November, and a few birds are trickling in. It’s not exciting yet. A few Pintails were around, but too distant, and only a few Sandpipers. Plenty of Mallards and Canada Geese, but not much else.

Dawn at Sandy Point.

Several Northern Pintails were feeding in the marsh.

This Great Blue Heron flew right across my path.

Many Canada Geese were moving around the refuge.

I saw 100 or more Mallards.

This might be the first Cardinal I’ve ever photographed at Blackwater.

The usual Double Crested Cormorants were at the Key Wallace bridge.

Two Greater Yellowlegs were foraging along Wildlife Drive.

I found only a few Bald Eagles.

White Crowned Sparrow at Bombay Hook NWR.

Posted on October 30, 2018 by Hugh

We seem to be in between seasons again. Most of migration is over, but many more ducks will be arriving soon, and a few small birds are still passing through. A little luck is needed to find anything good.

I went to Bombay Hook in hopes of getting lucky, and I did just OK. The water is still high, so Sandpipers and other wading birds were in short supply.

I did find some nice ducks and a field full of Sparrows, so it turned out OK.

On the road to Allee House.

This Song Sparrow was near the Visitor Center.

I found this Northern Flicker on the Marsh Trail.

I saw several Yellow Rumped Warblers this morning.

Green Winged Teals aren’t present in big numbers yet.

A few Great Egrets are still around.

I haven’t seen a White Breasted Nuthatch in quite a while.

This appears to be an Eastern Phoebe.

Many Black Ducks were feeding in the marsh.

Northern Shovelers were present in good numbers.

A few Great Egrets are still around.

I saw very few Snowy Egrets.

A few Canada Geese swimming sedately

This Bald Eagle pair seemed like sentinels.

A single Pied Billed Grebe was hanging out with the Black Ducks.

This is the first time I’ve seen a Mute Swan in flight.

This is a Swamp Sparrow.

This is a juvenile White Crowned Sparrow.

Golden Crowned Kinglet at Terrapin Nature Park.

Posted on October 26, 2018 by Hugh

Sandy Point finally provided a colorful dawn! I think this year has been much less interesting than last year, but I haven’t made a proper study of it.

Terrapin was slower than yesterday, but I did find a decent Kinglet that I hadn’t seen yet. A few ducks were a nice addition, but it was a so-so day.

Dawn at Sandy Point.

This Great Blue Heron flew across the marsh as I arrived.

A single White Throated Sparrow was feeding in the big field.

This Swamp Sparrow was busy feeding on the ground.

I caught this Blue Jay just as he took off.

This Eastern Phoebe has caught a juicy caterpillar.

Several Black Ducks were on the pond with many Mallards.

I saw only one Golden Crowned Kinglet.

Purple Finch at Terrapin Nature Park.

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Hugh

I got to Sandy Point about an hour before sunrise, to watch yet another colorless sky. I left without taking any shots at all, and got to Terrapin a few minutes before dawn.

This was a much more fruitful visit. There were as many birds as a couple of days ago, and I got good looks at many nice birds, including two Purple Finches, a bird I seldom see.

I don’t know how long the bird bonanza will last, but it should be fun for a few days.

Several Eastern Phoebes were very actively feeding.

This Palm Warbler was feeding on the ground.

I think this is a warbler, but it’s hard to tell from this angle.

This Carolina Wren was singing very loudly.

This Tennessee Warbler was a nice surprise.

There were dozens of Song Sparrows.

Two Northern Flickers were foraging in the grass.

White Throated Sparrows are being reported everywhere.

I’ve only seen a few Hermit Thrushes at Terrapin.

I’ve seen many migrating Blue Jays in the week or so.

This Swamp Sparrow posed well.

Ruby Crowned Kinglets were foraging in every bush.

This is only the second Purple Finch I’ve seen This one is a female.

Savannah Sparrow at Bombay Hook.

Posted on October 24, 2018 by Hugh

I made the trek to Bombay Hook this morning in hopes of finding some good water birds, but it was not happening. Some ducks have arrived, and a few Snow Geese flew over, but numbers and variety were low.

It was very windy, and the birds seemed to spook easily this morning. I made the circuit 4 times, and got a few decent images, but I’m hoping for better birds next time.

Dawn at Bombay Hook.

On the road to Alan House.

This is a Northern Shoveler.

Many Northern Pintails have arrived.

This Great Blue Heron flew over as I was leaving.

A Bald Eagle seemed to be soaking up the morning Sun.

About 50 Snow Geese flew over the refuge.

I saw many Greater Yellowlegs in the distance.

Black Ducks were plentiful also.

You can often find Savannah Sparrows by the side of the road.

Chipping Sparrow at Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Hugh

I got to Sandy Point about an hour before sunrise, which is the best time to see the colors when the elements line up, but they didn’t cooperate today. I’ve spent several mornings in the parking lot this year waiting for a colorful dawn that never arrived.

Terrapin was the next stop, and it was OK, but not nearly as active as yesterday.

I haven’t been to CBEC for while, so I gave it a try, but it was really slow. There’s plenty of distant ducks, but none close enough to photograph. A nice butterfly made up for the lack of birds.

Many Ruby Crowned Kinglets are still hanging around.

A single Palm Warbler was feeding near the boardwalk.

This is probably the same Red Tailed Hawk I saw yesterday.

I was lucky enough to see another White Crowned Sparrow today.

This Chipping Sparrow was foraging near the lake.

This Question Mark butterfly landed right in front of me.

White Crowned Sparrow at Terrapin Nature Park.

Posted on October 22, 2018 by Hugh

I started at Sandy Point, as I often do at this time of year, and got a few looks at a decent sunrise. I always want more color, but it was good enough.

I’ve been hearing that the migrants are on the move, and sure enough, they were. When I got to the big field near the parking lot, I could see dozens of small birds dripping from the leaves and branches. This only happens a few times a year, and it’s a real treat.

I was pleased to see it was a mixed flock of Sparrows and Kinglets. There were at least two cool Sparrows, and one of the Ruby Kinglets was kind enough to show me his ruby stripe, which doesn’t always happen.

A Hawk and a Warbler were just icing on the cake.

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Several Chipping Sparrows were in the flock.

Ruby Crowned Kinglets were everywhere.

A few Yellow Rumped Warblers were foraging with the Sparrows.

This juvenile Red Tailed Hawk seems to have lost an eye.

This appears to be a Field Sparrow.

Several Eastern Phoebes were flycatching.

This Cape May Warbler was quite close and posed well.

This is a Lincoln’s Sparrow, only the third I’ve seen.

I’ve looked for a White Crowned Sparrow for several years. This is a first for me.

Black Throated Green Warbler at Quiet Waters.

Posted on October 18, 2018 by Hugh

After yesterday’s success, I tried Quiet Waters again today, and did well. I’ve said in the past that I should try Quiet Waters more often.

I had to do some searching to find the best spot, but it didn’t take long and I had over an hour of decent activity. It can be tricky to find migrating birds.

Sunrise at Sandy Point.

Several flycatchers were foraging in the area.

This is the first Blue Headed Vireo I’ve seen this year.

I heard several Chickadees in the area.

Two or more Downy Woodpeckers seem to be in the area all the time.

This Cardinal struck a nice pose.

A single Ruby Crowned Kinglet was feeding in the undergrowth.

This Pileated Woodpecker was in the area for an hour or more.

The Black Throated Green Warbler is a striking bird.

It’s rutting season, so I expect to be seeing more deer.

Blackpoll Warbler at Quiet Waters.

Posted on October 17, 2018 by Hugh

I started at Sandy point this morning, looking for a colorful sunrise. I got nada. Gray, cloudy sky with no decent colors. I found no interesting birds on the beach, so I set out for Greenbury Point, which was also a bust. A lone Great Blue Heron at Possum Point provided one photo opp.

On to Quiet Waters. I tried a couple of favorite spots, and was getting ready to quit when I saw a couple of interesting looking small birds, and lucked into a mini-bonanza. A couple of warblers and other small birds made a dull morning into something far more satisfying.

This Great Blue Heron was the only bird I found at Greenbury Point.

My first White Throated Sparrow of the season.

It will be easier to find Chickadees as the leaves fall off the trees.

This Palm Warbler was very cooperative.

I haven’t seen many Song Sparrows lately.

Two Downy Woodpeckers were examining this nesting box.

I had to get help identifying this Blackpoll Warbler.

American Avocet at Bombay Hook NWR.

Posted on October 16, 2018 by Hugh

It’s been another long dry spell around here. I’ve gotten out most days, but there just wasn’t much to see. That’s odd for this time of year when migration should be in full swing.

I went to Bombay Hook again this morning, just to get a look at some decent birds rather than take another chance on getting skunked around here.

It was actually slower than I’d hoped, but a big improvement on the local spots.