Wild Delmarva

The Blackwater River’s headwaters start in the swamps of Dorchester County, Maryland. The river flows southeast through thousands of acres of marsh into Fishing Bay which eventually meets the Chesapeake Bay. Taking up a large portion of the blackwater’s watershed, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge consists of 27,000 acres of impoundments, fields, forests and nearly one third of Maryland’s tidal wetlands. The refuge provides perfect habitat for Bald Eagles, the endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel and tens of thousands of migratory waterfowl. Earlier this week I was lucky enough to spend a day exploring and shooting in and around the refuge.

photograph by Jay Fleming

The sun was a big yellow ball rising behind a salt marsh hummock at Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge this morning.

photograph by Kevin Fleming

Winter visitors to the peninsula, Snow Geese are a treat for bird watchers and a nightmare for farmers trying to grow winter wheat. Snow Geese love to feed on the green crop but a flock this size can strip a wheat field very quickly. The farmer chased these geese off a Kent County, Delaware field this morning.

photograph by Kevin Fleming

Sika Deer skeleton

American Bittern

Mute Swans

Tundra Swans

‘67 GMC pickup

Photographs by Jay Fleming

Both the Canvasback and the Greater Scaup are diving ducks found on large, open bodies of water. I found this group near the mouth of the Wicomico River on the Tangier Sound. The large amount of underwater grasses attracts great numbers of ducks to this area.

photograph by Jay Fleming

With the temperature in the low 20s and a strong wind last night, wildlife like these Mallards spent a cold night on the water.

above photograph by Kevin Fleming, below by Jay Fleming

Today dawned very clear so I decided to see what patterns the recent cold, winter winds had sculpted on the dunes. I found this fence buried in a fresh, new dune near Indian River Inlet.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

The incoming tide washes over what looks like coral heads on the Delaware Bay. Only exposed at low tide, these Sabellaria spinulosa worms are known for their coral-like reef-forming where they live in tubes built from sand or fine gravel. When they congregate in large numbers the tubes clump together and form mounds and reefs. Ross Worm is common name for these unseen critters and their honeycombs provide shelter for clams, crabs and oysters. Photographs by Kevin Fleming

A Great Blue Heron stalks fish along the Delaware Bay salt marsh. Photograph by Kevin Fleming

East End Lighthouse

Clouds all day put a hold on my plans to look for wildlife. Just as the sun was going down a break in the clouds gave me a short window of time to look for pictures close to home.

Photograph by Jay Fleming