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 Blue Heron
Great Egret
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
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
Bald Eagle
Canadian Geese
Great Blue Heron
Northern Pintails
Northern Pintail
Bald Eagle
Immature Bald Eagle
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Great Blue Heron
Northern Pintail & Two Sleeping Canadian Geese
Northern Pintail
Tundra Swans
Bald Eagle with dinner
Bald Eagle with dinner
Bald Eagle with dinner
Bald Eagle with dinner
Bald Eagle with dinner
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
Great Blue Heron
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!
Photos by Donna 
More amazing shots, I did’nt realize Eagles were in Maryland, I guess they are making a comeback..:-)
wow , really cool pictures, hope to get some
oh wow, Donna, these are beautiful, thanks for sharing.
Beautiful awe inspiring photos Donna! Excellent work!! Can’t wait to make a day trip to Blackwater!!! Thank you for sharing!
great shots, what a place to visit
Thank you for your comments and stopping by!
I really enjoyed your Northern Pintail photos!
Thanks Tim, my first ever northern pintail captures and I’ve been tickled to death with them!
Nice series, and really good panning technique on the BIF images!!!
Thanks Ken!!
I love the great blue heron. You have some lovely pictures here.
Thanks Tootlepedal! It is an awesome bird to photograph.
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….
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/
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.
Donna, thank you!
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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.
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. 🙂
What a lovely place. And what wonderful creatures. I hope you are able to be out there and enjoy them, Donna. Just wanted to let you know that I am thinking about you.
Warmly, Tanja
Thank you so much, Tanja. I am very sorry for the long delay in replying but I seen/read your comments several times and I want you to know they meant a lot to me.
Please don’t apologize, Donna. It is SO good to hear from you. I keep been thinking of you and send you many good wishes.
Warmly,
Tanja