Snow at Blackwater NWR
Yesterday’s Winter Storm Diego that plummeted the southeast was forecast to miss us entirely but took a bit further north path and caught us for a dusting of our first snow of the season, receiving about two inches.
This morning I had just enough time to do one loop on the wildlife drive through Blackwater NWR to enjoy the results of the snow’s beauty.
Blackwater NWR
Blackwater NWR
Blackwater NWR
“Snow Gauge” 🙂
Blackwater NWR
Birds were definitely out and about foraging through the snow and icy waters.
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Mallards walking on ice
American Coot with that red eye
Hooded Mergansers
Northern Shoveler (male)
Northern Shovelers
Northern Shovelers
Northern Shovelers
Northern Shovelers
Northern Shovelers
I noticed something darting across a snowy field and was surprised with two Killdeer.
Killdeer
Killdeer
Killdeer
The increasing winter Bald Eagle population is already noticeable. I saw many flying high in the sky, too far to photograph. But I luckily captured photos of two juveniles flying low enough.
Juvenile Bald Eagle
Juvenile Bald Eagle
Note the slight difference in coloring with these two juvenile Bald Eagles, both are approx. 2-years old
Becoming the usual more times than not at this time of year, there were a pair of Bald Eagles perched on the refuge’s Osprey cam platform.
I noticed one of Eagles was drenched and was lucky to capture a “shaking off”. Click on the first photo to watch the action in a slideshow.
Bald Eagles
And to top off my visit, another awaited migrant, the Tundra Swans, were in abundance. Some were rafting out on the waters, but most were foraging in a large marshy field.
Tundra Swan flock
Tundra Swan flock
Tundra Swan
Tundra Swan landing
Tundra Swans
It was great to see the new migratory arrivals for our winter season.
Pretty to see snow in that area. You can enjoy it because it won’t stay so long maybe. You have more on the ground than we have here at the moment, but our mountains now have over 30 inches.
I do love snow, just hate the melt mess it creates each time. No it won’t last here, most is already melted except what the sunshine couldn’t reach yesterday. 30″? Wow, I love your snowy photo landscapes of all that snow. 🙂
Beautiful pictures, as always. 🙂 I love the flying swans in particular.
Thank you Mike! Not near the snow you have, though! 🙂
Yes, we’ve had a few inches already. I’ll send you some pics. 🙂
First snow is always a beautiful time to behold when you can, and your photos give some great examples. I love your Tundra Swans. Your Northern Shovelers look a lot like our Australasian Shoveler. The change in plumage pattern in juvenile eagles usually assists in working out the age of the bird. They change their plumage yearly as it can take five years to reach maturity and a juvenile Bald can be mistaken for a Golden Eagle. Our Eagles show a similar process allowing me to work out the age of the bird, particularly with our White-bellied Sea Eagle.
Thank you Ashley! I love the beauty of falling snow and how it blankets everything. I’d have been happy with a few more inches. 🙂 I noticed the similarities with our NShoveler and you AShoveler. On the young Eagles I posted, I calculate them both to be 2-yr juveniles, based on their coloring patterns. Oh, I would so love to see a Golden Eagle, I keep looking for one!
Brrrr!! Great shots Donna love the first one of the Shoveller.
Thank you Brian! 🙂
What a beautiful scene. The birds are just as “tough” as they are beautiful. Wonderful series ❤
Thank you Takami! I love the chance of taking bird photos that include snow, since it doesn’t happen so often here. 🙂
Absolutely magnificent shots of Blackwater NWR and its denizens!
Thank you Hien! 🙂
Snow Gauge is a classic, Donna!
Thank you Martha! I wish I’d have had more time to do additional snow scenes and snow close-ups, but the soaring Eagles kept beckoning me. 🙂
Despite my intense dislike for gumballs I do love the gumball photo. Kind of like a Christmas ornament.
Thank you David! We can find a little love in everything. 😉
Well, maybe everything! Ha!
A lovely sampling of birds to go with that snow!
Thank you Ellen!
What a great loop! Loved the Bald Eagles, and swans! The landscape is pretty with the dusting of snow. It looks sugar coated.
Thank you Deborah! Always a treat to see snow dustings that still show nature peaking through. The drive is a 7-8 mile loop, it usually takes me an hour to do one loop. And if time permits, I’ll reloop a few times! 😊
That was a good hour! 😃
I agree! 😊
Nice post
Thank you!
Beautiful captures, Donna. So many wonderful subjects – love the swans!
Thank you Eliza! There is always a lot to see along the refuge’s 7-8 mile wildlife drive if one will stop, look and listen. 😊
Lovely winter scenes. How fortunate to have such bird diversity even in the winter.
Thank you Belinda! With us being on the Chesapeake Bay migratory fly-way, it’s definitely bird diversity heaven during the winter. 😊
Brrr … Sure looks pretty though!
Brrr…..it is pretty and cold!
Such a pretty scene -Thanks for taking the drive and sharing it with us! I especially loved the colorful Northern Shovelers as I never see them in our area.
You know, Susan, I’ve never seen NShovelers around the Kent Narrows area, not even at CBEC. I’m guessing it’s not marshy enough as BlackwaterNWR and BHookNWR, both that get this duck every winter. Count last week at Blackwater on NShovelers were over a 100. 🙂
I love your scientific snow gauge.
Works pretty good!
Something about that first snow is magical. The cone stands out the most because of the simplicity, but kudos for all the other shots, too…nice variety.
Thank you Jane! I enjoy watching the falling of snow, it is so pretty. I had to move my car over to let someone pass by and saw the gumballs (monkey balls) hanging and took a couple quick shots. I wish I had more time to spend on the scenery with simple shots like that, but the birds and my clock were both beckoning! 😉
The snow is always more beautiful in some one else’s images than my own, and yours are no exception! I loved seeing the variety of birds that you chose to include in they post as well, especially the tundra swans, as they were few and far between around here this fall.
Thank you Jerry! I like seeing others’ snow scenes also, including yours. I was glad I went, I was hoping the birds would be out and about to grab some of their profiles with snow included, since we don’t get too much too often. Snow is a nice touch to a bird scene! 😊
Great shots Donna, I especially love the ducks walking on ice. Do they manage it well?
Thank you, SUE!!!!! And, most times, yes, ducks manage well on ice with those little toenails they have….but when it’s a wet ice, I’ve watched ducks and geese slip-slide and fall many times. I can’t help but laugh, and I know they probably don’t hurt themselves. They usually rise back back up, and continue on as gingerly as they can until the next slip. 😊
Well Sue, your new name is HJ! LOL Sorry! I thought it was HJ’s comment. I messed up, I’ll correct the comment! 😊
I would love to see that! 😀
Great captures Donna! We didn’t get snow, it got too cold but this morning there was a 2 hour delay for almost everyone…due to frozen roads in many areas. Then at 3 pm it was 53º F! and sunny. Who knows what’s going to be tomorrow! The Blackwater NWR looks beautiful with snow and sunny sky! 🙂
Thank you HJ! You would love BlackwaterNWR. 🙂 Yes, the melted snow is now freezing here with black ice. We had school delays this morning also. By this weekend, we will reach 50º F but that will come with rain. Darn it.
Beautiful captures, Donna. It seems strange to me to see the Great Blue in the snow. 😃
Thank you, Sylvia, I bet you do! 😃
Isn’t it amazing how well the birds deal with a range of weather, Donna? They don’t get to add or take off layers like we do, but brave the entire spectrum with what they wear on their backs.
It is amazing, Tanja. The way their bodies perform to brave the extremes are indeed a work of science and art.
What fun to catch these migrates after a dusting of snow. We so very rarely get snow on the coast, so it can be a treat for a rare occasion… as long as I don’t have to shovel it!!!
Oh… and I LOVE the scientific snow gauge, too!
😊
Thank you Gunta. I don’t like or want to shovel it either so I get that!!
Those tundra swans are spectacular! Love all the birds! Lucky to see eagles too.
Thank you, Pam, I still can’t figure out how the TSwans stay so beautifully white in the muddy marshes! 😉 The migratory Eagles are arriving now, so their population is booming at the refuge, yay!
Oh yay for eagles! I had one fly right over my head while I was out in the backyard this week!
It’s a thrill every time it happens, right?!!!! 😊
Are Killdeer even meant to be out in the snow?????
We’re on the ‘border’ of ours not migrating until the extreme cold (Jan/Feb), when the waters ice up too much around us. I loved I captured the Killdeer in the snow! Pretty neat-o! 😉