Birds Bring A Smile
Our temperatures have been flip-flopping like the rest of the U.S. from the low 20’s to the upper 60’s, it’s crazy! We are thankful we’ve only had small snow dustings here and there. Hopefully, we make it to Spring without anything significant occurring before then.
The Buffleheads’ continue their daily visits around our berm, always providing a lot of enjoyment. They are small and quick and one busy duck! This time I was able to capture the lighting on a male to show his iridescent colors around his head.
Male Bufflehead with three Female Buffleheads
Male Bufflehead
Male Bufflehead with a little wind behind him!
Another day, another couple……
Male & Female Buffleheads
I had previously posted a terrible capture of a female Common Goldeneye, but it was a first sighting for me. She continued to visit at sunrise for a several mornings. This time I did a better job showing her beauty!
Female Common Goldeneye
Female Common Goldeneye
As I walked out onto my balcony at sunrise one morning, a small flock of Canada Geese had started a descent towards our berm in the cove to try to get some relief from the winds that morning. I captured a few as they dropped, they are pretty darn good at their maneuvers!
Canada Geese
At a day’s sunset, I captured these male and female Mallards off in the distant, crossing over the sun shining on the water as it was setting.
Male & Female Mallard Ducks
This group on another day, just loitering around our berm.
Mallard Ducks
Saturday a week ago, we were running a little late leaving for work to do some catching up. And I was so very happy we did because just before finally being ready to go, this juvenile American Bald Eagle suddenly landed on our osprey nest platform for just a few minutes before taking flight. 🙂
American Bald Eagle – Juvenile
It was this past Friday that we had near 70 degrees weather; I pulled up at home and spotted these two American Robins on the ground. It certainly felt like a spring day with their sighting!
American Robins
American Robin
Even during the winter, I occasionally ride down our drive to our community’s marina to see what might be perched or swimming around the docks. It’s exciting to find a surprise, which this past Friday I did. I sighted a dozen Ruddy Ducks, some sleeping, some watching. I parked the car and was able to walk up to them while staying out of sight to try to get some close shots. I was eventually spotted by the watchers, but they didn’t seem to care about me as I didn’t move any closer. They offered some beautiful portraits in the reflecting waters. 🙂
Male Ruddy Ducks
Female Ruddy Duck
Male Ruddy Duck
I see you too!
Male Ruddy Duck
Finally, a photo of our visiting Great Blue Heron, this time he’s leaving me! We had quite a few Mallards around the berm where he was perched in the brush at the base of the osprey nest platform in the cold. The Mallards were noisily chattering and darting around which And seemed to annoy the Great Blue Heron enough for him to take flight right between their group, scattering them. He just gracefully flapped away!
Great Blue Heron
I’ve been working a lot of overtime for weeks now and have gotten majorly behind in everything it seems. That includes my keeping up with my fellow bloggers, so please excuse me, I miss you and will be back to catch up!
Thanks so very much to everyone for stopping by to see my latest captures. Some how some way, these birds keep my sanity in tack! 🙂
Loved the photos, especially the heron winging its way off to better hunting grounds! It’s funny, when I spotted a flock of ruddy ducks here in Michigan, it was the females holding their tails up, and you have photos of the males doing that. And, the regional differences in color continues to amaze me.
It is very interesting to see our birds’ coloring from different regions and/or different seasons! The tails, I don’t know about, LOL! Thanks Jerry for sharing.
Fabulous photo of the heron! Thanks for sharing all.
Thanks Martha! That heron can’t help but be photogenic, can he?!!
I liked the heron photo too. Your ducks are very colourful compared with ours.
Thanks Tom! I’ve noticed and commented on yours about the big difference in looks of your robin and ours too. So interesting as Jerry had commented above to see species and their differences from other regions and countries. 🙂
Beautiful photographs Donna! I don’t recall ever seeing a Bald Eagle outside of captivity. Love the photos of the one you captured above. And the GoldenEye is really a beautiful geese! Glad you were able to capture one.
Thanks Marcus! You’ll have to come over to the Eastern Shore where we have many, you’ll be in awe to watch one soar. I just recently seen three pairs flying around each other from my balcony, still amazes me. Good place to see eagles during winter is Blackwater Refuge in Cambridge. Also you’re not too far from Conowingo Dam where dozens can be seen fishing and perching along the trees and rocks. I’m still trying to find the time to get up there cause I hear it is awesome!
Lovely photos! The ever changing water makes these even more beautiful. The sunset water and the reflections fascinate me! Thanks for bringing smiles to us, also. I know MY sanity was restored.
Thank you Beth! Water is so relaxing and mesmerizing, sometimes the sun will reflect like liquid gold, it can be so beautiful. Between it and the birds, my sanity restores too. 🙂
Great photos and the robins really give the feeling of Spring. You have some great captures!!
Thank you Joleen! Robins do that, don’t they! 🙂
Beautiful as always Donna! I love when the temperatures dip and we see the Buffleheads & Goldeneyes – they are so cute! Great captures.
Thanks Amanda! I do miss the Buffleheads when they migrate back north, they are adorable, and also comical when trying to impress a female. 🙂
Such diversity in so many ways. Enjoyed!
Thanks Kathy!
Nice to see the ducks including my favourite Ruddy. Yes, the weather is up and down here as well. Still snow but the streets today were downright dusty!
I thought of you when I posted the Ruddy pics. 🙂 You would have loved watching this raft of a dozen just lazily floating along in our quiet little marina.