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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Brown Creeper with cocoon snack
Length 4.7-5.5 inches (12-14 cm)
Weight 0.2-0.3 oz (5-10 g)
Wingspan 6.7-7.9 inches (17-20 cm)
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Five On The Wing – #26
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Here is another one of my Five On The Wing series posts, featuring five bird species in flight.
The added bonus with this post is they are also in flocks!
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Double-crested Cormorants
Wingspan 44.9-48.4 inches (114-123 cm)
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Cedar Waxwings
Wingspan 8.7-11.8 inches (22-30 cm)
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Snow Geese
Wingspan 54.3 inches (138 cm)
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Common Grackles
Wingspan 14.2-18.1 inches (36-46 cm)
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Red-winged Blackbirds
(many with a corn kernel in their mouth)
Wingspan 12.2-15.8 inches (31-40 cm)
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“Imagine if birds were tickled by feathers.
You’d see a flock of birds come by, laughing hysterically.”
— Comedian Steven Wright
😁
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Random Clicks
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Here are a few random photos I’ve taken recently of something that caught my eye….not bird related! 😉
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Rainbow Cloud
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Fungi and Snow
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Arriving with more nesting materials
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Hazy Full Moon Rising
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Forest Creature Curled Up For A Nap
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Milkweed Pod
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Contrail at Sunset
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Tree Face
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Liquid Gold
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Pond Reflection at Eastern Neck NWR
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Do any of these tickle your fancy? 🤩
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Five On The Wire – #8
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Here’s another post to my series of five bird species hanging out on a wire or metal checking out those big views!
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House Finch (male)
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Northern Mockingbird
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Brown-headed Cowbird
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American Kestrel
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Blue Jay
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I shot a short burst with the Blue Jay and am sharing the very next shot of it before the jay dropped to the feeder.
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“Hello There!”
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It’s not every day the Blue Jay is an accommodating model, so gotta give this one a two-fer spot! 😁
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Great Blue Heron Does A Little Fishing
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About a week ago, I pulled up alongside a wetland area at Eastern Neck NWR where I found this Great Blue Heron busy fishing and turned off my car.
I was stared upon briefly for the interruption, but then deemed not a threat as the beautiful heron went on about its business.
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Great Blue Heron stalking for food
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Got one!
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What was that?
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Where…..are…..you…..?
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Turns around to grab another
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Focused
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Gotcha!
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Patience
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The Strike
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Another small reward
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Truthfully, this was just too easy! For the Great Blue Heron, who was snatching up one after another; and for me, shooting from the comfort of my car. I could have sat there forever watching and clicking; but I didn’t want the heron to take flight because of me, so I slowly pulled away and left.
I looked back and the Great Blue Heron was striking again! Bingo, another snack! 🙂
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Common Winter Sparrows
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In the fleeting moments you have to see and/or capture a sparrow, it is not always easy to ID it so quickly, many are very similar in looks. Throw in the juveniles, and it can really make my head spin!
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Savannah Sparrow
(seen throughout North America)
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There are at least 35 types of sparrow species in North America.
It is said about 15 species of sparrows can be found in most areas of North America, some more abundant and widespread than others.
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Song Sparrow
(seen throughout North America)
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I mentioned at the end of my last post, I recently took a private winter walking tour at Eastern Neck NWR and picked up another lifer, which happen to be a new sparrow.
I saw it way down the trail ahead of us, so my shot is heavily cropped. I’ve seen this sparrow many times; finally now captured for my count! Woot!! 🤗
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Fox Sparrow – My Lifer #254
(seen over three-quarter’s of North America)
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All nine of these common sparrows in this post were captured in the past month in my local area.
I have photographed 16 species of sparrows to date. Almost halfway! hehe
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House Sparrow
(seen throughout North America)
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Swamp Sparrow
(seen two-thirds of North America)
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White-throated Sparrow
(seen throughout North America)
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Chipping Sparrow
(seen throughout North America)
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Field Sparrow
(seen primarily in two-third’s of U.S.)
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Juncos easy to ID if seen. Did you know it was a sparrow species also?
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Dark-eyed Junco
(seen throughout North America)
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Fun to share and compare sparrows! Some with slight differences, some that are obvious. And all are adorable!
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Sunrise at Eastern Neck NWR
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As I crossed over the Eastern Neck bridge about a little over a week ago, I was greeted with this beautiful icy sunrise.
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Sunrise over Eastern Neck NWR
Gull flying over ice puddles at low tide
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A sun pillar occurred….
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Followed by a star burst effect! 🙂
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I was arriving for an early morning private “Winter Walking Tour” at the refuge, to hike about 2+ miles of beautifully unspoiled habitat at the refuge not opened to the public. Along that walk, I obtained another lifer….💃….next post!
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Happy Valentine’s Day Cardinal-Style
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Happy Valentine’s Day from my Northern Cardinals and I!
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Bay Photos by Donna 