Mr & Mrs Red-winged Blackbird
Mr. Red-winged Blackbird keeps guard on their territory……
Red-winged Blackbird (male)
….while the Mrs. returns with another meal for the family.
Red-winged Blackbird (female)
Herons In Flight
We’ve had continuous visits from three species of herons this summer on Cambridge Creek. Here are a few more of my favorite flight shots of them.
Great Blue Heron – “Low-Rider”
Great Blue Heron – “Into The Wind”
Green Heron – “In The Shade”
Black-crowned Night Heron – “Peek-a-boo”
Green Heron – “Maneuvering the Sail Masts”
Great Blue Heron – “Overhead”
Bella & Beau 2019: Both ‘Teens’ Are On The Wing & Having a Blast
Osprey nest location: Cambridge, Maryland, Chesapeake Bay Region, USA
August 4, 2019
This week Bella and Beau’s two ‘teens’ are approximately 9 weeks old and fully grown in size. They still attain their white-tipped feathers, not acquiring their full adult plumage until 18 months old.
There is a noticeable size difference between the two ‘teens’ that tells us the eldest chick, considerably larger, is a female; and the younger, a male. Another gender characteristic is the Osprey’s chest. Female Osprey usually sport a speckled chest or “necklace”, whereas the male’s chest is more predominantly white.
Left – Youngest/Male Right – Eldest/Female
There was a sudden change in the eldest teen’s appearance a week ago I thought I’d share. In the next photo, she returned to the nest with a noticeably much darker head. Even the lower legs and talons looked dark.
Eldest ‘teen’ returning to the nest with a very dirty head, lower legs & talons
With her water dives, baths, and skimming since that photo, she appears to be not quite so dark/dirty, so I’m guessing she got herself into mud or muck, maybe plunging into too-shallow water or from resting on a muddy embankment. Otherwise, she appears to be fine. You’ll notice changes in her throughout photos.
So we left off with my last post confirming the eldest Osprey ‘teen’ fledged on July 24th; and, let me say, she looks to be having a marvelous time perfecting her flying, landings, and water-tests. It must feel exhilarating to a newly fledged Osprey!
Eldest ‘teen’ coming in for a landing
“Watch out!”
“Whoa…..”
“Touchdown”
“Whew…”
“And that’s how you do it!”
Eldest ‘teen’ coming in for a landing, with something to say
Eldest ‘teen’ in flight
Eldest ‘teen’ in flight
Eldest ‘teen’ in flight
Eldest ‘teen’ in flight
The youngest ‘teen’ stayed very attentive to his sibling’s practicing and maneuvering.
Eldest ‘teen’ skimming the water
Eldest ‘teen’ skimming the water
Eldest ‘teen’ skimming the water
Eldest ‘teen’ skimming the water
Youngest ‘teen’ watching his sibling
At five-day’s fledged, eldest ‘teen’ is skimming the water already, while the youngest watches
Eldest ‘teen’ coming up to land
Focused on making the landing
“Touchdown”
Eldest ‘teen’ landing after skimming the water
It was apparent the youngest wanted to fly, he flapped vigorously and ‘helicoptered’ over the nest day after day.
Youngest ‘teen’ practicing lift-offs
Youngest ‘teen’ practicing lift-offs
Youngest ‘teen’ practicing lift-offs
“I want to join you, sis!”
“Hmmmm…I don’t know…”
“What do you think? Can I do it?”
Youngest ‘teen’ and his apprehension
Mom Bella continued to visit the nest, to encourage her youngest.
Bella and her youngest ‘teen’
It is lonely on the nest for the youngest ‘teen’
On July 30th, I was out of town before sunrise, returning late in the day. My husband said the youngest had fledged. I went outside and watched the youngest ‘teen’ flying to the nest where his sibling was resting. I captured the landing.
Youngest ‘teen’ focusing on landing – “Watch out, sis!”
“I’ve got this!”
“I’ve been flying & landing all day, Donna, where have you been?”
Bella & Beau must feel proud!
The next morning…..
We haven’t seen an empty nest since early March!
The nest will continue to be home port where the ‘teens’ will come to cry and beg, and be fed for a few more weeks by the parents.
Beau delivering a fish
Beau does his ‘drop and go’
Beau delivering a fish and then quickly departing, the eldest ‘teen’ grabs it and won’t share
Beau with a fish for the nest
Beau encounters a Barn Swallow
Another time, Beau heading to the nest with a fish – and encounters a Barn Swallow!
Youngest ‘teen’ watching Dad Beau coming in with that fish
From a nearby perch, the eldest teen also sees Dad Beau and takes flight
Eldest ‘teen’ landing for the fish
Both ready for Dad Beau and that fish
The eldest chick goes to the nest ahead of Dad Beau
Beau delivering a fish
Eldest chick takes control of the fish
Beau’s ‘drop and go’
Beau delivers the fish and quickly departs, again big ‘sis’ taking the fish for herself
“Now where was that fair? I was waiting here first!”
Mom Bella to the rescue with another fish eight minutes later – “Yay, Mom”
Although Beau has his ‘drop and go’ policy with fish delivers, Mom Bella still has the sweet instinct of wanting to stay to feed her youngest ‘teen’. I watched her do it again this morning. Other times, she’ll pass a huge piece and allow him to feed himself while she eats alongside him.
Bella feeding her youngest
Bella feeding her youngest
Bella feeding her youngest
Bella still occasionally feeds her youngest ‘teen’ — how sweet!
When aggressive big ‘sis’ is around, the youngest always waits for leftovers
Bella & Beau will take the ‘teens’ out to the river to master the hunt of fishing so they can begin to catch and feed themselves. To further encourage the ‘teens’ to fish, Bella & Beau will slow down fish deliveries to force them. Something they’ve got to learn within the next 4-6 weeks before migration occurs!
Now onto a photofest of galleries from the past 1 1/2 weeks for your enjoyment.
Youngest ‘teen’ (male) in flight
Youngest ‘teen’ (male) in flight
Youngest ‘teen’ (male) in flight
Youngest ‘teen’ (male) in flight
Youngest ‘teen’ (male) in flight
Youngest ‘teen’ (male) in flight
Youngest ‘teen’ (male) in flight
Eldest ‘teen’ (female) practicing a water dive & lift-out
Youngest male ‘teen’ coming in for a landing
“Big ‘sis’ is in the way, look out!”
“Whew, touchdown.”
“I did it!”
Youngest ‘teen’ coming in for a landing with big ‘sis’ in the way
I am seeing less and less of the eldest ‘teen’. I imagine she is exploring more and hopefully attempting to fish. She returns to the nest for a feeding and is wet many times.
The youngest is still a bit of a ‘homebody’ so keeps providing wonderful photo ops for now, including landing on a sailmast near my balcony.
Youngest ‘teen’ lands on a sailmast – great job!
Youngest ‘teen’
Youngest male ‘teen’ close-up
Youngest male ‘teen’ flying low over the water
Youngest male ‘teen’ flying low over the water
Oops, not sure if that was supposed to happen!
He quickly gets control and stays out of the water.
Youngest ‘teen’ flying back to the nest
Youngest ‘teen’ flying back to the nest
“I need a break, that was a close call!”
Youngest ‘teen’ practicing flight low over the water with an ‘oops’
Bella in flight
Bella in flight
Bella in flight
Bella in flight
Bella in flight
Bella in flight
Bella in flight
Donna’s ” perch”
Bella skimming the water to clean herself, returning to the nest to dry
Bella home alone
Bella home alone
Bella home alone at times….and probably enjoying the quiet solitude! 😊
As the Osprey ‘teens’ learn to master flight control, fish, and explore a vast new world they’ve now learned exists, Bella & Beau will continue to watch over, teach, feed, and protect them.
Bella and her nine-week old ‘babies’
After posting a couple hours ago, a comment was made about naming the ‘teens’. Thank you merrylbethelhouse! Let’s have a little fun with it for a week or so. In the comments of this post, you can give your two names for the ‘teens’. I will put each pair of suggestion names into a hat and do a drawing in another week or so. If you like/choose the same names as another commenter, then that pair of names gets another chance in the drawing box! If you are not a wordpress blogger and cannot comment, you may send me an email bayphotosbydonna@gmail.com with your two name choices. If it matters with your name selections, we have a female and male to name. Good luck, everyone!
Series: Take a Moment and Enjoy a Sunset
A thunderstorm passed to our southwest, leaving a window of opportunity for a possible dramatic sunset tonight.
It lasted only a couple minutes, but it was quite the finale to end the day.
Sunset over Cambridge Creek – August 1, 2019
Osprey nest silhouetted in center
“The water was glassy and calm, still candy-colored in the afterglow of sunset.”
– Stephen King, Bag Of Bones
(P.S. I am super-behind in everything, including your blogs and comments; I’m hoping to catch up with everyone by this weekend! As always, thank you for visiting mine!)
An Odd Couple
I love witnessing two bird species coexisting, especially of two you’d least expect.
In the distance, I thought, what? No….. Really?
Sure enough, an Osprey and a Great Black-backed Gull were sharing the top of Channel Marker R10 on the Choptank River.
Osprey and Great Black-backed Gull
Osprey and Great Black-backed Gull
They might not be sure why they’re sitting there so close together either.
But when a rest is needed, a rest is needed! 😉
Great Egret On The Wing
The Great Egret was posed beautifully alongside the road in a water canal on my side. Since it was literally standing only 3 feet from the road trying to fish, it probably hadn’t had a car come along for a while; so, of course, it took flight as our car approached.
I shot three frames before he was out of my car window space. I am still astonished that I got these to be worthy to share.
Great Egret
Great Egret
I’m so tickled with the above shot’s crispness, I decided to crop it next to share a closer look at these elegant birds.
Great Egret – cropped from the previous photo
It’s amazing how pure white they remain with all their daily trekking through the mud and waters.
Great Egret
Great Egrets fly slowly but powerfully. With just two wing-beats per second, they can cruise at a speed of 25 mph.
Common Tern on a Float
Crab pot floats make great resting spots for many birds while they fish the waters.
Common Tern
This Common Tern’s float perch even matches its beak and feet! 😊
Bella & Beau 2019: Well, That Was Quick! (A Quick Update)
Osprey nest location: Cambridge, Maryland, Chesapeake Bay Region, USA
July 24, 2019 – #2
This morning, less than two hours after publishing my last Bella & Beau post, “It’s School Time” and talking about how the ‘teens’ fledging was imminent, my husband called out a chick was missing from the nest. What??
I ran out to the balcony. I didn’t see the fledged chick anywhere, and Bella didn’t seem fazed.
Bella and one lone ‘teen’ on the nest
It was a breezy 8-10 mph wind. With her constant 360° degree watch, Bella wasn’t giving me any signs of a fixed direction of the fledgling. I spanned my 180° degree view with binoculars for a flying or perched Osprey but no luck.
I looked off and on for the next several hours, trying to locate the fledged chick perched somewhere nearby.
During that time, the second chick received two feedings. At the first feeding, I could hear faint “fish fish fish” chirps. I couldn’t pinpoint the sound’s direction.
Much louder chirps were voiced when Beau arrived with the second meal. Bella was too busy taking the fish from Beau, but Beau heard the fledgling crying and gave me this ‘hint’ shot of its location.
Beau looking at our rooftop and the chirping fledged ‘teen’
Beau left the nest and flew to perch on the Cambridge tower. The fledgling got louder. No one was listening! Bella gave a few looks up at the fledgling but then continued feeding the second ‘teen’.
We were to leave right after that. Grabbing my camera and zoom lens heading out, we went to view our rooftop before leaving.
Bingo! Sure enough, there the fledged ‘teen’ sat perched!
Bella & Beau’s first fledged ‘teen’ on our rooftop
Fledged ‘teen’ looking a bit apprehensive
“How am I going to get back to the nest to eat? I’m hungry!”
(fledged for four hours at this point)
Beau on the top of Cambridge tower, keeping a watchful eye on the fledged ‘teen’
Returning 1½ hours later, we checked our rooftop to find it birdless. From a distance, the nest showed two Osprey on it; but the late afternoon sun’s glare made it impossible to see if they were adult or juvenile.
Finally back to my ‘perch’, I had confirmation the fledgling had actually made it back to the nest, yay! And, my oh my, it was crying “fish fish fish” loudly.
“My turn to fly is next!” says “Teen” #2
(hungry ‘teen’ has it’s back to us, pouting)
Mom Bella was watching from a sail mast, calling Beau for a fish as well.
Bella watching over the chicks while calling for Beau to fetch a fish
I didn’t see Beau anywhere but imagined him flying over Choptank River, with those raptor eyes spanning the waters for a fish to snare.
A fish for one hungry and definitely deserving newly fledged ‘teen’.
Ahhhh…..life is good tonight in Bella and Beau’s Osprey World as the sun goes down…
Tonight’s sunset over Cambridge Creek and Bella & family (nest platform bottom right)
Bella & Beau 2019: It’s School Time
Osprey nest location: Cambridge, Maryland, Chesapeake Bay Region, USA
July 24, 2019 – #1
The past couple weeks’ have really heated up the Chesapeake Bay mid-Atlantic region, with temperatures reaching the 100’s°F (38°C). To make matters worse, the high humidity created very muggy days feeling like 110-115°F (43-46°C). Ugh.
Bella, Beau, and the two ‘teens’ have felt it too.
One chick naps in the heat….
Feathers constantly fluffed to allow air to flow through.
Bella alarms while the chicks droop in the heat. Another napper!
It’s hot, hot, hot!
Bella & Beau are lucky, they can dive into the water to clean and refresh themselves.
Bella taking a refreshing bath
Bella lifting herself out of the water with ease
Full eyes on Mom Bella!
Bella landing back on the nest with the ‘teens’ paying attention
With the number of huge fish I seen delivered to the nest by both Bella & Beau, I know they are getting their bellies filled quite well. Bella has even allowed the teens to feed themselves on smaller, leftover portions.
Beau delivering a fish
Bella trying to grab the fish from Beau’s talons
Beau and the teens remain respectful
Beau makes his getaway from the ‘full house’
Beau delivers a sunset meal
The ‘teens’ are now 7 and 7 1/2 weeks old. When they’re not eating or napping, they spend a lot of time preening those gorgeous feathers.
Bella and teens preening
Teens preening
Bella and teens preening
Preening their beautiful feathers
Preening and waterproofing their feathers constantly is important to keep the Osprey’s feathers from getting saturated when submerged. Osprey secrete a pungent, oily substance from a preen gland at the base of their tail that they spread all over their feathers for that waterproofing purpose, allowing easy lift-outs from water.
Days are long sitting on a nest 24/7. So the teens also have plenty of time in paying attention to the world around them.
The teens have the instinct to learn and have daily ‘school time’ with Mom & Dad. The parents give flight and landing lessons. The teens watch in earnest.
The teens watch Mom Bella flying above
Mom Bella circling the nest, and watching the chicks
The ‘teens’ watching Mom Bella flying around
The ‘teens’ watching Mom Bella flying around
The ‘teens’ watching Mom Bella flying around
The ‘teens’ watching Mom Bella flying around
Teens watching Mom Bella fly during another teaching lesson
These past muggy days have produced little winds, yet the ‘teens’ are still working hard on exercising their almost fully-grown wings. They’re now braver with hops, jumps, and lift-offs occurring.
Practicing wing flapping
With talons fully gripped, strong flaps develop wing strength
One of Bonita’s first landings
We have lift-off!
Not good when both ‘teens’ try to exercise at the same time!
Last year, the nest’s two chicks fledged July 24 and 27, respectively. So fledgling is now imminent, how exciting!
Well, we all thought it appeared Bella & Beau had better nest building skills this year; but they halted for so long the past month, the nest has been slowly dismantling and falling piece by piece into the water or on the dock.
Sticks that have fallen from the nest due to storms and hard landings
As promised, here’s a nest comparison of last year’s and this year’s at this week. So it’s a little better…..
July 28, 2018
July 22, 2019
Nest 2018 Nest 2019
Bella has started back up bringing nesting materials, but I think it’s a bit too late at this point to corral the ‘teens’.
Bella delivering a stick to the nest
Bella delivering a stick to the nest
Bella delivering a stick to the nest this morning
Bella bringing a stick to the nest
Bella landing
As Bella places the stick, the ‘teens’ watch intently
As Bella places the stick, the ‘teens’ watch intently
‘Teens’ watching Mom Bella with stick delivery and placement
(Maybe now Bella is teaching the ‘teens’ on nest building?)
I don’t know what to make of such a poorly built nest two years in a row. No matter the size though, it is now a houseful when all four Osprey are on the platform.
Full House
Full House
Full House
Beau doesn’t stay long though, he’s usually given words by Bella to leave. She, herself, is also spending more time off the nest, giving the teens plenty of space to exercise those wings.
Yesterday, our area finally had a reprieve from the intense heat with showers most of the day. It must have felt good to the ‘teens’. This morning, the air is cool with temps in the 70sF with brisk winds. The ‘teens’ are flapping away!
I’ll end with some galleries of some fave photos from the past week for your enjoyment.
“Yummy, fish!”
Bella’s very sharp talons
Bella close-up
Bella close-up
Bella in flight
Beau in flight
Beautiful Bella
Bella watching over two sleeping ‘teens’
Boating by Bella and her ‘teens’ at sunset
Bella looking at her waking ‘babies’ during a hot & hazy sunrise
Happy and full during a hot & muggy sunset
Nest silhouetted on right over creek reflections at sunset
P.S. A reminder, if you’re wishing to quickly jump from post to post within the Bella & Beau 2019 series to catch up or revisit, there is a TAB for them at the top of this page under the header photo that you can click on for easy access in date order.
Series: Take a Moment and Enjoy a Sunset
My last post featured a Great Blue Heron enjoying the stillness of the sunset golden hour a few weeks ago at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
The Great Blue Heron was enjoying what I had driven over to appreciate, and to shoot, as well. Of which I did, from start to finish. It was a glorious ending to a wonderful day.
For those familiar with the refuge, these were all shot from the Rt. 335 bridge kayak launching site.
I hope you enjoy these ten photos of one sunset’s beautiful progression over Blackwater River at the refuge.
Sunset over Blackwater River, Blackwater NWR
Sunset over Blackwater River, Blackwater NWR
Sunset over Blackwater River, Blackwater NWR
Sunset over Blackwater River, Blackwater NWR
Sunset over Blackwater River, Blackwater NWR
Sunset over Blackwater River, Blackwater NWR
Sunset over Blackwater River, Blackwater NWR
Sunset over Blackwater River, Blackwater NWR
Sunset over Blackwater River, Blackwater NWR
One sunset, one location, appreciated in so many ways.
“Softly the evening came with the sunset.” – Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Bay Photos by Donna 