Heron in the morning

Herons are usually seen in singular.  I recently counted 10, yes 10, fly over me in straight line formation (well, a little squiggly) and high up.  The squawk is unmistakable, the shape and wing flap as well.  I have seen four or five together before this sighting.
This morning I shot this photo of a single blue on a perch along my pier.  Once disturbed, three blues went a flying.  The others were out of my sight.

Perhaps they roosted for the night.  They are a winter regular here, so pretty when spotted on the causeway perfectly camouflaged against the marsh grass.

Seagull Time

I know the season is changing because the birds are changing.  Ospreys have long fledged and moved on, Crows that love the Osprey fish scrap are plying other opportunities.  Grackles, Barn Swallows, and Blackbirds are no longer heard.  The high perch is still visited by a Kingfisher, a year round resident.  Today it was occupied by a Seagull.  The Seagulls are absent in the summer but show up in the fall, probably scavenging far and wide from the regular course.
Large gulls fly in and you look hard trying to make out an Osprey that is not there, an Egret that no longer moves back and forth across the sound. 
When the Gulls show up Fall is nigh.  They are here.  On the bright side my winter favorites are planning their trip down.  I can't wait to hear the honks!

First flight

One of the Osprey young took the first flight this morning.  Our boathouse is close by and long ago we installed a high perch.  A natural branch is attached so it attracts the Osprey, Kingfisher, Barn Swallows, Grackles, Crows  and many more.
The young Osprey flew to the branch and has been moving about today, even landing back at the nest this afternoon.  Momma brought a fish to the branch this morning and kept a great lookout on passing gulls.

Here is the young Osprey looking very spiffy in his early feathers.  I shot this after lunch, in the hazy hot weather.

I watched the young one swing his head side to side.  I observe this action among Osprey, I do not know what it means.  It seems to be an action of satisfaction, like a dog wagging a tail.

So we named this one 'Sagan' after the young rider on the Tour de France who likes to improvise his celebratory finishes:  young, strong and dancing! 

A mike boat passes

The sound is home to many boats, but typically the small variety.  This afternoon a Large boat passed by and created plenty of interest with my family guests and myself.   Marked as US Army and with a large flag at stern.
Binoculars and cameras were brought out.  What a site!
Then our local crabbers, Carolina Blue Crabs, came along with Fudge the dog barking madly.  You could hear him giving the big boat what for.
An unusual site, makes you wonder where they were headed.  Happy they got past that sticky part (the sound is very low in places) and on their way.

Young Osprey on the Nest

Two young Osprey are thriving.  The Pair have been busy protecting and feeding. The weather has not been perfect, but it is the weather.  Nothing terribly severe has come through, but now the heat is a factor.  Osprey shade the young from the sun by spreading their wings.  You can imagine how exhausting this is.  Luckily our young birds are big enough to withstand a quick escape from the nest by the adult for a cooling run and  a dip of the feet in the water.
Here are a few shots of one of the two young including the shading behaviour.  You will have to look close or enlarge the shot to see that young one near the bottom of the adult.  In the last shot the little one we cannot see is getting all the shade!

Even more success!

I was so happy with the fledgling owls.  I remembered the geese and wondered how they fared ... and then they appeared!  Paddling toward me, a full contingent!  All six of the young, and some stretching the wings that are not quite ready.  A very orderly crew!

Crabbers in the Mid-morning

Crabbers aboard the boat Coriel busy themselves emptying pots in the mid-morning sunshine complete with a stiff southeast wind. A roofline in the Currituck Heritage Park across the sound shines in the sunlight.  I had not noticed the shine off the roof before now.  I thought it may be the Wildlife Center, but perhaps it is a large tent.

I visited the Wildlife Center recently; it is a very small but interesting museum with a concentration on the waterfowl hunting history of the area.  It is celebratory in the presentation with a nod at the the last exhibit to the fact that waterfowl numbers are gone from the big days of market hunting.  The birds are at trickle level today compared to the heydays.

This Time of Year

It's an expected but very welcome sight this time of year:  Canada Geese and young goslings.  The local Geese population is a result of re-establishment methods after population declines due to hunting.
Who does not enjoy the surprise of a couple Geese with a tassel of yellowed feathered young between them paddling the waters?  Or the honking calls of a small flock flying overhead ?

This family passed by earlier this week.  The other adult is nearby.

MI after the Rain

A welcome rain on a lazy Sunday.  Softly drenching the garden and with warm temps! so our Osprey only had to protect against one element.  The drizzle continues but I had to capture the view of my favorite Monkey Island in the east.

The Island is green with foliage and on clear days you can see the bright white spots of egrets and herons that nest in those trees.  A boat ride over is on the agenda!

The nesting birds travel across the sound to feed in our wetlands and waterways.  We get to watch them fly over twice daily it seems.  Sometimes they get bound here by the strong winds and the causeway fills with birds feasting in the low water while on layover.

Miss Somersett II

We stop our day of activity about 4 and sit for a bit of time with a nice glass of wine or a good beer and take in the day.  As we looked out over the Sound today we caught a newly painted fishing boat (perhaps newly built!) being towed south in a strong south wind!
I read the name as Miss Somersett II, and she appears geared for a fishing reel but I'm no expert.  There must have been a Miss Somersett ... there is a story there.

She was a pretty sight and we wish her well!

The Ospreys are back

Up and down the island Ospreys are busy with the carrying and arranging of sticks.  Our pair (we claim them because we built the platform for the nest) has returned and are just beginning to carry in sticks.  It's a great effort to watch.  Some sticks get knocked out and maybe picked up again floating on the water.  This is an established nest, so the preparations seem downright orderly compared to watching a brand new pair trying to get a nest done in 2 or 3 days.
The weather has been unusually warm, and I don't trust it.  The typical spring Nor'easters can can create a horrible 3 day cold rain and blow event which can kill the eggs by the time it's over.  But let's hope. 
Last year most of the nests failed up and down the island.  Here is to an easy year for our Osprey!

Here is our banded osprey just off the nest.

February Swans

Swans tend to stay around here in February. Maybe it's the water level, low enough to get to the grasses they eat. We get to enjoy watching them, listen to the hum when they gather up for preening and sleeping, and study them as they interact. We have a lot to learn.

This is a family group. The 3 young are grey necked and still have color in the body. I watched the young eat. Before they turned bottoms up to reach the grass they seemed to scrub the sand with their feet.

Aren't they magnificent?

A pretty flock of Black and Whites

Here are a few of the Bufflehead ducks that I mentioned. The males a strong black and white with orange legs and feet, the females black and brown with a white cheek. Her legs and feet are dark. Look at how different the white cheek is on each of the females.

I love to watch them fly in, ones and twos come together to form a nice group at certain times. When they land, feet are out splayed out wide and hit first making a soft sliding sound on the water.

A month of Sundays

Duck and swan season over, I can 'shoot' in peace in my own way ... with a camera! I have a nice flock of Buffleheads and a small number of Ruddy ducks and now some Swans in the area feeding, playing and singing.

Here is a Ruddy duck, just a gorgeous blend of brown shades. It's a diver duck, diving for grasses or thrown corn. They like to play and will charge each other in a jousting style, beak first! The are not startled and ply about in the water even when approached by boat making them easy picking for certain gunners.

A new duck spotted

What a fantastic day, warm weather and slight winds from the west and ducks to enjoy.

The buffies and ruddies had a fine day puddling and diving. Even the resident mallards took to diving for corn. Why that's a first for me, I've only seen them tipping (bottoms up!) before now.

We have some swans about. The singing last night was a bit of old magic. We only have about 3 dozen. You cannot imagine what a couple hundred of these spectacular birds sound like unless you are HERE! Hopefully we will get those hundreds before they leave for northern climes!

BUT here is my new duck, a female canvas back. She came in today in the company of a female bluebill.

Isn't she pretty?

Beautiful ducks and a pleasure to watch them run about.

Sailing through like a Bluebird

What a contrast of endeavors a morning on the Sound presents!

The last weekend day of duck hunting this season brought the boats out with a fever. Hot was fixed with a cold east wind, turning SE. No ducks. As the last of them packed it in just after lunchtime here sails a Bluebird of a Boat.

A boat under sail threading the empty duck blinds! Perhaps a different picture if they were full! The warm January weather must have been too much temptation for this sailor. I thank him for a little gift of surprise, a Bluebird of a Boat on a January day.

Monkey Island in the Fog

As promised, here is my shot of Monkey Island in the fog. The island is miles away but it is a fixture in the landscape. In the summer it serves as a rookery. Long ago it was a residence and a hunt club. Maybe it will be saved one day, like Whalehead. It is a little treasure and worth an effort. Rookery is good, the edges just need some protection.

Blank Canvas

Another warm winter day, this one complete with a blanket of fog. You have to experience the view in person to appreciate the contrast from the usual miles deep and wide scenery. The fog lays in and water becomes sky. No contrast save for a few ducks I spotted. It is a wall of grey. The duck blinds disappear, the horizon disappears. It is all a single wash, a blank canvas ready for tomorrow's paint.

Cloud formations

The weather was a bit of a mix for a January day. Rainy in the morning but I did manage to sneak in a bike ride in the warm and cloudy afternoon.

Watching the ducks dive from my studio window, I was pulled outside to look at the clouds forming on the horizon.

Weather can change on a dime on the Sound and it did. Just before the winds came through the clouds were foretelling a change.

The clouds over Carova (above) got my attention.

They rolled tight and moved like a train southward over Swan Beach.

The wind kicked up fast, thunder storm style and whitecaps rolled over the sound. From zero to 25 in under a minute. Amazing.

Sunrise In January

Another fantastic sunrise on the Currituck Sound.