Wild Delmarva

The past two days have been cold on Delmarva with strong winds blowing layers of sea foam onto the beach in Lewes, Delaware where it froze into a mile-long ribbon of ice.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Dawn brought an overcast sky with the only break in the east toward sunrise. I was able to get very close to 10 Bald Eagles that were perched in different trees waiting for the morning light. Here, one takes flight over a Delmarva salt marsh. Finding fish will be a challenge for these eagles today as much of the wetlands were frozen.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Just as the sun was setting on a Delmarva salt marsh today this flock of Northern Pintails took off into a cold, blustery wind.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Today dawned cold and windy with clear skies except for a band of clouds low on the horizon. When the sunrise light filtered through the clouds and these two Northern Pintails passed by the dramatic sky my job was done.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

There was some nice light and a sun pillar at sunrise this morning (below) and then within a minute or two the light was just harsh and strong. So it seemed like a nice time for a self portrait! Here I am on the beach at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware. My Toyota 4Runner with the lift and oversized tires makes the perfect wildlife safari vehicle. I’ve never gotten it stuck but I have used the winch to pull out some others.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

When I saw these clouds laying low on the horizon this morning I knew there wouldn’t be much light for photographing wildlife so I headed for the beach. As the sun broke the horizon there was a sun pillar in the low clouds.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

If it swims like a duck, dives like a duck and flies like a duck is it a duck? Not necessarily if you are thinking about the American Coot which is actually a swimming rail. These two were feeding on vegetation this afternoon in a salt marsh when they ended up beak-to-beak.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

There are lots of Bald Eagles on Delmarva now, I saw seven this morning. Here’s one taking a break on a snow-covered cornfield.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

I watched as this Great Blue Heron caught one minnow after another and then shake off the water, toss the minnow into the air and catch it and swallow it. Fishing was very good as this heron was catching one every minute or two.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

There are lots of Northern Pintails wintering on the Delmarva Peninsula now and the colorful drakes make great subjects when they are lifting off the wetlands.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming