Visiting Gadwalls
(Sorry for the long absence, too much going on on top of me being a bit ‘under the weather…feeling much better now!)
The day before the blizzard a few weeks ago, we had a small flock of Gadwalls (dabbling ducks) arrive to safe harbor in our community cove through the storm that I posted on. This flock has continued to come back to frequent our community cove in the mornings to feed. Having only ever seen a lone pair around our riprap in prior winters, it has been an ongoing thrill to see them continue their visit around us this season.
These ducks migrate from Alaska, Canada, and the Great Plains to our region for the winter.
It was equally rewarding to capture the Gadwalls in flight!
And on a day here & there, they will return late afternoon to hang around to enjoy the sunset.
Gadwalls in silhouette
What a thrill indeed it is to have a migratory species feel safe to hang around for a while!
Eagle Mating
For the past couple months, the year-round resident American Bald Eagles around Chesapeake Bay have been busy building/strengthening their nests as well as bonding with their mate. This is true with our CBEC Eagles!
American Bald Eagles mate for life. As most birds, it is the male that works hard on impressing his lady. Our CBEC pair love flying together, circling high in the sky around each other, as if gracefully dancing. Mr Eagle will even play chase with his girl, trying to catch & give her a little love tap with his wing or body, as the Mrs is taunting “catch me if you can” while trying to keep away from him. You can tell they are having a wonderful, fun time! He will even try to impress by bringing her food or leave it on Lippincott’s Channel Marker and she will come to eat it. He’s definitely at her beck and call, I’d say.
More recently, several times I just happen see the CBEC Eagle pair mating on Lippincott’s Channel Marker in Marshy Creek. I tell them, “Hey, get a room!” 😉
Of course, it happens so darn fast, it is hard to photograph, let alone try to video. They just don’t give you any warning when they’re going to do it.
I had lucked out getting some images couple weeks ago catching them “in the act” but just couldn’t portray anything with those for a post to let you see/feel the action.
And then we have the day after the blizzard…..I watched the male Eagle land on Lippincott’s Channel Marker where his beautiful lady was perched and chattering at him.
And just as quick, it happened again! I was hand-holding and had no time to lock my camera on my tripod, so I locked my arms & stance and just held down my shutter button firing away until it exhausted my camera’s battery to my memory card as it tried to keep up.
And immediately after my fire-off stopped, they stopped. A whole 20-25 seconds.
I was able to capture 23 images in that 15-20 second firing. Wanting to portray them in a video, I watched a YouTube video last night and voila! Here’s my attempt at my first photo video.
P.S. Notice the Tundra Swans in the background, oblivious to what’s going on, lol.
CBEC American Bald Eagles mating on Lippincott’s Channel Marker…..
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Eagles can also mate in the sky. To get the opportunity to watch a pair as they entwine their talons and fall precariously to the ground, breaking away just in time, is extraordinary. This act is called “cartwheeling”. I have not seen our CBEC Eagles do this this season, but here’s some photos from a previous year to show this act in the air. I cropped too much for a printable photo but wanted to let you see them more up-close.
By late January (the lower Chesapeake Bay) to late February/early March (my Chesapeake Bay area and above), the female will lay their eggs that will take approximately 32-36 days to incubate.
So it appears the CBEC Eagles may have another month of bonding. And they say practice makes perfect, right?!!
Whether on a perch or cartwheeling, yes, there is Eagle love in the Chesapeake Bay air!
Another Eagle Fly-By
The day after the blizzard, I was amassed with photo ops of the birds who had survived in our cove and were now happily feeding on a beautiful, bright day. Not too much beats a day like that from your balcony!
Today it was a different story. It was mostly cloudy, and our cove was frozen over as well as Marshy Creek. Only a few Ring-billed Gulls were sitting on the ice. The Kent Narrows channel was still flowing. No other birds were in sight except with binoculars.
By early afternoon, the sun popped out here and there for a bit. The gulls were still there. I think they were wondering where’d the party go and when would it return. Anyway, with the lighting and ice, they made for some nice ops.
Later, I saw a few ducks dropping down in our cove. It was the Gadwells again! This was exciting, I had never seen such a large flock of Gadwells anywhere before so their return from yesterday is pretty awesome. I missed capturing their landing and sliding as they skidded across the ice. I wondered if they knew it was going to be ice.
They made their way to the gulls who were still hanging out.
I’m sure in the above photo the Gadwells were asking the gulls, “Where’s the party?”
The ice began to melt and move in patches with the tides by late afternoon; and small rafts began to appear in them, mostly Ruddy Ducks.
Oh, and the Tundra Swans returned and were deep up in Marshy Creek where they spent the afternoon snoozing on the ice. Except for the boss who kept watch.
.
Now let’s get to what this post was to be about and enjoy another American Bald Eagle fly-by!
The day after the blizzard the pair of CBEC Eagles that live across Marshy Creek were out and about most of the day within my viewing range, along with all the other hungry birds.
Late afternoon, one of the pair finally left their tree. This time he appeared to be coming directly my way….
(This is where a bird photographer’s adrenaline begins to pump….)
I told myself to ‘keep breathing’ while I took several photos similar to this first one as he continued his path to me.
That dot in the background is a male Ruddy Duck in case you wanted to know! 🙂
As he made his way, he started looking down at all the Ruddy Ducks in the water. I thought, oh no……
Well, for some reason, he decided it wasn’t worth the effort and kept on flying right on past me. I reminded myself to start breathing again….
Unfortunately, he flew right into the sunlight, so I had to lighten the next photos.
Obviously, he was on a mission of other sorts instead of dinner.
What a beauty! I never, ever tire of seeing one more Eagle and taking on the challenge of capturing such a majestic bird.
Tomorrow’s post is to be more on this pair of CBEC Eagles. Love is in the air! ❤
Birds Surviving A Blizzard
We survived Blizzard Jonas! Approximately 12″ fell here in Grasonville, Maryland. Winds that were 30-50 mph caused drifts as high as 5′. We were lucky to have no power outages or damage for which I am thankful.
Wildlife has the instinct to know when a storm is coming. They prepare by eating extra and finding a sheltered area to hunker down until the storm passes.
With Marshy Creek freezing over and the impending storm, birds that normally shelter in the creek’s cove could not do so. When it does freeze over, they will tend to hang closer to our community coves and riprap. And that means I get the opportunity to see birds up closer with my binoculars, and maybe get some great photos.
This time did not disappoint!
Tundra Swans
Canada Geese & pair Hooded Mergansers
Canada Geese and Female Hooded Merganser
Hooded Mergansers (extra exciting visitors!)
Canada Geese, Gadwells, American Wigeons
American Wigeons (another extra exciting visitor!)
Gadwells (another exciting visitor!)
Ruddy Ducks
Canada Geese, American Wigeon, Gadwells
The blizzard finally arrived and I mostly stayed inside, but snuck in a couple shots here and there.
American Bald Eagle on Lippincott’s Channel Marker
Cove off to my left
Marshy Creek
The blizzard finally moved on late last night, and this morning I awoke to a winter wonderland. It was a beautiful sunrise AND moon set!
Sunrise over Marshy Creek after blizzard
Moon set over our community cove and birds
Within a couple hours, everything was glistening, the skies were clear, the strong winds had disappeared.
Our Osprey platform patiently waiting for a new pair to arrive March!
All of the visitors yesterday made roll call this morning!
Canada Geese
Tundra Swan, Ruddy Ducks, a Redhead, Scaup
Ruddy Ducks, Scaup, Canvasback
This lone Ruddy Duck came right up to our riprap which is unusual, I think he just wanted to say Hi!
Can’t forget the Mallards!
Bottoms Up!
Gadwells
Gadwells
My favorite pair of resident Eagles have been very visible since the storm, perching on Lippincott’s channel marker.
Whenever an Eagle took flight, they made the ducks nervous, causing them to take flight.
Two Buffleheads take flight with Ruddy Ducks – Eagle Scare!
We also have a juvenile Eagle that I see often and try to capture. Got him this time!
Juvenile American Bald Eagle
The Tundra Swans were amazing today. They love Marshy Creek but are very skittish on being close to us.
Tundra Swan Fly-By for Mrs. Eagle
There were several small groups of Tundra Swans, some were families.
Tundra Swan Family – the parents were always on both sides of them to protect them
Gadwells take flight over a lone Tundra Swan
Another Tundra Swan family passing by our Osprey nest platform
Tundra Swans
Airborn rather quickly for such a large bird!
As the sun was setting, a dozen adult Tundra Swans also passed our Osprey nest platform. I was way off on my settings so I lost all my captures. 😦
BUT……I did get them as they headed into the sunset! 🙂
As you can see, I had a couple fun-filled days of photo ops! I have more to share, but I think I’ll spare you those until next time. I have already overwhelmed you enough for this post.
Thank you for stopping by and enjoy you week! 🙂
Couple Visits to CBEC
The Blizzard of 2016 is bearing down on us as I write this. Winds are up to 50 mph with snow accumulations of possibly 24″. We may have over 12″ already.
We are all hunkered down, staying warm…..and writing blogs, not shoveling! Right? 🙂
The Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center (CBEC) is the island/peninsula across Marshy Creek from my balcony. It is a 510-acre preserve under conservation easement consisting of trails, beach, and ponds; and it is an enjoyable local hot-spot for birders year-round.
Sunrise over Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center from my balcony
Immediately driving onto the peninsula property across the marsh, there has been an active American Bald Eagle nest for years. It has stayed well hidden within the loblolly pines, but I was happy to find it is finally becoming visible to visitors because of its growing size.
Eagle nests used for multiple years can reach enormous dimensions, typically 5-6 feet in diameter & 3 feet tall! A famous Ohio nest used for 34 years measured almost 9 feet in diameter, close to 12 feet tall, and weighed over 2 tons, Another St. Petersburg, Florida, nest was 9 1/2 feet in diameter & 20 feet tall. That’s a big nest!
Eagle Nest
This time of year, it is easy to find the mated pair perching to the right of their above home.
I had several cars stop and ask what was I seeing when taking the above photos. When I showed them the Eagles and their nest, I made quite a few people very happy! One gentleman told me there are four active Eagle nests on CBEC’s property. I know where two are now. 🙂
The observation blind is a favorite spot of mine to hang out. It overlooks a pond and an active Osprey platform that is directly behind the left of the blind.
This time I found a lonely Great Egret who saw me first.
Great Egret
There were Canada Geese and Tundra Swans arriving to settle into Marshy Creek.
Canada Geese
Tundra Swan
Tundra Swan
An American Robin all puffed up in the cold air….
American Robin
A Brown-headed Nuthatch who was faster than me and my focus.
Brown-headed Nuthatch
A few grey squirrels were running around, finally captured one that stood still long enough.
I need help with ID confirmation on the next bird, he was at a distance so if I crop too much more, I lose any clarity. My blogging friend, Kathy at BackyardBirdNerd captures awesome close-ups of many birds including the Yellow-rumped Warbler that she recently posted, which I believe is what is in my next photo. Or is he a Pine Warbler? Either would be a newbie for me, but I’m leaning to the Yellow-rumped…. Kathy? 🙂
Update: Per Kathy, it’s a Yellow-rumped Warbler!
Yellow-rumped Warbler
The last visit I was excited to finally get better photos of the year-round resident, the Hairy Woodpecker, so he gets extra space this post.
Both of my visits were short yet fulfilling to be one with nature.
A visit to CBEC is always worth it.
🙂
Baby, It’s Cold Outside
The country has tumbled to bitter-cold temperatures, and our mid-Atlantic area is forecast for a snowstorm this Friday/Saturday. Yikes!
Out in the center of the marsh, a Great Blue Heron is crouched low to avoid some of the wind, totally motionless.
He looked how I felt.
Yep, Baby, it’s cold outside!
Talking about a Baby……
This morning, I became a Grandma for the second time.
Daughter-in-law and grandson are doing great, and I’m on Cloud 9!
🙂
Crab-Eating Gull
In search of our Snowy Owl (who seems to have disappointingly disappeared) around the Kent Narrows, I spotted this juvenile Ring-billed Gull feasting on a female Chesapeake Bay blue crab on a dock at one of the local marinas.
At one point, I told the juvenile I was jealous that it was still eating crabs this late in the season.
So the generous gull made me an offer!
“Here, you want some?”
I declined with thanks for his offer AND the photo op,
but so wished that I really was home pickin’ at a pile of crabs!
If you love seafood & have never had a Chesapeake Bay blue crab (they turn orange when cooked), crab cake or meal made with authentic Chesapeake Bay blue crab meat, you seriously don’t know what you’re missing!
🙂
Snowy Owl at Kent Narrows Maryland
With huge thanks to my photographer friend Steve (SJT Photography) for giving me a bird-alert Wednesday night, two miles from my home we have been given the rare and awesome opportunity to see and photograph a Snowy Owl! She has been perching on top of the Narrows Point Townhouses, adjacent to Mears Point Marina, for a couple days now.
Snowy Owls spend summers far north of the Arctic Circle hunting lemmings, ptarmigan, and other prey in 24-hour daylight. Some years, North American Snowy Owls may remain on their breeding grounds year-round, while others migrate in winter to southern Canada and the northern half of the contiguous United States. In the northern plains, New York, and New England, Snowy Owls occur regularly in winter. Elsewhere, such as here in the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, the Midwest, and eastern Canada, Snowy Owls may appear only in some winters but not in others.
I was able see our visiting Snowy Owl, which that in itself was such a thrill to me! When I arrived at the marina, it was easy to find the best spot to view. Birders with binoculars & scopes and bird photographers were all packed on a small corner of the marina’s second floor balcony. Everyone was chatting excitedly and very cordial in allowing me to get up front. 🙂 I was told by the group it was a young female.
The distance was a lot for my 70-200mm with 1.7x teleconverter, but I am thrilled that I did get these photos just to have for my catalog and share.
Here’s my full frame photo with no crop. She was still so far!
I was given the opportunity to view through a couple of the HUGE pro lens, and WOW! I was so jealous, I had the smallest lens there…..lol.
The Snowy Owl was in two locations, and I used three different locations during my three short visits. Here’s three of my photos cropped best I could without giving up too much on quality.
Next is the same photo cropped some more…..you can see her yellow eyes!
She was gorgeous even from afar!
I could not make it over today until late afternoon to find a lone photographer hanging out, scanning the whole area with his binoculars, so I didn’t stop. I hope to get a chance tomorrow to see if the Snowy Owl is still around. It is, of course, unknown how long she may stay; so if you live in the area, try to slip over to Mears Point Marina and just look for the group of people with cameras. They’ll show you where she is if she’s still here!
“When a Cardinal appears, an angel is near…”
The Northern Cardinal has long been one of my favorite birds. Red is my favorite color and so was fitting to fave this beautiful red bird! When I get a chance to photograph one, it usually creates a red blur in my image; they are so quick. I recently got lucky, I spotted this male a few weeks ago…..you can tell he spotted me too, a bit sternly.
And as usual, he quickly went to take flight, but instead of heading out of sight, this beautiful male dropped down to the grass and offered me a couple of gorgeous profile captures.
“When a Cardinal appears, an angel is near….”
Shortly after Mom’s passing just over a year ago, my daughter told me that someone had said to her, “when a Cardinal appears, an angel is near”. I had never heard this before! I thought it was neat and a feel-good gesture to comfort the heart. But although a long-time favorite of mine, I didn’t usually see many Cardinals…..
The next day I saw a male Cardinal. I had a warm feeling come over me, and I instantly thought of Mom, felt her love. A few days later, another Cardinal in the form of a craft bird maybe you’d put on a wreath that I found in Mom’s craft room. Not real, but I did say, “Hey Mom!” and felt upbeat as I continued to go through her things, sorting. Would you believe that lone Cardinal craft bird continued to pop up on me a few more times over the next few weeks, when I thought I had packed him away in one of the many boxes! It was always so nice to find him again. I would laugh, knowing Mom was laughing with me. If I doubted before, I now had no doubt Mom was there with me. Oh and by the way, Mom loved creating angels of all kinds, she was quite artistic.
I now see more Cardinals than I use to, and they let me know Mom is near with her beautiful angel wings.
So back to my Cardinal photos, maybe Mom scolded him for giving me such a stern look in that first photo, so he provided me the two nice profiles. 😉 Just a thought!
What an awesome feeling of comfort and joy I receive each time I see a Cardinal. ❤
Thank you for letting me share!
An Eagle Fly-By
Hanging out yesterday mid-morning on my 3rd floor balcony, enjoying the unseasonably warm temps while looking for birds, I spotted an American Bald Eagle in the distance off to my right, crossing the sky….heading right towards me.
Is he going to do a fly-by or veer off and away from me? My adrenaline began to pump wildly as I tried to steady my camera and lock on him.
It was a fly-by! The Eagle passed right in front of me and then veered off and over Marshy Creek to the tree where the Eagle’s mate was perched.
It was a breathtaking moment for me, and I’ve been eager to get these photos to my blog to show off since.
I hope you enjoyed the fly-by as well!
🙂
Bay Photos by Donna 