Five On The Wing – #30
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These five bird species in flight are quite the acrobats!
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Barn Swallow
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Purple Martin
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Northern Rough-winged Swallow
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Chimney Swifts
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Tree Swallow
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Five On The Wire – #9
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It’s been a while with this series, here’s another five perched bird species enjoying their view!
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Eastern Kingbird
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House Sparrow immature
(this one’s more hoping s/he’s in the parent’s view 😉)
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Indigo Bunting
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White-throated Sparrow
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Purple Martin
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Great Blue Herons
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Our July has been hot and humid, with temps reaching the 90’s, making it feel like a 100°F plus.
Great Blue Herons got it right being by and in the water all day long. Standing on the shore drenched in my own sweat, I feel tempted to join them!
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Great Blue Heron at sunrise
Eastern Neck NWR
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Great Blue Heron preparing to strike
Chesapeake Farms
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The Strike
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Good soaking but no success
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Shake it off to try again
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Great Blue Heron success
Chesapeake Farms
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Great Blue Heron trying to catch a breeze
Eastern Neck NWR
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Another tasty meal (eel, snake, or salamander)
Eastern Neck NWR
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Great Blue Heron
Eastern Neck NWR
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1-2-3 Medium Bird Jubilee – #7
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Adding to my post series of three medium-sized birds, with the added bonus these three are all females and one a new photographed species lifer for me.
Let’s hear it for the ladies!
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Scarlet Tanager (female, my photographed lifer #265 )
Length 6.3-6.7 inches (16-17 cm)
Weight 0.8-1.3 oz (23-38 g)
Wingspan 9.8-11.4 inches (25-29 cm)
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American Robin (female)
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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Red-winged Blackbird (female)
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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Common Yellowthroat
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A few days ago, I had the most delightful photo session with a curious male Common Yellowthroat on the Butterfly Trail at Eastern Neck NWR.
An abundant wood warbler found throughout the United States, they are usually hidden low in vegetation. But you can easily find these beautiful birds by their distinctive song. Then you wait and hope the male pops up to an open perch to really belt his song!
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Common Yellowthroat (male) in song, Pose #1
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Song of Common Yellowthroat, courtesy Ted Floyd
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Lights, cameras, action! Now strike a pose for me! 🤩 📷 🤩
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Common Yellowthroat (male), Pose #2
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Common Yellowthroat (male), Pose #3
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Common Yellowthroat (male), Pose #4
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Common Yellowthroat (male), Pose #05 (and my favorite)
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Thank you, Mister Common Yellowthroat, you brightened my day!
Interesting Fact: The Common Yellowthroat was one of the first bird species to be cataloged from the New World, when a specimen from Maryland was described by Linnaeus in 1766. (My home state!)
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Perch With A Big View
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I am fortunate to see Eagles often, but my adrenaline still gets pumping when I see one perched atop a tree or snag, taking in its great big view. Here are four I hope delight you!
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Bald Eagle
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Powerful and fearless.
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Bald Eagle
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They seem to know their majesty, don’t they?
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Bald Eagle
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This next Eagle was sitting on a breakwater rip rap, looking out to the Chesapeake Bay. I wondered what it was thinking as it viewed out yonder from such a low perch. Perhaps the breeze felt good.
After a series of clicks, s/he turned around and I got this next shot. I was on a boardwalk platform, peering through the shoreline vegetation.
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Bald Eagle
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(All photos taken at Eastern Neck NWR, Rock Hall, Maryland)
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It’s Only Wednesday…..Hang In There!
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I know it’s only Wednesday, but soon it’ll be the weekend.
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Until then, I know you can hang in there!
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Cloud Formation: Hand
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About an hour before sunset, I was so struck with a previous evening’s cloud scene that I pulled over for photos on my way home.
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High-Five!
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Five On The Wing – #29
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These five bird species in flight are on a mission, with a meal for themselves or a youngster in waiting!
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Least Terns
Eastern Neck NWR
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Opsrey
Eastern Neck NWR
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A Caspian two-fer, trying to keep the wiggling fish positioned!
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Caspian Tern
Eastern Neck NWR
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Caspian Tern with a better hold
Eastern Neck NWR
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Immature Bald Eagle
Lankford Bay
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And finally this bonus for me, a new photographed lifer, also a two-fer!
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Yellow-billed Cuckoo (photographed lifer #264)
Eastern Neck NWR
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Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Eastern Neck NWR
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Crossing Paths With Other Wildlife
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In search of birds, I am always delighted with other wildlife encounters. Here’s just a few that I’ve crossed paths with locally in the last couple months.
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White-tailed Deer (doe)
My Yard
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Snapping Turtle
Shipyard’s Landing
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Bottled-nose Dolphins
Chesapeake Bay
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White-tailed Deer (buck)
Chesapeake Farms
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Skink
Eastern Neck NWR
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Muskrat (corrected)
Eastern Neck NWR
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Muskrat
Eastern Neck NWR
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Eastern Gray Squirrel Youngster
Eastern Neck NWR
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Northern Water Snake
Eastern Neck NWR
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Northern Water Snake Close-up
Eastern Neck NWR
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Needham’s Skimmer
Eastern Neck NWR
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White-tailed Deer (doe)
My Yard
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“Sniff, Sniff, Sniffing Me”
My Yard
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Black Swallowtail
Eastern Neck NWR
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Bay Photos by Donna 