Wild Delmarva

It snowed yesterday on Delmarva for just the third time this winter and it was a beautiful but cold day. I found this very colorful Northern Cardinal perched along the edge of a woods doing its best to keep warm.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

This would have been a rare – if not impossible – sight on the Delmarva Peninsula before 1940. That’s when a small number of House Finches were released on Long Island, New York and they have been breeding and spreading across almost all of the eastern United States ever since. Now scientists estimate their population may be as high as 1.4 billion.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Three Canada Geese paddle as fast as they can to get out of the way of a Mute Swan as it takes off. At more than 20 pounds Mute Swan are twice the weight of Canada Geese. Oddly named, these super-sized birds have a loud, clear “kloorrr” call that sounds similar to Tundra Swan.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Today’s weather forecast is calling for up to four inches of snow tonight and tomorrow but this morning just before sunrise the snow was already flying. Snow Geese, that is. The sun hadn’t broken the horizon yet but was lighting the low clouds when this flock started inland for a day of feeding on farm fields.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

I watched this Lesser Yellowlegs stand patiently in some very shallow moving water today waiting for a fish to swim by. After almost an hour this little Mummichog came by and the patient bird had its dinner.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Snow Geese dot the sunrise sky this morning over the Delaware Bay. Rafts of tens of thousands of geese spent the night on the bay and headed inland to feed with the first light.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Ring-billed Gulls were squabbling recently.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

The calendar still says January but warmer weather this weekend brought the first signs of spring mating behavior I’ve seen this year. Northern Pintails were feeding in shallow wetlands and many of the drakes were raising themselves out of the water, stretching out their wings and arching their necks in a show for the females.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

I was really close to a bunch of Northern Pintail yesterday morning at sunrise. Too close (maybe) in this case as this handsome drake filled the frame when he took off. The ducks were coming and going as they were feeding in the shallow – finally not frozen – brackish wetlands.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

OK, I almost feel the need to apologize for so many Northern Pintail photographs lately. If you are watching my photography for Wild Delmarva you know there have been lots of pintails on Delmarva for the winter. And I have to admit I do enjoy spending time with these handsome birds. This drake was taking off this morning shortly after sunrise.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming