Blackwater NWR – 2012 | Photos by Donna

Blackwater NWR – 2012

I love visiting Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland. The beauty and serenity is astounding. This is a collection of my best photos from my visits in 2012. If you haven’t already, take a day trip to Blackwater NWR to drive along their paved Wildlife Drive or walk along one of their trails. No telling what you might see!! For information about the refuge, read the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Blackwater NWR brochure (1.4MB PDF file).

My Visit – July 7, 2012 (hot & hazy @ 98 degrees mid-afternoon – it was a scorcher!)

Famous Osprey Family on BNWR’s Webcam

Osprey chick practicing flapping those huge awkward wings

Momma Osprey feeding one of her chicks

Osprey family along wildlife drive

Yes, there are two chicks shielded under momma’s wings.

Osprey dad 100 feet away keeping an eye on his family’s surroundings

8 Great Blue Herons and 1 Great Egret

9 Great Blue Heron, 5 Great Egrets & 1 American Bald Eagle flying away in the upper right.

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Great Egret with juvenile

Great Egret – Coming in for a landing

Great Egret – Preparing to land

Great Egret – Touchdown!

Great Blue Heron – trying to keep cool

Great Egret

Great Egret – Preparing to take off

Great Egret

Great Blue Heron

American Bald Eagle

American Bald Eagle – closeup

American Bald Eagle – Juvenile

Juvenile American Bald Eagle and Great Egrets

Great Egret trying to sneak by the juvenile Bald Eagle

Great Egret thinking as he picked up speed, “I’ve almost made it!”

Well, he didn’t make it. The eaglet turned quickly & saw him and both he and the egret took flight, causing another one to fly. Quickly, the eaglet was behind both of them, disturbing a fifth egret, who all were frantically trying to get out of his way.

Juvenile Bald Eagle in flight behind two Great Egrets

Now a fifth Great Egret is outta there!

It really appeared the juvenile bald eagle was toying with the egrets, flying directly behind them but not in a high-pursuit chase. With all five now going in all directions, the juvenile eagle just as quickly turned around and went directly up to his tree home to perch alongside one of the parents already there. Bet he told mom or dad, did you see that? Did you see them fly scared? That was fun!” 😉

Turtle

Two baby raccoons

Red-Headed Woodpecker

Osprey parent and chick on Maple Dam Road

Female Osprey

My Visit – January 1, 2012

Bald Eagle

Canadian Geese

Great Blue Heron

Northern Pintails

Northern Pintail

Bald Eagle

Immature Bald Eagle

Great Blue Heron

Northern Pintail & Two Sleeping Canadian Geese

Northern Pintail

Tundra Swans

Bald Eagle with dinner

Great Blue Heron

Northern Pintails

Canadian Geese, Northern Pintails, Male Mallard

Bald Eagles

Canadian Geese

Canadian Geese & Tundra Swan

American Coot

Bald Eagles

Great Blue Heron

Bald Eagle Nest in Loblolly Pine Tree on left at end of Wildlife Drive

Pair Eagles & Nest on left at end of Wildlife Drive

Canadian Geese

I hope you enjoyed and thank you for stopping by to view a glimpse of Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge through my lens!

19 thoughts on “Blackwater NWR – 2012”

Ed on 01/27/2012 at 10:36 AM said:

More amazing shots, I did’nt realize Eagles were in Maryland, I guess they are making a comeback..:-)

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Anonymous on 01/27/2012 at 7:21 PM said:

wow , really cool pictures, hope to get some

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Anonymous on 01/27/2012 at 7:52 PM said:

oh wow, Donna, these are beautiful, thanks for sharing.

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Kit on 01/27/2012 at 11:42 PM said:

Beautiful awe inspiring photos Donna! Excellent work!! Can’t wait to make a day trip to Blackwater!!! Thank you for sharing!

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Anonymous on 02/04/2012 at 8:09 AM said:

great shots, what a place to visit

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- bayphotosbydonna on 02/04/2012 at 8:31 AM said:
  
  Thank you for your comments and stopping by!
  
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Tim Schreckengost on 02/11/2012 at 7:30 PM said:

I really enjoyed your Northern Pintail photos!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 02/11/2012 at 10:28 PM said:
  
  Thanks Tim, my first ever northern pintail captures and I’ve been tickled to death with them!
  
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BigSkyKen on 02/11/2012 at 10:32 PM said:

Nice series, and really good panning technique on the BIF images!!!

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- bayphotosbydonna on 02/11/2012 at 10:46 PM said:
  
  Thanks Ken!!
  
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tootlepedal on 02/13/2012 at 11:58 AM said:

I love the great blue heron. You have some lovely pictures here.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 02/13/2012 at 1:20 PM said:
  
  Thanks Tootlepedal! It is an awesome bird to photograph.
  
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- bayphotosbydonna on 02/15/2012 at 8:32 AM said:
  
  Thanks tootlepedal for your comments & for stopping by! I really liked your GBH shots & think it’s neat to see the GBH from another part of the world, even across the vast ocean! Amazing….
  
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Neita on 03/15/2012 at 8:50 PM said:

I was browsing your photo gallery, and smiled reading your thoughts on Blackwater. I went there last weekend and just posted about it on my blog:
http://naturejustoutsidemydoor.wordpress.com/2012/03/16/the-sound-of-quiet-a-visit-to-blackwater-national-wildlife-refuge/

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- bayphotosbydonna on 03/16/2012 at 1:09 PM said:
  
  So glad you got to experience Blackwater, it is a gorgeous place, the wildlife is spectacular. Just came back from jumping to your blog, great post! Can’t wait to see more when you visit again Neita.
  
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  - Neita on 03/17/2012 at 4:38 AM said:
    
    Donna, thank you!
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twobrownfeet on 02/25/2016 at 12:23 AM said:

Stunning captures! We’ve not been so lucky at getting such wonderful shots. It must have taken a lot of time and patience to get these.

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- bayphotosbydonna on 02/25/2016 at 8:27 AM said:
  
  Thanks so much! Blackwater NWR is a wonderful refuge with a 7-mile driving loop which makes birding here the best! During the winter, the refuge hosts the largest number of the American Bald Eagles on the East Coast. 🙂
  
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