I’ve started to watch and take photos of a male Belted Kingfisher. He's laid claim to the farm pond I visit and is there now every time I show. The Osprey family that took up residence nearby has moved on and headed south, but the kingfisher is going nowhere—at least for the time being. And … Continue reading The Kingfisher and I
Category: Wildlife
Privileged Time With Some Area Birds
I continue to be amazed at the number of people who visit here and read "A Green Heron Colony." After "A Game Changing Bird Photography Camera," a piece about the then-new Canon EOS R5 full-frame mirrorless camera, it's my most-read post. I've written a lot about other species of birds, like the Osprey and Killdeer, … Continue reading Privileged Time With Some Area Birds
Nature Encounters
A few days after my encounter with the Northern Waterthrush, an occasion I described in "Photos and Commentary," I came face to face with a red fox. My wife and I had just gotten out of our car and were busy watching the Osprey nest (and one I'm now monitoring for the Pennsylvania Game Commission). … Continue reading Nature Encounters
A Few Sights and Sounds
What follows are a few late winter/early spring Mid-Atlantic region sights and sounds. I'd like to begin with some Red-shouldered Hawk photos, but first, here's one of a Great Blue Heron grabbing a bluegill for breakfast. I took it on the same morning I took the Red-shouldered photos. The Red-shouldered Hawk Let's go to those … Continue reading A Few Sights and Sounds
Every Bit of Wild
I'd like to begin with a few personal sketches. An Unusual Discovery My wife and I are committed birders. In our backyard, we provide birds with food, water, and places to nest and take cover. We also have a "yard list" of 77 species—the number of bird species that we've observed or heard on, near, … Continue reading Every Bit of Wild
Coexisting
In my last blog, "More Bird Notes," I referred to the Common Yellowthroat, a New World wood warbler, as the "raccoon warbler." I also referred to the Brown Thrasher as the "chirpa chirpa bird." I received a few questions about the name, "raccoon warbler," since I'd presented a photo of a younger female that bore … Continue reading Coexisting
A Green Heron Album
This post is a continuation of "A Green Heron Colony." Many thanks to those of you who read it and enjoyed it. Not that long ago, the words "Green Heron Album" might have conjured up a 33 1/3 LP, a paper sleeve, and a compelling, if enigmatic, album cover. Not anymore. What follows isn't an … Continue reading A Green Heron Album
Birding Unites Us
These are the opening lines of an old Noel Paul Stookey/Michael Kelly Blanchard song: And in these days of confused situations And in these nights of a restless remorse When the heart and the soul of a nation Lay wounded and cold as a corpse I thought of those lines this morning. Then I got … Continue reading Birding Unites Us
Birds Haven’t Changed
It's interesting, but one of the many coronavirus pandemic outcomes seems to be a renewed interest in nature. Just ask a Virginia birder who reports that trails she's always had to herself are now congested. Or ask a Maryland birder who finds her usual "haunts" filled with too many people. There are many possible reasons for … Continue reading Birds Haven’t Changed
An Ode to the Green Heron
My last blog, "An Ode to a City Park," was an ode not just to a single 11-acre city park in Chesapeake, VA, but really to all city parks (and by extension, all natural places that have been built/preserved/restored). These parks are critically important for wildlife and also for people—especially neighborhood people (see below!). Research … Continue reading An Ode to the Green Heron
Elizabeth River Bird Blog 