An early start today, we are being picked up at seven-thirty for our DC Birding tour. We should issue a warning now that there are quite a few bird pictures with the odd landscape shot, butterfly, snake, flower, turtles, crickets and dragonflies. It's all we've done all day, so if it doesn't float your boat then look away now (we can see that bored yawn from here).
A Forster's Tern.
With a fish in it's mouth.
There were also Caspian Tern.
Osprey
Greater Egret - there were loads of these around.
A relief landscape shot. After years of debate Maryland decided to start building the bridge from their end and hoped Virginia would meet them in the middle. It obviously worked.
Ring billed gull
American Robin
Juvenile bald eagle
Oh look, another landscape shot of the Potomac River. Whereas the river border between most states is down the middle of the river. The Potomac was given to Maryland completely by Mad King George. There is a small bay adjoining it that is in Virginia.
Double crested cormorant, eating what we first though was an eel, then realised that it was struggling with a Northern Water Snake, which
wrapped itself around the bird's neck. Cormorant is obviously trying to eat it, but it's a non- venomous snake with attitude, and it was fighting back.Eventually the bird gave up and swam off - 1 nil to the snake
Scruffy Great Blue Heron standing on an Osprey nest
Some Laughing Gulls - as you may be able to spot we were by a marina.
Here's a closer view of one of the Laughing Gulls.
Some Fish Crow - they are slightly smaller than the American Crow and have a different call - sound a bit like a Punch and Judy show.
There was a Red-shouldered Hawk sitting in a tree on the Island, as well as a Banded Kingfisher.
On our way back to the car we see some Red-wing Blackbird - the female (brown) looks almost like a different species entirely - but it isn't!
And a butterfly - a Monarch
Next stop some woodland - good spotting of Cardinals, several different Warblers and Flycatchers as well as Red-bellied Woodpecker.
It doesn't really have much of a red belly, but there was already a red-headed one when this one was described so they had to think of something else.
And Downy Woodpecker. There are plenty of leaves left on the trees here and consequently quite difficult to photograph some of the species.
Palm Warbler
An Eastern Phoebe
An Empidonax Flycatcher - could be a couple of different species but indistinguishable unless it sings - and the fat lady was not singing today.
An as yet unidentified flower. Looks a bit like a Vinca, but maybe not.
A White-breasted Nuthatch
Just to show it's not all birds - spot the wasps nest in the tree. Ha - we didn't mention that in our introductory spiel did we?
Pretty amazing bit of construction.
Then it's onto some wetland boardwalk and a view of a Mockingbird.
A Great Blue Heron that looked more like a garden statue.
and then another wetland site with an extensive boardwalk that was actually called a Meadows wildlife site.
With some dragonflies
A colourfully marked cricket.
As well as birds, including this rather beautiful Cat Bird (because it's song sounds like a mew).
and an American Goldfinch feeding on the thistles.
To make a change - another landscape, looking the other way this time.
There are Muskrat and Beaver here. We saw a 'V' ripple in the water and a little brown nose poking out, too small for a beaver so think it was a Muskrat.
The Beaver's here are very industrious, so much so that they decided to build a lodge that included a bench and part of the boardwalk - this has been partially cleared now, but our guide told us that the lodge appeared overnight, completely covered the bench, was halfway across the board walk and there were wet beaver prints leading to the water. Guess they might have thought that the bench made good roofing material.
We thought this was a rock in the middle of the wetland at first, but then it moved and revealed itself as a Snapping Turtle - this one was a 'moderate size'.
There are a few different kinds, and they like to come out and sit in the sun on logs - the one on the right is a Painted Turtle, the one on the left a Red-necked and the middle one is a UST (unidentified swimming turtle).
The best was saved until last. Returning to the car we heard the unmistakable call of a Barred Owl, which if you've been paying attention you will remember a demonstration of the same on the Acadia birding trip. This time, however, it was not our guide making the noise but the real thing, and we got to see it as well. Brilliant!
First it was only a rear view.
Bingo, it turned it's head to look at us before flying off.
A long but enjoyable day. You'll be glad to know that's the end of the birds. Our total identified species count to date is around 80, with some still unknown.
