Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge was pretty cool and breezy the day we were there in mid-May on our way to Chincoteague. The new visitor center is under construction - and evidently has been for years. The birds were still plentiful and seemed to pose for pictures.

There was a pair of barn swallows that had built their nest in the bird-watching blind. It took us a few minutes to realize that they were trying to get us away from their nest by chattering and glaring at us from just outside the entrance to the blind.

A great blue heron walked in the shallows - unperturbed by our picture taking although he did walk sedately up onto the sandbar farther away from us eventually.

The mallards were preening. It took patience to get them both with their heads in a photogenic position.

We saw bald eagles that were too far away, or moving too fast, to photograph but we managed to notice an immature eagle within range. Blackwater was the first place I saw a Bald Eagle in the wild (over 20 years ago) and it is reassuring that the population of the birds has continued to thrive and increase over those years.

And last but not least there was an osprey nest with a little drama while we watched. We heard the bird on the nest calling and then saw two other birds nearby. The calls brought the mate to the nest and screeching ensued between all four birds with the one on the nest never moving out of position and mate standing just beside. The intruders left and the mate flew away. All calm again at the osprey nest.

Goslings and Ducklings

When I went to Charleston, South Carolina at the end of April, the goslings and ducklings seemed to be everywhere. The ones I could observe easily were using the waterway through the resort as their base. The Canadian geese were quite plentiful and there were multiple broods - each with two attendants. The goslings were kept together and loud honking from the adults could be heard if anything got too close.

The Mallard ducks were not as good parents. When we first saw the brood, there were 5 ducklings. The next time there were only 4…and then right before we left there were only 3 ducklings. The adults seemed not as attentive to the young. The mother actually flew up onto a retaining wall and left her ducklings milling around in the water trying to figure out how to follow her. And there were turtles in the water. We didn’t see the demise of either of the missing ducklings but the turtles are likely suspects.

Now I wish I would have had my new camera in South Carolina. The picture below of a gosling in Maryland was taken last week with the new camera.