Wild Delmarva

We had large flocks of Northern Pintails spending the winter on Delmarva this year, the most I’ve seen here. These colorful and handsome birds with striking markings and a distinctive silhouette will leave the peninsula to breed farther north. I hope they return again this fall.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

After hearing reports of 2,000 Northern Gannets off Cape Henlopen and another 2,000 at Cape Charles I headed for the Cape May – Lewes Ferry which sometimes is a great place to see the pelagic birds. Well, there were two gannets who followed the ferry briefly on the return trip from Cape May. Hopefully there will be more soon.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

A Pine Warbler catches some of the first light of the day. Appropriately named, this handsome bird lives in Delmarva’s pine forests and is one of the few warblers that eat seeds.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Meet the Brown-headed Nuthatch, one of the more interesting birds on Delmarva. The peninsula is the northernmost reach of its southeastern U.S. territory and they are year-round residents here. They are one of the few birds known to use tools like a piece of bark to pry up other tree bark to look for food.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Two White-tailed Deer look like they are posing for their portrait.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

A Bufflehead takes a couple of steps to take off from a pond. This is the smallest diving duck in North America and only a winter visitor here on the Delmarva Peninsula. They will be heading to their breeding grounds in Canada soon.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

A sure sign of spring, the first Osprey returned to the Delmarva Peninsula about a week ago. This morning I found handsome fish hawk by the edge of the Delaware Bay. Osprey winter as far away as South America and return here usually to the same nest.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

A Double-crested Cormorant has a big mouthful this morning with an Oyster Toadfish it caught just after sunrise. The cormorant managed to swallow the fish, seemingly without too much trouble.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Standing over the carcass of a White-tailed Deer, a Red Fox looks toward the sunset. Turkey Vultures were eating the last of the deer when the Red Fox ran them off and claimed the carcass.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

If you live on the Delmarva Peninsula you already know I couldn’t have shot this photograph this year. This Canada Goose family is from last spring. But soon – after a week of gloom – the sun will return to the peninsula and in just over a month the leaves will start to grow. Wildlife photography will be in full swing again and I can’t wait!

Photograph by Kevin Fleming