{"id":2386,"date":"2012-09-21T18:50:23","date_gmt":"2012-09-21T22:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?p=2386"},"modified":"2017-11-11T04:29:38","modified_gmt":"2017-11-11T09:29:38","slug":"birding-aint-always-easy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?p=2386","title":{"rendered":"Birding Ain&#8217;t Always Easy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fhughvandervoort.com%2F%3Fp%3D2386&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n<p>A beautiful Fall day, with temps in the low 60s, quickly warming to the 70s. Clear skies and no chance of rain. I decided, against the advice of my roommate Richard, to return to Annapolis Junction and Patuxent NWR. I should have listened. Despite extensive exploring at Annapolis Junction, I got virtually nothing, and Patuxent wasn&#8217;t much better. Birding Ain&#8217;t Always Easy.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2387\" style=\"width: 498px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/birding-aint-always-easy\/sharp-shinned-hawk-19\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2387\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2387\" data-attachment-id=\"2387\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2387\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sharp-Shinned-Hawk-19.jpg?fit=488%2C364&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"488,364\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Sharp-Shinned Hawk \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Annapolis Junction has a lot of open area, ideal for Hawks like this Sharp-Shinned Hawk. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sharp-Shinned-Hawk-19.jpg?fit=488%2C364&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2387\" title=\"Sharp-Shinned Hawk \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sharp-Shinned-Hawk-19.jpg?resize=488%2C364&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Sharp-Shinned Hawk \" width=\"488\" height=\"364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sharp-Shinned-Hawk-19.jpg?w=488&amp;ssl=1 488w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sharp-Shinned-Hawk-19.jpg?resize=300%2C223&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Sharp-Shinned-Hawk-19.jpg?resize=402%2C300&amp;ssl=1 402w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 488px) 100vw, 488px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2387\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Annapolis Junction has a lot of open area, ideal for Hawks like this Red Shouldered Hawk.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2391\" style=\"width: 610px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/birding-aint-always-easy\/bluebird-47\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2391\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2391\" data-attachment-id=\"2391\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2391\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Bluebird-47.jpg?fit=600%2C472&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"600,472\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Bluebird \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;There are still plenty of Bluebirds at Patuxent.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Bluebird-47.jpg?fit=584%2C459&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2391\" title=\"Bluebird \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Bluebird-47.jpg?resize=584%2C459&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Bluebird \" width=\"584\" height=\"459\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Bluebird-47.jpg?w=600&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Bluebird-47.jpg?resize=300%2C236&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Bluebird-47.jpg?resize=381%2C300&amp;ssl=1 381w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2391\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">There are still plenty of Bluebirds at Patuxent.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/birding-aint-always-easy\/common-goldeneye-5\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2395\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2395\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2395\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-5.jpg?fit=1344%2C504&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1344,504\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Ruddy Duck\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-5.jpg?fit=584%2C219&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2395\" title=\"Common Goldeneye \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-5.jpg?resize=584%2C219&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Common Goldeneye \" width=\"584\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-5.jpg?w=1344&amp;ssl=1 1344w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-5.jpg?resize=300%2C112&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-5.jpg?resize=1024%2C384&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-5.jpg?resize=500%2C187&amp;ssl=1 500w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-5.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2393\" style=\"width: 770px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/birding-aint-always-easy\/common-goldeneye-4\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2393\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2393\" data-attachment-id=\"2393\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2393\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-4.jpg?fit=760%2C700&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"760,700\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Ruddy Duck\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;Yesterday I thought this duck might be a Bufflehead, but this closer look suggests it&amp;#8217;s a Ruddy Duck. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-4.jpg?fit=584%2C538&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2393\" title=\"Common Goldeneye \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-4.jpg?resize=584%2C538&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Common Goldeneye \" width=\"584\" height=\"538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-4.jpg?w=760&amp;ssl=1 760w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-4.jpg?resize=300%2C276&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Common-Goldeneye-4.jpg?resize=325%2C300&amp;ssl=1 325w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2393\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yesterday I thought this duck might be a Bufflehead, but this closer look suggests it&#8217;s a Common Goldeneye.<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/birding-aint-always-easy\/great-blue-heron-in-flight-33\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2398\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"2398\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2398\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-33.jpg?fit=1640%2C1240&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1640,1240\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Great Blue Heron in Flight \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-33.jpg?fit=584%2C441&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2398\" title=\"Great Blue Heron in Flight \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-33.jpg?resize=584%2C442&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Great Blue Heron in Flight \" width=\"584\" height=\"442\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-33.jpg?w=1640&amp;ssl=1 1640w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-33.jpg?resize=300%2C226&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-33.jpg?resize=1024%2C774&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-33.jpg?resize=396%2C300&amp;ssl=1 396w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-33.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_2397\" style=\"width: 658px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/birding-aint-always-easy\/great-blue-heron-in-flight-32\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2397\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2397\" data-attachment-id=\"2397\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2397\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-32.jpg?fit=648%2C528&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"648,528\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Great Blue Heron in Flight \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;I have a lot of pictures of the Great Blue Heron in flight, but this may be the only one with an open bill. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-32.jpg?fit=584%2C476&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2397\" title=\"Great Blue Heron in Flight \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-32.jpg?resize=584%2C476&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Great Blue Heron in Flight \" width=\"584\" height=\"476\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-32.jpg?w=648&amp;ssl=1 648w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-32.jpg?resize=300%2C244&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-32.jpg?resize=368%2C300&amp;ssl=1 368w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2397\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I have a lot of pictures of the Great Blue Heron in flight, but this may be the only one with an open bill.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2400\" style=\"width: 978px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/birding-aint-always-easy\/snowy-egret-7\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2400\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2400\" data-attachment-id=\"2400\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2400\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Snowy-Egret-7.jpg?fit=968%2C812&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"968,812\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Snowy Egret \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;It&amp;#8217;s difficult to get a good shot of a white bird like this Snowy Egret  in bright sunlight.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Snowy-Egret-7.jpg?fit=584%2C490&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2400\" title=\"Snowy Egret \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Snowy-Egret-7.jpg?resize=584%2C490&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Snowy Egret \" width=\"584\" height=\"490\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Snowy-Egret-7.jpg?w=968&amp;ssl=1 968w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Snowy-Egret-7.jpg?resize=300%2C251&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Snowy-Egret-7.jpg?resize=357%2C300&amp;ssl=1 357w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2400\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">It&#8217;s difficult to get a good shot of a white bird like this Snowy Egret in bright sunlight.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2436\" style=\"width: 1366px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/birding-aint-always-easy\/great-blue-heron-in-flight-34\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2436\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2436\" data-attachment-id=\"2436\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2436\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-34.jpg?fit=1356%2C1028&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"1356,1028\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Great Blue Heron in Flight \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This Great Blue Heron flew over the group.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-34.jpg?fit=584%2C443&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2436\" title=\"Great Blue Heron in Flight \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-34.jpg?resize=584%2C443&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Great Blue Heron in Flight \" width=\"584\" height=\"443\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-34.jpg?w=1356&amp;ssl=1 1356w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-34.jpg?resize=300%2C227&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-34.jpg?resize=1024%2C776&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-34.jpg?resize=395%2C300&amp;ssl=1 395w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Great-Blue-Heron-in-Flight-34.jpg?w=1168&amp;ssl=1 1168w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2436\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This Great Blue Heron flew over the group.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2434\" style=\"width: 262px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2434\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2434\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2434\" data-attachment-id=\"2434\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2434\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Rose-Breasted-Grosbeak-5.jpg?fit=252%2C204&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"252,204\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Rose Breasted Grosbeak \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This distant bird is a Rose Breasted Grosbeak. &lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Rose-Breasted-Grosbeak-5.jpg?fit=252%2C204&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2434\" title=\"Rose Breasted Grosbeak \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Rose-Breasted-Grosbeak-5.jpg?resize=252%2C204&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Rose Breasted Grosbeak\" width=\"252\" height=\"204\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2434\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This distant bird is a Rose Breasted Grosbeak.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2437\" style=\"width: 454px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/birding-aint-always-easy\/goldfinch-37\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2437\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2437\" data-attachment-id=\"2437\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2437\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Goldfinch-37.jpg?fit=444%2C316&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"444,316\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Goldfinch \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;I thought this Goldfinch  was a warbler when I first saw him.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Goldfinch-37.jpg?fit=444%2C316&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2437\" title=\"Goldfinch \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Goldfinch-37.jpg?resize=444%2C316&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Goldfinch \" width=\"444\" height=\"316\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Goldfinch-37.jpg?w=444&amp;ssl=1 444w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Goldfinch-37.jpg?resize=300%2C213&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Goldfinch-37.jpg?resize=421%2C300&amp;ssl=1 421w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 444px) 100vw, 444px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2437\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">I thought this Goldfinch was a warbler when I first saw him.<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"attachment_2439\" style=\"width: 702px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/birding-aint-always-easy\/brown-thrasher-12\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-2439\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2439\" data-attachment-id=\"2439\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?attachment_id=2439\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Brown-Thrasher-12.jpg?fit=692%2C540&amp;ssl=1\" data-orig-size=\"692,540\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Brown Thrasher \" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"&lt;p&gt;This Brown Thrasher  has found a great dining spot.&lt;\/p&gt;\n\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Brown-Thrasher-12.jpg?fit=584%2C456&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-2439\" title=\"Brown Thrasher \" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Brown-Thrasher-12.jpg?resize=584%2C456&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Brown Thrasher \" width=\"584\" height=\"456\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Brown-Thrasher-12.jpg?w=692&amp;ssl=1 692w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Brown-Thrasher-12.jpg?resize=300%2C234&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hughvandervoort.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/09\/Brown-Thrasher-12.jpg?resize=384%2C300&amp;ssl=1 384w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 584px) 100vw, 584px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2439\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">This Brown Thrasher has found a great dining spot.<\/p><\/div>\n\n<!-- Facebook Like Button v1.9.6 BEGIN [http:\/\/blog.bottomlessinc.com] -->\n<iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/plugins\/like.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fhughvandervoort.com%2F%3Fp%3D2386&amp;layout=standard&amp;show_faces=false&amp;width=450&amp;action=like&amp;colorscheme=light\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowTransparency=\"true\" style=\"border:none; overflow:hidden; width:450px; height: 30px; align: left; margin: 2px 0px 2px 0px\"><\/iframe>\n<!-- Facebook Like Button END -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A beautiful Fall day, with temps in the low 60s, quickly warming to the 70s. Clear skies and no chance of rain. I decided, against the advice of my roommate Richard, to return to Annapolis Junction and Patuxent NWR. I &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/?p=2386\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mybirdingday"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2xu3W-Cu","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2386"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37578,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2386\/revisions\/37578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hughvandervoort.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}