Wading Birds – #2
This past Sunday was cold and blustery on the remote Hooper Islands in the Chesapeake Bay in lower Dorchester County. Where the road starts coming to the end on Middle Hooper Island, there were several Great Blue Herons who had found refuge in an interior wetland area. They gave me such beautiful compositions to share with you.
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1-2-3 Cute As Can Be – #35
Can I charm you with some more of my daily adorable little birds? Four sparrows and one warbler, then ending with a surprise last bird.
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Savannah Sparrow
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Dark-eyed Junco
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Song Sparrow
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White-throated Sparrow
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Yellow-rumped Warbler
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And the surprise last bird is a rare Maryland sighting of a female Rufous Hummingbird!
You may know, the Rufous is a western North American hummingbird. Ebird records for the last one in our county was in 2016. Her location is a secret, and she is being taken well care of by the homeowner who has an awesome setup with four feeders heated with lamps.
And, she is a lifer for me! 🤗💃😊
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Rufous Hummingbird (female)
My Lifer #315
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I wasn’t allowed to approach the residence, so I photographed her from the street from my car window. It was a stretch, whew; but I saw her AND got several photos for my records. Woot!
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Icy Bay and River Scenes
Not too often does ice build up on the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. But it did just that two weeks ago, when much of our country was dealing with brutal cold, worse than normal.
There were reports of ice being 2-5 inches thick. Thankfully, it has since melted!
Here are some of my scenes taken two weeks ago.
Chesapeake Bay from Black Walnut Point, Tilghman Island
(diving ducks are waaaayyy out there, usually right up to the shoreline)
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Claiborne Landing Cove
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Knapps Narrows
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Turkey Creek
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Immature Bald Eagles in center of Choptank River
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On January 27, the U.S. National Ice Center released the following analysis of the ice concentration on the Chesapeake Bay, with ice 2-5 inches thick from the middle of the bay to the north.
Maryland’s DNR ice cutters were quite busy, trying to keep as many veins of water open. The U.S. Coast Guard reported at least 23 navigational aids were destroyed or off-station.
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One of our famous local photos recircling was taken during our winter freeze 1976-1977 where people actually walked and ice skated under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Some people at narrower bay locations were able to walk all the way across!
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Chesapeake Bay ice skating
(credit unknown)
I know I wouldn’t have chanced it too far out!
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Woodpecker Wednesday
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is a North American woodpecker that breeds in Canada and upper northern U.S. from the east to the mid-west, and migrates to the east coast and lower mid-west and into Central America for its winter. I enjoy their fall to spring visit with us.
While out birding by car down a favorite dead-end back road last week, I stopped for this handsome fella working a tree.
The Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is sized inbetween our Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers. The male is designated by a red throat.
It’s similar counterpart is the Red-naped Sapsucker who resides from the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker’s western region reach and west from there, with regions overlapping between the two species.
Length: 7.1-8.7 in (18-22 cm)
Weight: 1.5-1.9 oz (43-55 g)
Wingspan: 13.4-15.8 in (34-40 cm)
I enjoy their pop of color in our drab winter landscape!
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Five On The Wire – #17
Many of you know I am a fan for a bird on a wire or metal contraption, so my need for this series, ha! Here we go again, with five raptors taking advantage of their big 360 degrees view.
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Red-shouldered Hawk (adult)
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Red-shouldered Hawk (immature)
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Red-tailed Hawk (adult)
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Bald Eagle (immature)
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American Kestrel (male adult)
(looking cold!)
Duck Duck Goose – #2
Ready to play? It’s cold out there!
Mallards
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Long-tailed Duck
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Canada Geese
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Black Scoter
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Surf Scoter
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Cackling Goose (center) with Canada Geese
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Redheads
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Lesser Scaup
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Bufflehead
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Hooded Mergansers
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Finally, the ending goose!
Considered a rare sighting anywhere up and down the east coast, I happened upon a pair of Greater White-fronted Geese mixed in with a flock of Canada Geese while cutting across the back roads on my way home few days ago. What a treat!
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Greater White-fronted Geese
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Greater White-fronted Goose
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Duck duck goose! You’re it!
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1-2-3 Medium Bird Jubilee – #23
Our snow is quickly melting to almost gone, so I’ll tie in the theme of a little snow in the scene with some more recent shots of those lovely medium-sized birds.
The last photo is the scene from this past Saturday of frozen-over Tuckahoe Creek where the bird club and I began our day before heading out to roam and scan the vast farm fields in Caroline County for larks and pipits.
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Eastern Bluebird
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American Robin
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Hermit Thrush
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Eastern Meadowlarks
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American Pipit
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Horned Lark
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And here’s where the bird club and I began our field trip last Saturday.
Sunrise at Tuckahoe Creek, Tuckahoe Creek State Park
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Splish Splash, Taking A Bath!
The snow has melted substantially, especially with yesterday’s temps in the mid-50’s. It looks like we might be lucky for the next couple weeks with continued temps above freezing. It’s feeling like Spring is around the corner!
The birds are definitely loving the melt-down too. It’s much easier now to find food and water.
Who knew an American Robin could look adorable taking a bath in a puddle!
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“Excuse me, do you have towel service?”
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Critter Time
Going back to last summer and fall, here’s another post sharing more of my other wildlife hanging around our property, keeping residency with my birdies.
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Eastern Gray Squirrel
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Red Fox
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American Bullfrog
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Broad-headed Skink
(they make me jump every time they pop out around our back porch)
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Eastern Gray Squirrel
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and finally, back in July, coming out of the marsh and up in our yard, into my flower gardens, to dig several holes, was this turtle.
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Female Diamondback Terrapin
(digging a hole to lay eggs)
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I left the holes’ areas undisturbed and read that if any eggs were actually laid, they would hatch in September. The holes never showed any signs of any turtles hatching. Darn.
But I still have a fond memory of her with this sweet shot!
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Female Diamondback Terrapin
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Five On The Wing – #39
Five bird species wingin’ it!
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Tundra Swans
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Snow Geese
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Double-crested Cormorants
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Blue Jay
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Bay Photos by Donna 