Critter Time!
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Who’s been coming out of their winter hiding?
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Eastern Cottontail
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Red Fox on the run
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White-tailed deer buck and part of his herd
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Rest of his herd that includes two piebalds
The piebald anomaly is a genetic variation (defect) that produces the piebald condition in white-tailed deer, and is not from parasites or diseases as some may think. In addition, the defect can also have issues with bone development.
Many piebald deer may still be able to live a long, healthy life. This genetic condition is rare with typically less than one percent of white-tailed deer being affected in Maryland. (courtesy Maryland DNR Wildlife website)
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Gray Squirrel nibbling on a snack
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Spring is waking everyone and everything up!
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1-2-3 Medium Bird Jubilee – #20
I have some nice shots to share of the bigger and bolder medium-sized birds who gave me a chance at catching their winter beauty!
An added note, these are all year-round birds for me so none of these are leaving for migration, yay!
Blue Jay
Length 9.8-11.8 inches (25-30 cm)
Weight 2.5-3.5 oz (70-100 g)
Wingspan 13.4-16.9 inches (34-43 cm)
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Brown Thrasher
Length 9.1-11.8 inches (23-30 cm)
Weight 2.1-3.1 oz (61-89 g)
Wingspan 11.4-12.6 inches (29-32 cm)
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Northern Cardinal (male)
Length 8.3-9.1 inches (21-23 cm)
Weight 1.5-1.7 oz (42-48 g)
Wingspan 9.8-12.2 inches (25-31 cm)
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Fish Crow
Length 14.2-15.8 inches (36-40 cm)
Weight 6.9-11.6 oz (195-330 g)
Wingspan 33.1 inches (84 cm)
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Common Grackle
Length 11.0-13.4 inches (28-34 cm)
Weight 2.6-5.0 oz (74-142 g)
Wingspan 14.2-18.1 inches (36-46 cm)
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Red-winged Blackbird (male)
Length 6.7-9.1 inches (17-23 cm)
Weight 1.1-2.7 oz (32-77 g)
Wingspan 12.2-15.8 inches (31-40 cm)
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Eastern Towhee (male)
Length 6.8-8.2 inches (17.3-20.8 cm)
Weight 1.1-1.8 oz (32-52 g)
Wingspan 7.9-11.0 inches (20-28 cm)
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Belted Kingfisher
Length 11.0-13.8 inches (28-35 cm)
Weight 4.9-6.0 oz (140-170 g)
Wingspan 18.9-22.8 inches (48-58 cm)
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Eastern Bluebird (male)
Length 6.3-8.3 inches (16-21 cm)
Weight 1.0-1.1 oz (28-32 g)
Wingspan 9.8-12.6 inches (25-32 cm)
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American Robin
Length 7.9-11.0 inches (20-28 cm)
Weight 2.7-3.0 oz (77-85 g)
Wingspan 12.2-15.8 inches (31-40 cm)
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Last of the Winter Waterfowl
Our winter waterfowl are quickly disappearing as they start their northern migrations for home.
I’ve been out trying to get my last photos of them around the region as I bid them farewell!
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American Wigeon (male)
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American Wigeon (female)
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Northern Pintails
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Lesser Scaup (male)
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American Black Ducks
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Mallard X American Black Duck hybrid
Mallard X American Black Duck hybrid
Mallard X American Black Duck hybrid
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Tundra Swans
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Long-tailed Duck (female)
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Ruddy Duck (male)
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Common Mergansers
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American Green-winged Teal with a rare Eurasian Green-winged Teal (far right)
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Canvasback (male)
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Tundra Swans heading for home
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Cedar Waxwings
The gorgeous Cedar Waxwing is a year-round bird for Maryland, but I’ve never lived where there were such an abundance around me to get to see them almost daily until these past six months.
This past week I’ve been having computer woes, ugh. So to make things easier on me and get a post uploaded, I’m going to share photos I happen to have of Cedar Waxwings from two days mid-November that never made to post before.
This flock was at least 75 in count. On Nov 15, I found them zipping around inside my crepe myrtles. And then I saw more on our house roof. That’s when I ran for me camera.
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Cedar Waxwing
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Cedar Waxwing immature
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“We’re up here too!”
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I know I’ll never forget waxwings on my roof!
The next day, I had walked over to the downed cornfield next to us to bird and had another huge flock fly past me.
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They then turned around and came back at and directly over me, it was pretty cool!
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The flock then descended into the persimmon tree grove between our two properties.
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Reaching for that berry……
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Got it!
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Thanks for making it this far, that was a lot of photos!
By the way……I saw my first Osprey two days ago, and I’ve seen three more since!
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It’s Osprey Time
Guess who has begun to arrive around the Chesapeake Bay? Our beloved Osprey!
I always heard and leaned on March 12-14 as their official arrival date; and it is like magic during those three days each year, with many showing up just about everywhere around the bay.
My eye has been watching the skies and local nests/platforms for days, but I haven’t seen my first of the year as yet.
So to get the ball rolling with my anticipated excitement, here are a few Osprey shots I took last year that never made to post.
Soon us and the Osprey will be mingling on the bay!
1-2-3 Cute As Can Be – #31
Another charming collection of cuties that are keeping me happy this winter.
I’m hoping there’s at least one that makes you smile! 😊
Song Sparrow
Length: 4.7-6.7 inches (12-17 cm)
Weight: 0.4-1.9 oz (12-53 g)
Wingspan: 7.1-9.4 inches (18-24 cm)
Dark-eyed Junco
Length: 5.5-6.3 inches (14-16 cm)
Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz (18-30 g)
Wingspan: 7.1-9.8 inches (18-25 cm)
Field Sparrow
Length: 4.7-5.9 inches (12-15 cm)
Weight: 0.4-0.5 oz (11-15 g)
Wingspan: 7.9 inches (20 cm)
Chipping Sparrow
Length: 4.7-5.9 inches (12-15 cm)
Weight: 0.4-0.6 oz (11-16 g)
Wingspan: 8.3 inches (21 cm)
Swamp Sparrow
Length: 4.7-5.9 inches (12-15 cm)
Weight: 0.5-0.8 oz (15-23 g)
Wingspan: 7.1-7.5 inches (18-19 cm)
White-throated Sparrow
Length: 6.3-7.1 inches (16-18 cm)
Weight: 0.8-1.1 oz (22-32 g)
Wingspan: 7.9-9.1 inches (20-23 cm)
Purple Finch
Length: 4.7-6.3 inches (12-16 cm)
Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz (18-32 g)
Wingspan: 8.7-10.2 inches (22-26 cm)
Tufted Titmouse
Length: 5.5-6.3 inches (14-16 cm)
Weight: 0.6-0.9 oz (18-26 g)
Wingspan: 7.9-10.2 inches (20-26 cm)
American Goldfinch
Length: 4.3-5.1 inches (11-13 cm)
Weight: 0.4-0.7 oz (11-20 g)
Wingspan: 7.5-8.7 inches (19-22 cm)
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Length: 3.1-4.3 inches (8-11 cm)
Weight: 0.1-0.3 oz (4-8 g)
Wingspan: 5.5-7.1 inches (14-18 cm)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Length: 5.1-5.5 inches (13-14 cm)
Weight: 0.6-1.1 oz (18-30 g)
Wingspan: 7.9-10.6 inches (20-27 cm)
Carolina Wren
Length: 4.7-5.5 inches (12-14 cm)
Weight: 0.6-0.8 oz (18-22 g)
Wingspan: 11.4 inches (29 cm)
Winter Wren
Length: 3.1-4.7 inches (8-12 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (8-12 g)
Wingspan: 4.7-6.3 inches (12-16 cm)
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Length: 4.7-5.5 inches (12-14 cm)
Weight: 0.4-0.5 oz (12-13 g)
Wingspan: 7.5-9.1 inches (19-23 cm)
Carolina Chickadee
Length: 3.9-4.7 inches (10-12 cm)
Weight: 0.3-0.4 oz (8-12 g)
Wingspan: 5.9-7.9 inches (15-20 cm)
“In order to see birds, it is necessary to become a part of the silence.” – Robert Lynd
Five On The Wing – #37
Five birds species in flight, specifically raptors!
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
American Kestrel
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Bald Eagles
Lots of raptor activity around me!
Sunrise, Sunset
Sunrise, my backyard
Sunset, Chesapeake Bay
“I love watching the sunrise and sunset, and the sky, the birds.” – Manisha Koirala
The Eagle Has Landed
Coming in for the landing…..
Bald Eagle
Ta Da!
(6.5 ft wingspan)
Great Blue Herons
Another share of my ‘winter blues’!
We have Great Blue Herons year-round, and I will still stop to photograph a lovely composition shot.
I even have a ‘resident’ that I see quite often fishing in the marsh pond behind my house at low tide. We almost collided this afternoon when we surprised each other at close range. (I am good at sneaking up to this pond! hehe)
Great Blue Heron (my ‘backyard’ frequent visitor)
Another shot of my buddy heron
More from the past couple months…
Breezy conditions, ruffling the feathers
I literally pulled right up alongside the above Great Blue Heron, and it took flight to land on the other side of the tidal pond.
That’s a 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 ft wingspan!
(167-201 cm)
Not feeling too threatened, it moved along on it’s mission to fish.
Last but not least, my favorite of the recent Great Blue Heron scenes.
That’s some nice habitat!
Great Blue Heron ‘stink’ eye, telling me time to move on!
😉
Bay Photos by Donna 