Hurricane Sandy Over Prospect Bay – The Morning After
Hurricane Sandy has left a path of destruction throughout the East Coast. Through the night our area was blasted with continuous high gusts in the 50-70mph winds; and it was scary, I really expected our windows to blow in from the direct winds pounding them. But here I am, with electricity no less, thanking God we were spared here at home. Silly me, we slept with the bathroom exhaust fan on in our bedroom to help drown out the howling wind. Honestly, it helped! I am still amazed and cannot believe we did not lose power overnight. As daylight begins to appear, I can see Kent Island has power along their waterfront. I did get up at at 5:40am to see what the high tide due at 5:51am was doing. It appears we had an extra 2-3 feet of high tide, it was crashing up over the riprap onto our grass with debris. The winds are still at 20+ mph from the south, gusting in the low 30’s, along with a steady rain. I now do feel safe. 🙂
As we wait for the Governor of Delaware to lift the driving ban, we are watching TV and seeing all the destruction north of us. Heartbreaking. Our thoughts are with everyone that has been affected. We are anxious to know how our commercial building fared in Middletown, Delaware, and should know soon, once our daughter & son-in-law who lives close by can slip over there to check on it soon as the driving ban is lifted.
A silver lining with the aftermath. Look who also made it through the storm safely and returned this morning for a little fishing?
Our daily visiting Great Blue Heron, who also survived and returned this morning.
“Our” Great Blue Heron
I’ve watched him for a little while, he’s still out there trying to figure how to get to the water and be able to stand safely to fish.
The aftermath of this morning’s high tide. Thankfully it wasn’t real bad!
For those that were in Sandy’s path, continue to keep safe as you check out your local area. I’ll see if I can get out to get some photos.
Thanks for stopping by and keeping up with me through Hurricane Sandy!
Hurricane Sandy Over Prospect Bay – Update @ 7:30 PM
Ok. I’m not having fun. We are watching TV real loud so we cannot hear the wind and rain. But the darn building is really shaking and vibrating. Come on Sandy, stop! We are now in the 50-70 mph bands for the next few hours. THEN it should start to subside slowly, thank goodness and I hope so.
Here’s my final photos of today as the sun set and it grew dark…..
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 5:16pm (CBEC) – 42mph, gusting to 56 mph
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 5:17pm – 42 mph, gusting to 56+ mph
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 5:17pm – Overlooking Chesapeake Bay Environ Ctr
High tide this evening was at 5:51 pm. The next photo shows we had a normal high tide. The winds blew the Chesapeake Bay out instead of in….but tomorrow morning’s 5:39 am high tide will be a different story as the winds shift and blow the water in from the south throughout the night. I’ll try and get photos but it’ll be before daylight.
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 5:41pm High Tide – 43 mph, gusting to 56+ mph.
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 5:42pm – Overlooking Kent Narrows South Entrance markers with Kent Island in the background.
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 5:43pm – Overlooking Prospect Bay
As is everyone else in Sandy’s path tonight, we’re in for a sleepless night. Power outages are occurring all around us into Grasonville, and on Kent Island. My son just called to check on us and was surprised we still had power. It’s went off three times but came right back on. Keeping fingers crossed but I’m thinking it is inevitable.
For three other Chesapeake Bay blogs tracking the storm, check out Nature – Just Outside My Door, The Eastern Bay, and A Chesapeake Journal.
If you’re one of the millions of people in Sandy’s path, PLEASE stay safe and secure.
Hurricane Sandy Over Prospect Bay – Update @ 4:30 PM
Sandy has been showing us her nastiest the last few hours. We went from 32 mph winds/gusting to 44 mph to now 43 mph winds/gusting in the low 50’s. I didn’t think our building would shake as much as it has. 😦 As I type, my laptop on my dining room table both shake with the continuous strong gusts slamming our building. BTW, our ceiling-to-floor windows are new 10 months ago and are certified to take 120 mph winds. I’m trying to keep my belief in that!
Here’s some of my latest shots….
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 2:07pm – 37 mph/gusting to 41
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 3:33pm – 43mph/gusting to low 50’s
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 4:16pm – 43 mph, gusting to low 50’s
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 4:16pm – Overlooking Chesapeake Bay Environ Ctr
The photos really don’t look like they change much. But boy the wind is really howling and the rains are heavy. It is scary to me. The news stations are saying this will continue into and through the night. That sounds like no sleep to me….
Hurricane Sandy Over Prospect Bay – Update @ 1:30 PM
We are now experiencing sustained W/NW winds of 37 mph with gusts at 44 mph. They were coming from the N/NW. Our building shakes when the gusts hit. Our large windows heave, and the plants seem to be ‘alive’ as they & the ceiling fan chains jiggle at a gust hit. Late this afternoon into the evening, we are forecasted for sustained W winds at 40-50 mph, with gusts at 60 mph. Low tide occurred for us at 11:26 am and was about normal in height. Tonight is the full moon high tide, ours is to occur at 5:51 pm. It appears we will be spared a big surge which is great. I’ve been taking photos every 1/2 hour or so since daybreak. Here’s a few of what is going on outside my window…..
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 8:12 am – 18 mph N/NW winds, gusts at 31 mph
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 10:23 am – 23 mph N/NW winds, gusts at 42 mph
This fella was trying to fish as he does wild maneuvering in the winds. He actually did a couple dives but wasn’t successful.
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 10:57 am – A tern fishes in the winds!
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 12:23pm – 32mph W/NW winds, gusts at 41 mph.
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 1:28pm – 37 mph W/NW winds, gusts at 44 mph.
It really doesn’t look so bad, does it? It seems it’s not much different than a bad thunderstorm coming across the Chesapeake Bay EXCEPT they usually only last 20 mins to an hour at most. But this one is still going on. The driving winds and rain really are pressing down instead of kicking up the water, but there is water mist blowing across on top. A few birds are trying to fly somewhere/anywhere for safety. I just watched four ducks go for a wild ride up over me, almost being flipped upsidedown from the wind. This fella somehow righted himself before being flipped completely!
Hurricane Sandy 10/29/12 @ 1:26pm – Duck almost being flipped upsidedown in the wind
Still hoping for the best and trying not to worry! Just wish our building would stop shaking!! :-\
Hurricane Sandy – Your Mom Called, GO HOME!
My post title was one of the signs I saw yesterday that someone had erected. It’s about 7:00 a.m. here on Prospect Bay just off the Chesapeake Bay, we live seven miles east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on the waterfront. Winds are now at 20-22 mph with heavy rains, gusts are at 32 mph. We were preparing to run over to our office/warehouse in Middletown, Delaware, for the morning but the Govenor of Delaware has posted a No-Drive Ban for Delaware effective this morning at 5:00 am. So we are going to hunker down here at our third floor condo in Grasonville, Maryland, and hope for the best.
It’s still dark but once the day’s light is here, I will be taking photos; and if I have power, I will try and post. Yesterday it was still eerily quiet, calm or light wind, with showers off and on. The mallards were up against the riprap as usual, looking for someone to feed them. Two cormorants were fishing along our osprey nest, here’s one of them.
Cormorant
I saw another transient osprey making his way south perched along the road on Saturday.
Osprey
And a couple of egrets wading along the water.
Snowy or Great Egrets (not sure which!)
We are forecasted to have sustained winds 38-40 mph by noon. And flooding is expected. I’ll be back to post if I can! Any of you that are also in the path of this massive superstorm, take all precautions and be safe please!!
Hello Friends!
So sorry to be AWOL, I cannot believe it’s been a month since I’ve blogged! As we get closer and closer to our daughter’s wedding (November 10th) as well as other personal things going on in our lives, I’ve found myself having lesser time to take & edit photos or blogging… 😦 I miss it and you too! AND big apologies too for not being able to stay caught up with those of you I follow on your blogs! I will be back!
But know I am trying to keep tabs on the birds and creatures around me with my binoculars or naked eye, if not with my camera. It is amazing how they keep me sane with all the stress that is going on. When I am around home during daylight, I and our community are very lucky to still get to enjoy our gorgeous visiting Great Blue Heron who spends daily time around our osprey nest platform. He’s still a bit skiddish of us humans but has definitely become quite use to anyone venturing past him along the walk-way….as long as you don’t leave it and head directly at him. I find him many mornings well before daybreak standing on our osprey platform, so he’s definitely taken possession of that spot at that time as his territory. And what a great spot he has to view the sunrise! What a lucky dog….. or bird, I should say! 🙂
Our Great Blue Heron before daybreak, waiting to watch the sun rise.
A few photos of him follow. He is always so photogenic with his funny poses!
Watching out over the water at base of the osprey nest platform.
“Fishing” for dinner!
My my my, what a long neck you have!
More “fishing”!
He thinks he’s hiding among the grasses…..NOT!
Late evening preening.
Along with a wing stretch.
“What’s that I see?!”
A long yawn after all that preening and stretching.
Off for the night, to return in the morning!
In addition to the Canada geese dotting our skies as they pass by in their migration south, the cormorants have been appearing along our berm for feedings along the bottom.
Pair of Cormorants
I didn’t witness very many Great Egrets in our area this summer, but captured this one as he took off.
Great Egret
Although our osprey have long departed, I’ve seen a few transient osprey from the north come through our area for some fishing and rest as they make their way south. Yesterday when ramping off the main highway, one was perched on one of the Kent Narrows Rt 50 bridge lights enjoying a rather large fish while traffic whizzed by below him. I tried to position myself for a photo but just couldn’t get close enough safely. Darn! He was a beauty!!
Finally a few photos not bird-related. But I thought nice!
Sunrise 10/1/12
Sunrise 9/29/12
Moon 9/23/12
This captured my eye while walking along an old pier.
And finally, another reason I’ve been so busy. 🙂 My sweatheart and the apple of my eye, our grandson, Benjamin. I try to see him as much as I can, at least one full day a week. This next photo was taken during a long weekend he stayed with us. He loves being by the water pulling his wagon or sitting along the berm watching the mallard ducks as they come to us hoping for some food. We laugh and have a great time together!
Our grandson, Benjamin, along our walk-way. Notice his ‘birds’ in his wagon?! 😉
I’m not sure when I can blog again, my schedule is so full with the final preparations of the wedding. I hope to at least blog one or two more times before the ‘big day’. It is quiet with our bird activity for now, but very soon the migratories will be coming in by the hundreds, and my photographing will kick up a bit with all the excitement.
Thank you for sticking by and keeping up with me, I appreciate each one of you! Take care and make each day a wonderful day!
A Weekend of Wildlife and Wild Rides
This past weekend hubby and I escaped for a long weekend to Solomons Island, Maryland, on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay; and I’m finally getting caught up on some photos to share. We went to see the 3rd Annual Solomons Offshore Grand Prix powerboat race on the Patuxent River. Yes, I love the feel of your adrenaline pumping while going fast! Seems odd when I also love to sit for hours and photograph a single bird! LOL
So although these next photos are not wildlife, I thought I’d share just a few of the hundreds I took. I wasn’t too happy with my post location at the boardwalk railing as it was packed with people trying to see, but at least I had a direct view. Last year 15,000 attended!
As in all of the offshore powerboat races, the Miss Geico turbine extreme powerboat is always the crowd’s favorite. At 3700 hp, it’s top speed is 190 mph. Now that is fast, loud, and definitely an adrenaline pumper!
But no, I don’t want to go THAT fast! I am more comfortable at our 50-60 mph, with our top speed of 80+mph. That’s enough adrenaline pumping for me! Here’s our boat with hubby at the helm.
Our 38′ Sonic – “Magic Carpet Ride”
The boat race wasn’t our only enjoyment. I also had a need for some quiet with wildlife action! This year we went by car instead of boat to adventure on land the day prior to the big race day. We crossed the Gov. Thomas Johnson Bridge (Rt. 4) in the above race photos and headed south for about 30+ minutes to see the Point Lookout Light Station located at the mouth of the Potomac River on the Chesapeake Bay. It is no longer an active lighthouse and is presently owned by the U. S. Navy as a test center.
We then headed to Point Lookout State Park which was pretty awesome! We did some trail hiking to see if we could discover any wildlife. I was happy to come upon an osprey in a tree eating a fish. He obviously wasn’t happy with our presence though and took flight immediately. He was close to another tree that had a well-established osprey nest. Maybe it was his/hers.
Osprey with dinner
Osprey Nest
Minutes later a Bald Eagle came by, soaring beautifully in the sky. At quite a distance, I didn’t do so well on clarity with hand-holding my camera.
American Bald Eagle
American Bald Eagle
This next fella didn’t seem to appreciate our presence either. Funny though, he refused to fly away, so we were the ones to leave his territory. 🙂
Northern Mockingbird with attitude!
And this young fella just hung around the piers at the public boat ramp.
Immature Laughing Gull
While hanging around the public ramp and photographing another Osprey, I discovered this next jelly fish, stirring up the white sand around him, clouding the shallow water. He was gorgeous, one I had never seen before.
Jelly Fish
Jelly Fish
I had hoped to see some migratory birds but it wasn’t in the cards that weekend. A bit soon as yet for many, but I did hope!
Upon our return Sunday evening, we were lucky to witness a dramatic sunset from our balcony.
Sunset overlooking Kent Narrows south entrance and Kent Island – 9/16/12
Finally, an update on our daily visiting Great Blue Heron. He has now taken over our osprey nest platform as a perch for himself. This is a clear sign that our area osprey are gone! I’m finding him perched before sunrise most mornings.
Great Blue Heron at sunrise – 9/12/12
Great Blue Heron at sunrise – 9/20/12
This evening, he and I enjoyed the sunset that provided a more dramatic sky behind him than the sunset itself.
Great Blue Heron at sunset
I’m hoping he continues to hang around through the fall for our community’s enjoyment!
As always, thank you for stopping by, I truly appreciate you! Have a great TGIF and weekend!
An Osprey, A Gull & A Floater
Many times I’ve seen a group of gulls over the water trying to steal a fish, crab, or other type of food one of them is desperately hovering over to keep for himself. A couple of weeks ago off my balcony, I watched a gull floating while eating a dead fish because it was too heavy for him to get airborne. An osprey appeared and started to circle. He then did a quick dive, and proceeded with grabbing and stealing the fish out of the water and from the gull. The gull was not happy and began to chase the osprey but quickly gave up pursuit. He knew he was no match to the osprey. (The photos aren’t the best, sharing the behavior!)
Lining up for the strike and grab
Got it!
The gull begins the pursuit
Mr. Gull voices his unhappiness!
The osprey quickly gains speed over the gull and pulls away.
The gull gave up and the osprey is off with his dinner.
I found this behavior quite odd for an osprey, I’d never seen one steal from a gull. But even more odd is osprey eat only live fish. This fish was a floater. So I wondered as I watched him fly off if he would eat the fish once he found out it was dead. Hmmm…..
Finally, I have a photo (courtesy of Amanda Adams) and link of an unusual occurrence with osprey and a bear. Terry of Montana Outdoors (one of my favorite blogs, give him a visit!) shared a story with me that occurred a few weeks ago in Montana where a bear made his way up a tall tree and into an osprey nest which was believed to have had a successful brood that season. The parents caused quite a ruckus at the bear from the sky, but I’m hoping it was over their nest being trespassed, and that the chicks had fledged and were not in the nest at the time.
Montana CBS News carried the story with more photos. Who knew a bear was another possible osprey predator??
As our summer winds down, it is apparent around our area that the osprey are beginning to leave for their migration to as far as South America. No longer are we seeing or hearing very many osprey. So farewell thee osprey, enjoy your tropical vacation, we will be here waiting for your return! 🙂
Our Visiting Great Blue Heron – Part 2
Oops, I did it again! 😦 So sorry for another long time inbetween posts, my intention was to have my GBH Part 2 up within days of Part 1. A frightening medical emergency with our 15-month old grandson (everything is fine now!!) and a sneak-away vacation for our 33rd anniversary (yep, that long!) kept me away from my personal time with my computer and blog. Let me try to get back on track!
Although I’ve had less time to hang around on my balcony, I’ve still had no problem catching a glimpse or spend a few moments watching our Mr. Great Blue Heron who still comes around to fish and hang out. I feel my neighbors and I are so lucky! 🙂
First, a couple of quick Great Blue Heron facts–
Adults are approximately 4 feet tall with a wingspan of 6 feet.
They live alone except at breeding time.
They live about 15 years.
They can fly at 20-30 mph!
Now on with the Part 2 photos of this gorgeous bird. First, some rock-jumping to stalk more fish!
All awhile keeping an eye on his surroundings, including the sky and that osprey that perches on the nest platform and loves to harrass him….
Even worse, sometimes an eye on me! LOL He really doesn’t seem to be bothered that I or the neighbors watch him. I love it!
The Great Blue Heron’s unusual “S” shaped neck allows it to spring quickly like a coil in order to catch its prey. The unique way it moves also allows the heron to fold its neck back into its shoulders during flight to move more easily through the air. But as in the previous and next photos, they can also extend their neck very long and straight, sometimes as a display of courtship or to just keep track of his surroundings and those that venture too near him.
I’ve enjoyed sharing captures of the Great Blue Heron in these two posts that were not the ‘normal’ shot you see in a magazine or article. And with this bird being such a beautifully photogenic-posing bird, I decided I just had to conclude with some of those normal shots, as he has given me so many!
Okay….I have two more photos of another Great Blue Heron, but these were taken down the road from me on Rt. 18 along Marshy Creek couple months ago. I just happen to stop and capture him after he successfully captured his next meal.
A final word please. For you followers that I follow, I am totally behind on reading your blogs and hope to get time this weekend to catch up as many as best I can…..I miss reading them so much! I hope you understand!
Everyone please enjoy a wonderful and safe Labor Day weekend, and as always thank you for taking your time to visit my blog. I appreciate each one of you! 🙂
Our Visiting Great Blue Heron – Part 1
Time flies when you’re having fun! So sorry I’ve been AWOL from my blog, the ending summer has me trying to cram everything in before it’s over! Nonetheless, I’ve not slowed down taking photos of the visiting wildlife around me. My files are overflowing! 🙂
In my last post, an Osprey Update, I had shared this photo of an osprey and Great Blue Heron staring each other down at the osprey platform. Neither not wanting to leave, but the osprey just cannot tolerate a Great Blue Heron in his ‘space’ and he finally swooped at him to try to persuade him to go.
Sometimes not, but the Great Blue Heron had won that time at keeping his post in the water when the osprey tried to attack him, he wasn’t so easily giving in!
There may be more than one, but for the past few months, a Great Blue Heron has been almost a daily visitor along our berm, either fishing or resting. Most times I just watch him through my binoculars as he perches for hours at a time. And many of those times I’ve had my tripod set up on my balcony, looking to capture some of those odd and neat looking poses that aren’t normally shared. He/they hardly ever disappoint! I even discovered the other morning before sunrise, he was perched on the osprey nest platform. Wish I could have gotten that photo but it was too dark.
Since I’m so far behind, I’ll do a two-part post to get started AND to not overload you. I’ve got that unfortunate problem of not being able to pick just a few to share. 🙂
I’ll begin with what I thought was a cute shot of a Red-Winged Blackbird hanging alongside the Great Blue Heron. Neither bothering the other. The best of buddies!
Red-Winged Blackbird and Great Blue Heron
A week later they were no longer the best of buds…..the Red-Winged Blackbird didn’t want the Great Blue Heron at the base of the osprey platform this time around! It was comical seeing this large heron squawking while he tried to get away from the ‘big bad’ blackbird who chased him, LOL.
Great Blue Heron being chased by a Red-Winged Blackbird
How about some more Great Blue Heron flight shots!
When the Great Blue Heron isn’t coming and going, one thing he’s doing is searching for dinner. Most times I’ll watch him grab and swallow a fish whole. But how about a crab?
Great Blue Herons love Chesapeake Bay Blue Crabs too!
Or turtles?? I must confess, I was a bit aghast watching him devour a dozen or so he found in a nest at the berm and seeing the poor little turtles’ four little legs flailing!
Great Blue Heron has found a nest of baby turtles
This little turtle had no chance!
Nor this one!
Great Blue Heron swallowing a whole baby turtle.
The Great Blue Heron has also spent hours preening his feathers. Sometimes I’m amazed at how they can stretch their necks and reach all over their body.
Not sure what he was looking for here! But my good blogger friend, Deb (aka Trek Ohio), commented he looked like he was taking a bow. After all the photo ops he gave me, I do believe he is!
After preening, he’ll rest while he basks in the sunlight with this odd pose.
Along with a little stretching to keep him limber….
And a good feather ruffling to bring in a little air to the skin….
And finally, a scratch or two to take care of an itch.
I love the Great Blue Heron, their beauty and stature are gorgeous, but they can also give some funny and odd poses on occasion as these photos. I hope you enjoyed them and thank you for your continued following, I appreciate it!
Bay Photos by Donna 