Wild Delmarva

This Barred Owl raided a songbird nest today and carried a baby bird to feed its chicks. Barred Owls usually hunt at dusk and at night feeding on birds, small mammals, amphibians and reptiles.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Fishing was good this morning for this Black-necked Stilt. One of my favorite Delmarva birds to photograph, I’m always happy to get close to these “colorful” black and white birds.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

A female Eastern Bluebird caught this caterpillar early this morning. Insects, including crickets, spiders and beetles, are the bluebird’s major food source.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Just a month away from today likely will be the peak of the Horseshoe Crab mating and egg laying along the shores of the Delaware Bay. Tens of thousands of Horseshoe Crabs will crawl onto the beach and lay up to 80,000 eggs each next month. The New Moon is on May 14th and Full Moon is exactly a month away on May 27th and, depending on the weather, these days and nights are the peak egg-laying days. Thousands of Red Knots (above), Rudy Turnstones, Willets, Sandpipers and many other birds gather along the shore to feast on the eggs. Not to mention the Diamondback Terrapins, Stripped Bass and other fish that join in the feast.

Watch for the photographs beginning in mid-May, I’ll be shooting this amazing scene every day there is good light.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Spring mating season is in full swing now and these two Tree Swallows were busy with the business at hand early yesterday morning.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Bald Eagles were up early this morning over a Delmarva salt marsh. Here, one touches down for a landing shortly after sunrise.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

Small in numbers and territory, the endangered Delmarva Fox Squirrel can be difficult to find and photograph. I found this one yesterday deep in a Loblolly Pine forest here on the peninsula.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

I feel extremely lucky to get very close to a mated pair of Northern Bobwhite early this morning. Over the past 100 years, the quail population on Delmarva and much of America has declined by as much as 80%. Wild quail have proven to be very difficult to get close to as they are small in number and very wary birds.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

A Canada Goose and two goslings catch the early light of the day.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming

I went back out on the water today for another shot at Northern Gannets fishing and caught this handsome bird turning and heading for an unlucky fish.

Photograph by Kevin Fleming