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
Tag: Chesapeake Virginia
Photography Takeaways
Many of you enjoyed the last two blogs—blogs about a hunting Red-shouldered Hawk and a human hunting party. What follows are photography takeaways from the first of the two, "The Scuffletown Creek Hunters." Tread lightly. Birds are always aware of human presence. If you see birds in the field and you want to get closer … Continue reading Photography Takeaways
The Scuffletown Creek Hunters, Cont’d
Many loved Joanne Howl's touching European Starling story in "A Life Lesson." One reader commented that it wasn't just a story about starlings, it was a "lesson about prejudice." I responded that she'd made a great point. Another reader commented that starlings were "hoodlums." I responded, "WE might be the real hoodlums." I don't think … Continue reading The Scuffletown Creek Hunters, Cont’d
The Scuffletown Creek Hunters
Scuffletown Creek, an Elizabeth River tributary in Chesapeake, VA, was a mess. I wrote about it in "The Same River Twice." Dave and Lindsay, two old-timers who grew up nearby, remember houseboats in the creek, homes with outhouses lining the creek, and sewage and diesel fuel flowing into the creek. They remember tapping the creek … Continue reading The Scuffletown Creek Hunters
It’s All About Light
You know it's getting later in the fall when Yellow-crowned Night Herons have left the Mid-Atlantic, Red-tailed Hawk numbers are peaking at Cape May, and neighbors are soliciting fellow neighbors for unwanted pumpkins. An immature YCNH hung on in Chesapeake, VA until the end of October. Pardon me for using the alpha code there, but … Continue reading It’s All About Light
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
More Bird Notes
Birds—especially small birds—are often obscured by stuff in the field. That makes it tricky for both bird watchers and photographers. I'm reminded of Gilda Radner's "It's always something," or my friend Betty Sue Cohen's "There's always a stick, or a twig, or a leaf [in the way]." Natural Stuff Below is an adult female Northern … Continue reading More Bird Notes
Bird Notes
No doubt, some of you have Green Heron fatigue. I understand. But I need to share a few more photos with you. Please bear with me. This is a young bird getting ready to leave for the winter. As I understand it, the bird is headed for a small lagoon in Punta Cana. The bird … Continue reading Bird Notes
End of Season Bird Photos and Photo Tips
Maybe we should just call this the "Green Heron Blog." I continue to devote a lot of space to that popular bird. I continue to devote a lot of space to photography, too. Stan, an 8th-grade teacher (and doing God's work), left a comment after reading "Birds Are Markers." Here's some of what he wrote: … Continue reading End of Season Bird Photos and Photo Tips
Birds Are Markers
Prior to his death in 1801 at Montpelier in Orange County, Virginia, James Madison Sr., the father our 4th president, James Madison Jr., kept a weather journal. He and other family members added garden observations in the margins. According to Hillary Hicks, who wrote "'A Paradise of Roses': Flowers at Montpelier," those observations were recorded … Continue reading Birds Are Markers
Elizabeth River Bird Blog 