Killdeer and Least Sandpipers
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During a recent low tide visit at Eastern Neck NWR, I was delighted to see a Killdeer out on the mud flats.
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Killdeer
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Seen throughout North America, Killdeer are a common year-round shorebird that you don’t have to head to the shore to see. They will live and breed just about anywhere they can establish a nest on a small patch of rocks.
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Killdeer
(Ring-billed Gull napping in background)
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Something tiny moving caught my eye, and I also discovered four Least Sandpipers!
These were confirmed on eBird as a rare sighting at the refuge, only possibly seen during migration. They breed in the artic tundra.
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Least Sandpipers
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Least Sandpipers are the smallest of sandpipers, just a little bigger than a sparrow.
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Least Sandpipers
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You know I love to capture and share comparison shots and I lucked out again. Here you go!
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Least Sandpipers and Killdeer
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This morning I saw massive skeins of Canada Geese high in the sky, heading north.
We’ve already had numerous reports of Osprey showing up around the Chesapeake Bay early.
Spring migration is in motion!
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Maryland Woodpeckers
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Maryland has seven species of woodpeckers, and I have photos of all seven to share and compare.
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#1 Red-headed Woodpecker – Unlike other woodpeckers, the Red-headed Woodpecker can also hunt and snatch insects in mid-air.
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#1 Red-headed Woodpecker (sexes look alike)
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#2 Red-bellied Woodpecker – This woodpecker’s tongue can extend out two inches past its beak and is barbed at the tip and covered with sticky spit that snags prey from deep crevices.
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#2 Red-bellied Woodpecker (male)
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#2 Red-bellied Woodpecker (male)
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#3 Pileated Woodpecker – This is the largest woodpecker in North America and the woodpecker used to craft the famous cartoon character, Woody Woodpecker.
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#3 Pileated Woodpecker (female)
(photographed back in October)
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#4 Northern Flicker Yellow-shafted – This woodpecker prefers to find its favorite food on the ground, digging in the dirt to lap up ants. I flushed the one in the first photo from the ground up to the tree, not knowing it was there. He looks startled too.
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Northern Flicker – Yellow-shafted (male)
(Yellow-shafted is found in the East, Red-shafted in the West)
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Northern Flicker – Yellow-shafted (male)
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#5 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – Just as you might think from it’s name, this woodpecker laps up the leaking sap and any trapped insects with its specialized, brush-tipped tongue from the holes it drills.
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#5 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (female)
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#6 Hairy Woodpecker – Often confused with it’s lookalike the Downy Woodpecker, the Hairy is larger and lacks the black spots on its outer white tail feathers.
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#6 Hairy Woodpecker (male)
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#7 Downy Woodpecker – This woodpecker is the smallest in North America and the most common seen in Maryland. Downright adorable too!
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#7 Downy Woodpecker (male)
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Downy Woodpecker (female)
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“The Woodpecker sings,
In a tune we don’t follow.
Pecking endlessly,
Like there is no tomorrow!”
Author Unknown
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Greater White-fronted Goose Hanging With Canada Geese
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Considered a rare sighting for the east coast, more and more single Greater White-fronted Geese are now being reported seen in a flock of Canada Geese during our winter seasons.
I’ve had two nearby single sightings being reported on eBird off and on for two months, one within three miles of my house, the other seven miles.
This goose would be a new lifer for me, and being so close, you’d think this one would be easy. Not! I’ve been to both locations numerous times without any luck.
Couple days ago that changed. Another reported sighting at one of the locations again, so I headed there to the Chestertown Wastewater Treatment Plant. It’s a distance to view, as you can only park alongside the fence on the road passing by the pond. No entrance is allowed onto the property itself.
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Chestertown Wastewater Treatment Plant partial view
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I scanned and scanned the entire pond with my binoculars. I did not see it.
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Canada Geese, Tundra Swans, Ruddy Ducks, Northern Shovelers, Mallards
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There was a guy using a scope when I had pulled up. I walked over to him and asked if there was anything exciting out there besides the normal. He said the Greater White-fronted Goose was out there napping. 🤪
I might have gotten a little too excited, I was “where, where” lol. I did tell him it’d be a lifer for me. He helped me out and I got my eye on it, head tucked in, napping away.
Every so often the Greater White-fronted Goose would pop up its head and look around. Then tuck back down for another rest.
Welcome to my bird lifer list #255 Greater White-fronted Goose! 🤗💃😊
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White-fronted Goose and Canada Geese
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Well, that surely made my day! I was beginning to think it was going to be next winter to possibly get lucky. 🙂
A final photo of the Canada Geese always there, I took this next photo at the same location another day, sharing for artsy fun.
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Canada Geese resting on pipe
(foreground discoloring is marsh grasses I was shooting through)
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1-2-3 Medium Bird Jubilee – #6
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How about another post of three bird species to share in my medium-sized birds’ series!
The added bonus with these three, they are also in the same family, Thrushes and Allies.
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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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Hermit Thrush
Length 5.5-7.1 inches (14-18 cm)
Weight 0.8-1.3 oz (23-37 g)
Wingspan 9.8-11.4 inches (25-29 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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Five On The Wing – #27
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With the last two posts sharing raptors in trees, it seemed befitting to continue one more post with raptors, showing some in flight photographed in past couple weeks. So it also works perfectly as my next flight series post. 😉
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Red-tailed Hawk
Wingspan 44.9-52.4 inches (114-133 cm)
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Northern Harrier
Wingspan 40.2-46.5 inches (102-118 cm)
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The next photo includes another Northern Harrier who was soaring along with a Turkey Vulture, both watching me.
Somehow I lucked on the two side by side, making for a great comparison size shot. For them, oops! They quickly separated and went opposite directions.
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Turkey Vulture and Northern Harrier
Turkey Vulture wingspan 66.9-70.1 inches (170-178 cm)
Harrier wingspan 40.2-46.5 inches (102-118 cm)
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And, of course, I’ve got to include the Bald Eagle. First an immature, and then an adult.
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Bald Eagle (immature)
Wingspan 80.3 inches (204 cm)
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Bald Eagle with tongue
Wingspan 80.3 inches (204 cm)
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It’s not often you get to photograph an Eagle’s tongue as it flies by. 😉
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Eagles in Trees
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As promised at the end of my last post, here are more sightings of Bald Eagles perched in a tree.
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It is a delight to have so many transient Bald Eagles around the Chesapeake Bay for the winter. Whether in the sky or perched in a tree, it’s very easy to find them just about anywhere.
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I am being spoiled with all these Eagles…..and I am loving it! 😉
(First three photos taken at Eastern Neck NWR; last three taken along back roads nearby.)
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Raptors in Trees
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Most raptors are some of our biggest birds so they can easily be easily seen perched in tops of trees from afar during the winter. Here’s some recent photos taken of raptors I spotted, hanging out with a view.
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Bald Eagles with Canada Geese passing in the background
(This is ‘my’ local year-round Eagle pair that live near our dock)
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The rest of these raptor photos were taken at Eastern Neck NWR.
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Turkey Vulture
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Black Vulture
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Bald Eagle feather shake-up
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Same Eagle, head at 180 degrees, checking out another Eagle we both heard behind me
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The tree branch shown in those previous two Eagle photos is a popular place to find an Eagle at the refuge. Here’s another day, same tree branch.
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Bald Eagle focused on something behind it
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Eagle telling me and the world about it
(note heart-shaped beak 😊)
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Red-shouldered Hawk
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Bald Eagles watching a Turkey Vulture fly by
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I have several more Eagles perched in trees, so not to overload here, I’ll share them in my next post!
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Chesapeake Bay Winter Ducks
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With the past month’s winter winds, more and more of the Chesapeake Bay winter ducks came closer to the shores and interior ponds for shelter.
If you’re missing your favorite summer ducks, you might find one of them here in this post, enjoying their winter vacation around me!
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Buffleheads
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Buffleheads
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Ring-necked Ducks
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Ring-necked Ducks with Canada Geese
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Ruddy Ducks (male left, female right)
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Ruddy Duck (male)
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Ruddy Duck (female)
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One more Ruddy!
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Ruddy Duck (male)
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Northern Shovelers feeding
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Northern Shovelers
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Northern Pintails and Mallards, along with Canada Geese, Ring-billed Gulls and
an immature gull in center (first winter Great Black-backed Gull?)
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Lesser Scaup
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Ruddy Ducks, Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye
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Greater Scaup (male), Common Goldeneye (male)
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Common Goldeneye (male)
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Tundra Swans surrounded by Canada Geese, Ruddy Ducks, Mallards,
American Black Ducks, Green-winged Teal
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Long-tailed Duck (male)
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Long-tailed Duck (male)
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Wood Duck (male)
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Wood Duck (male)
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Wood Duck, American Black Ducks, Mallard
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American Black Ducks and Mallard in flight
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There are so many more ducks species that are here, so this just gives you a taste of our winter duck season.
(All photographs taken at Eastern Neck NWR, except Northern Shovelers at Chestertown WWTP and Ring-necked Ducks at St. Paul’s Mill Pond.)
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1-2-3 Birds and Berries – #4
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The birds love those winter berries! And photographers do too. If the birds aren’t popping one in their mouth but hanging around them, that’s a bonus for us too. 😊
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European Starling
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Yellow-rumped Warbler
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Hermit Thrush
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1-2-3 Cute As Can Be – #13
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Another post in my series of the three little birds being adorable!
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Tufted Titmouse taking a break
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)
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Yellow-rumped Warbler (female or immature) with a bug
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)
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Bay Photos by Donna 