Who Said It Was Spring Yet?
What a hectic past few weeks! I’m quite behind on my photos (who isn’t haha), more on my excuse in a bit. But I have to say it’s been neat having several species of our winter’s waterfowl still lingering around before they take off north, the temps have been in the 30’s to 40’s just as these birds are used to, we even got a couple inches of snow (thank goodness it wasn’t more!). It’s also been so exciting with the arrival of our Osprey, they have to be wondering like the rest of us, “Who said it was Spring yet?”
This does not look like Spring! (3/25/13)
Rafts of winter ducks still dot Marshy Creek every evening, mostly Canvasbacks, Buffleheads, Ruddy Ducks, and even for a few days there were Tundra Swans and Surf Scoters.
Canvasbacks at dusk
This is the first year I’ve seen Ruddy Ducks hanging around in larger numbers. Loved it! They’ve even come in closer to the berm and in our marina more than I remember.
Ruddy Ducks napping
Ruddy Duck
Ruddy Ducks
Ruddy Duck
It was cool to see Surf Scoters visiting again, we had about two dozen visiting to feed in the mornings and then they would return in the evening. They briefly came in close to our Osprey nest platform. 🙂
Surf Scoters
Surf Scoter
Surf Scoters
The Tundra Swans have mostly left, but I did hear a few before dawn this morning while trying to photograph the moon setting (photo in a bit). I will miss their grace and beauty!
Tundra Swan in Marshy Creek
Tundra Swan
The American Coots have also been here this past season in larger numbers it seems. A cute, quirky duck!
American Coots
American Coot
American Coot
American Coot – what a foot!
American Coots
A couple Canada Geese weren’t too happen I was photographing them.
Canada Geese
As most, we have Mallards year-round. While hanging on my balcony and they just happen along when the sun is shining nicely on them, I may practice with them but I do find them really attractive to photograph!
Regular Mallard and Duclair Mallard
Male and Female Mallard
Mallards
I must include captures of our visiting Great Blue Heron. He is proof we have some great fishing along our berm!
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
I love scanning the trees over at CBEC with my binoculars to hunt for the American Bald Eagles that reside there. I constantly see three but have seen four at one time perched there. For those in the community, here’s where to look!
American Bald Eagles over at CBEC (their nest is in the clump of trees to their right)
While this pair was perched close to their nest, this next one was perched on the CBEC Osprey nest platform. I haven’t seen any Osprey return to that one platform yet. Could be because the Eagles keep using it as a perch, distracting the Osprey. We’ll have to wait and see.
American Bald Eagle
This next fella kept flying around me thinking I was going to toss him something from my balcony. He finally landed below me.
Ring-billed Gull
“You have anything for me?”
A few more shots that I took enroute to/from work that I wanted to share. It’s been over two weeks now since our last sighting, but we had been continuing to see a small flock of Snow Geese on the farm down Rt 301 at Rolling Bridge Road. Sometimes they were literally right alongside the dual highway! I think they knew Spring was going to be late, lol.
Snow Geese
I wanted to show the Snow Geese again because I had spotted this ‘odd’ one in the crowd. He is a Blue Goose, a type of Snow Goose, but more rare on the East Coast. Out of the whole flock, I did not see another one.
Snow Geese and Blue Goose
Snow Geese and Blue Goose
Finally, I will leave you with these two shots from this morning of the moon setting an hour before sunrise. With the eye, it was gorgeous. I’m a work-in-progress with low light dusk and dawn shots but was tickled with these and couldn’t decide which to post so you get both. The rest were awful!
Moon setting before sunrise over Kent Island 3/27/13 @ 5:41 a.m.
Moon setting before sunrise over Kent Island 3/27/13 @ 5:42 a.m.
I have so many more photos I didn’t get to! And I have to apologize for my ‘poor’ narrative, it’s not my usual. And so my excuse. I’ve been struggling with 24/7 pain in my right shoulder for some time now. After admitting to being hard-headed, I went to the doc’s in January (one of my New Year’s resolutions, see the doctor & get healthier!). Complained, xray, five weeks therapy, meds, and it got worse. Three weeks ago I was finally sent to an orthopedic surgeon. Long story short, I will be having shoulder surgery tomorrow for a rotator cuff tear and bone spur impingements. I knew they should have ordered an MRI in January! Oh well, I’m here now and ready to take care of this annoyance. My biggest worry? When will I be able to hold my camera again?! 🙂 It may be a while, but I do have a tripod so we’ll see. I certainly have tons of photos from the past still unviewed to work on when I can start doing that. So just a heads up, if I don’t show back up with a post for a few weeks or if I do with just a photo or two, you know why. I didn’t want to leave my blogger friends hanging, wondering what happened to me! We do that to each other, don’t we?! 🙂 I do have a plan, to catch up on my blog reading for sure!
No need to worry about me, I’ll be fine. I’m a toughie. As always, thank you for stopping by, I appreciate you!
Good luck with the surgery. That is a tough one especially the first couple of weeks. Take your pain med! Look forward to more of your pictures soon. Saw you sneaking up on some ducks today! Becky
Thanks Becky! Everyone keeps telling me, take the meds, don’t be a toughie, so I plan to. I hadn’t gotten in much photography in the last few days because of the weather, so last night coming home I decided to swing over to our marina to see the surprises that show up. LOL you are right, I was sneaking down the dock to get so nice close-ups of a Bufflehead and Grebe hanging close together! They saw me too so I grabbed some shots and left them be. Hopefully my shots turned out great, the sun lighting was perfect. One of my first things when back on my computer is to view them! 🙂
So many water birds, it is exciting. The ponds here are frozen over as is the river but above freezing and it is melting. Torn rotator cuff-OW-Sounds painful for you and I wish you a speedy recovery but it will take as long as it takes.Keep us posted as you are able.
The migrating water birds are awesome to experience. Soon they will be back in your area for your enjoyment. Glad to hear you’ve got some melting going on. Thanks Jane for well wishes, I’ll do my best to be a good girl with the recovery, I want to get back to holding a camera AND my grandson! 🙂
As much as I look forward to your posts and wonderful photos, take it easy and let the shoulder heal!
Yes sir, Jerry! 😉 I do promise, I want it to heal properly and not be another nuisance down the road. This is a one-time deal here! lol
We had spring….it was a sunny day two weeks back, we have given summer a miss this year and moved straight back to winter. Saves changing the wardrobe!
Yes, there were a couple gorgeous spring days a few weeks back here also, what a tease that was! Maybe moving straight back to winter is what the migratories are telling us, we’re here to stay! lol
Donna, Best wishes for your surgery. Thanks again for your wonderful pictures. I get homesick for the wildlife in Oyster Cove. From Florida….
Thank you George for your well-wishes. It really is amazing the variety here at Oyster Cove, we are truly blessed. I’m glad you still get to see some of them here at my blog. 🙂 But in Florida, you’ve got some awesome birds, I love the tropical birds especially!
Hi Donna, all the best with your surgery…in time you will feel like new! Don’t worry about keeping up with posts etc. It’s called life and we’ll all be here waiting for you! I still can’t get over the variety of species that frequent your home turf/water!
Many thanks for your well-wishes David! I am finally starting to feel back alive, and those birds are doing a great job in entertaining me right now. 🙂 Just wish I could pick up my camera, I’m not so happy ’bout that! But soon!!!!
Best wishes for your surgery dear Donna, my heart with you. Don’t worry about your camera, you can use tripod… love, nia
Thank you so much for your well-wishes Nia! This weekend we are finally going to have some warmer Spring temperatures (low 70’s) and I plan on having my husband set up my tripod and camera for sure! 🙂
Hope the surgery has gone well today, Donna. Glad you are getting this taken care of. Use the time to rest and recover and go through all those photos! We will be waiting to hear how you are doing and also encourage you to heal. This was a great post to give us before surgery-that Coot foot is huge! Take it easy-hugs!
Beth, thank you so much for your well-wishes! I’m finally starting to feel among the living, lol. Thank goodness for painpills, I’m only using them evening and night, so that is good. 🙂 Started PT and coming along not too bad. Trying to take easy as possible!
That coot foot was amazing, I hadn’t ever seen one before, lol.
I’m glad that you are getting treatment for the shoulder and I hope it goes well. It was a good post to take a pause on with the fine ruddy duck photos being my favourites.
Thank you Tom for your well-wishes! I’ve become fond of the ruddy duck this past season because we were so fortunate to have so many visit us. They are a cutie!
Great collection of photos, Donna. And I think your narrative is great, too. I don’t know which photos I like best as I enjoyed them all. I do think the little Ruddys are cuties, and I loved your Great Blue Herons. Good luck with the surgery. We will be patiently waiting for more of your pics. 🙂
Thank you Bob for your well-wishes. I’m just starting to feel like getting on the computer, I thought I’d have all this free time to catch up, but not the case yet. At least the birds outside are keeping me entertained! 🙂
hi donna! hope the surgery went smoothly today. i wish i could move to the area where you live so i could see all those birds! but your blog is the next best thing possible. 🙂 i went and visited two ospreys last friday by mrs. b restaurant like you mentioned and took some pictures of the pair. thanks for the tip! i enjoyed seeing the pictures of blue goose. it’s like a black sheep in a flock of white sheep! have a speedy recovery and take it easy.
Thank you so much for your well-wishes Tammy! Now I know I’m not the only crazy lady alongside the rushing highway taking osprey photos. 😉 Went to the doctor on Wed for follow-up and saw that osprey pair mating on the nest while the traffic whizzed on by below, lol. What a great photo op, I complained I wish I had my camera, to which hubby just gave me a look. heehee
First of all, best wishes on your shoulder surgery.
As to your photos, they are super (as always :)). The photo of the coot raising its fabulous foot out of the water was my favorite. And a blue goose… I’ve never seen one of those. Very interesting.
Thank you Deb for your well-wishes! I’ve started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel again lol so I know I’m much better than a week ago. Even starting to feel like getting on the computer which I’m surprised, odd feeling like I didn’t want to, that’s just not me.
I loved that coot foot too, I was amazed at what it looked like, nothing at all like you’d think for a duck.
Great swan in flight photo.
Thank you very much!
These are wonderful 🙂 Cool pictures!!!
Thank you Naresh!