Memorial Lake

 I popped up to Memorial Lake to see if the embankment was teeming with butterflies and Hummingbird Clearwing Moths. It wasn't. So I had a wander through the trees to the Middle Road Car Park and back. I spent a while trying to photograph the Bank Swallows but gave up as they were too far away and too erratic. Here's some iPhone pictures I took.

Memorial Lake

Memorial Lake

Bluegill

Bluegill

Memorial Lake

Memorial Lake

Harvesting the Wheat

 While having lunch on the deck we could hear the combine harvester in the wheat field just over the hill at the bottom of the yard. After lunch I had a wander up there with the iPhone and got a shot of the field. I had to make my way carefully through the Wineberry bushes as I was in my shorts.

Wheat Harvesting

Lily

It's been raining almost non stop since last night, at least there no thunderstorms as yet.  It's the time of year when the birds are looking a bit ragged and haggard after raising their brood and they tend to be busy with feeding their offspring. So around this time I switch from birds to flowers and butterflies and other assorted bugs. Just looking out I noticed this single lily had opened up so even though its raining again I popped out and took this one shot.

Lily

L

Lily

Black Skimmer

 I rarely get to see this very strange beautiful bird living inland and it's only when visiting the coast that I get the chance. Yesterday a small flock was very obliging and I certainly took advantage of it. These shots are all hand held with the new Nikon 800mm PF lens and the Nikon Z9 at 1/5000 s and f/6.3 and usually in the region of ISO 800 or 900.

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

800 millimeters in Delaware

 Having a day off from my usual House Elf servitude I pondered over popping down over the State Line into Delaware and visiting Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Weather was forecast to be partly cloudy with severe thunderstorms in the afternoon. Partly cloudy is always good because it diffuses the harsh late morning light. What the hell, I was itching to try out my new 800mm toy so 5:30am off I set for the 2 and 1/2 hour drive down to Delaware. I got there just after 8 and popped in to the visitor center to pay my entrance fee and as I'm coming again at least once more I paid the $12 for a season pass. I asked the Ranger what the flies situation was like. He thought for a moment and said they were somewhere between terrible and diabolical. Great. Normally the raised embankments that you drive around are pretty fly free. Not today. I sprayed myself with Deepwoods Off but had to put a long sleeved shirt on anyway. Nasty little green bastards. I had one draining the lifeblood out of my index finger and flicked my hand, still there sucking away, I flicked harder, the little shit was still sucking away at the O positive. I had to put my camera down and flick it off with my other hand. Nasty little bastards. A nice selection of birds on the pools, I stayed well clear of the boardwalks through the reeds and bushes because that's where the flies gang up on you. I wanted a shot of Marsh Wren and Seaside Sparrow but not this time. I love Black Skimmers and took several hundred shots as one individual went back and forth right in front of me. Here's a shit load of pictures from today. 

Bald Eagle

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black Skimmer

Black-necked Stilt

Black-necked Stilt

Eastern Kingbird

Great Blue Heron

Great Blue Heron

Great Egret

Great Egret

Great Egret

Red-winged Blackbird

Red-winged Blackbird

When the flies had drained too much of my life blood I left and went a few miles South to Port Mahon. I was hoping for a few waders but only saw one Willet flying off. The Ospreys kept me entertained though and best of all in the ever stiffening breeze on the Bay......no flies.

Osprey

Osprey

Osprey

Back to the Waterfall

 As it wasn't excessively hot yesterday and there seemed to be a lot of activity at the waterfall I decided to give it a go in the late afternoon sunshine. There were hordes of juvenile Kamikaze Starlings, several juvenile Grackles and Blue Jays. It was the Kamikaze Starlings that were the funniest, they were crashing into each other, the bushes, the grackles and even into the blind itself. Here's a few from yesterday afternoon.

Juv. American Robin

Baltimore Oriole

Blue Jay

Juv. Blue Jay

Blue Jay

Common Grackle

Eastern Bluebird

Gray Catbird

The culprit.

This morning while slurping my first cup of tea listening to the birds through the screen door it was apparent that the cats were not happy. A little growl here and there so something was making them agitated. It wasn't a FedEX or UPS delivery that early so a scan through the yard provided the answer. Mr Buck was chomping my vegetation, I had been blaming the groundhogs but I think between us we've found the culprit. 

I should have used the 100-400mm as the 500mm was a little too long. 

White-tailed Deer

Little Piggy

 Chippy has a home among the rocks around the waterfall. He ran off and came back with something nice and tasty.

Cute Chipmunk

Chippy's found a juicy meal

Going

Going

Going

Gone