Northern Cardinals
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The Northern Cardinal is the most used species for the designated State Bird in seven of the U.S.’s fifty states.
Those seven states are: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.
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Northern Cardinal (male)
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Northern Cardinal (female)
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Contradictory to many other songbirds, Northern Cardinals are mostly a non-migratory species, opting to overwinter in their chosen spring/summer habitat.
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Northern Cardinal (male)
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Northern Cardinal (male)
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Eagle Fly-By Sequence
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To watch a Bald Eagle soaring at a distance and then turn to head your way is super exciting!
When it continues to make its way up and over you, it just blows you away.
Here’s an Eagle that did just that to me.
Feel the fly-by!
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Bald Eagle flying by
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(photos taken from my backyard on November 11, 2021)
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Eagle Perched In A Tree (B&W)
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While a Bald Eagle preened in my last post, its mate was in the same tree, keeping a watchful eye.
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Bald Eagle
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(photo taken at Eastern Neck NWR, Rock Hall, Maryland, on November 11, 2021)
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Eagle Preening Its Feathers
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I don’t think I’ve ever gotten an opportunity to photograph a Bald Eagle preening before…..
Until now.
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Bald Eagle preening its feathers
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Like most birds, Bald Eagles have a uropygial gland, or preen gland, that is essential to their preening.
This gland is found near the base of their tail and produces an oily, waxy substance that helps waterproof feathers and keep them flexible.
While preening, Eagles spread this oil on each of their feathers so they are evenly coated and protected.
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Bald Eagle preening its feathers
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Bald Eagles have approximately 7,000 feathers to keep clean.
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Bald Eagle preening its feathers
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(These were taken at Eastern Neck NWR, Rock Hall, Maryland, on November 11, 2021)
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1-2-3 Cute As Can Be – #5
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Here’s my continuing series of three photos of three small bird species, being adorably cute!
This post has the added bonus theme “sparrows”, with three different sparrows not shared in the past month’s series. 😊
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White-throated Sparrow
6.3-7.1 inches (16-18 cm)
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Swamp Sparrow
4.7-5.9 inches (12-15 cm)
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Song Sparrow
4.7-6.7 inches (12-17 cm)
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Autumn Milkweed
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When out the past couple weeks, I included photographing opening milkweed pods; then had fun playing with the shots to see what artistic compositions they might create, if any, when cropping out the clutter around them.
Here are my favorites. You might spot some visitors to the pods!
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Cattle Egret
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Riding along a local back road, I passed a farm with fenced-in cows grazing close to the road and noticed a Cattle Egret with them. Our local Cattle Egrets have long gone in their migration, so this egret is most likely passing through our area, heading to our southernmost states or Central America for the winter.
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Cattle Egret
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Here’s one of my silly shots for fun. 😁
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Cattle Egret
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We know cows don’t eat Cattle Egret, but this one looked tempted! 😉
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1-2-3 Cute As Can Be – #4
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Little birds seem cuter, even when they are in their younger juvenile years. Here’s three in their first year’s life.
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Indigo Bunting (male juvenile)
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Mourning Dove (juvenile)
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House Sparrow (male juvenile)
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They are all on their way to adult plumage!
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Autumn at Eastern Neck NWR
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I’ve been in search of our autumn colors for the last couple weeks for some pretty shots.
These were all taken at Eastern Neck NWR on October 31st.
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Common Paper Wasp nest
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View of the Chesapeake Bay from Butterfly Garden Trail
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“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it,
and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.”
— George Eliot, The Writings of George Eliot, vol. 23 (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1908), 71.
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Five On The Wing – #18
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Another of my five birds in flight series, all taken in recent weeks over our property.
This one has the added bonus theme of all being hawks! 😃
The first two are either a Cooper’s Hawk and/or a Sharp-shinned Hawk. Both of these hawks are so close in looks that I cannot feel 100% sure which either one is, I did give my thoughts on each shot.
If anyone feels confident on identifying either, I’d very much appreciate it!
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Sharp-shinned Hawk
(I’m leaning more to Sharp-shinned Hawk…small head even with wings, square tail, little legs/feet)
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Cooper’s Hawk
(I lean more to Cooper’s Hawk on this one…big legs/feet, big head out forward, white-tipped tail)
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Broad-winged Hawk
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Red-shouldered Hawk
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Bay Photos by Donna 