Eagles at Conowingo Dam

On November 18, 2020 - Raptors, Wildlife Photography

My travels took me through Aberdeen, Maryland, recently. It was just at the start of eagle season at the Conowingo Dam, so I felt that required a visit. I was able to spend a few hours over a couple days in along with a couple hundred of my closest eagle photographing friends.

The Conowingo Dam dams the Susquehanna River on the line between Cecil and Harford counties, MD. The original town of Conowingo is now under the reservoir above the dam. Conowingo is famous among photographers because something like 250-300 bald eagle winter in the area. The dam keeps the water open. Fish that would prefer to stay deep underwater get stirred up (or even injured) going through the dam and make easy pickings for waiting eagles. The eagles have learned that the lights and siren to alert people that the dam is about to increase the water they’re releasing means dinner is served.

Along with the eagles, there is a large flock of black vultures, several varieties of gulls, a gulp of cormorants and even a pair of peregrine falcons. Photographers new to the dam are allowed to shoot a few pix of the non-eagles before they are roundly abused by their fellow photographers.

Here we’ve got a black vulture flying over the river. The vultures are a problem for visitors, they’ve been known to eat windshield wipers and any plastic part of a car they can get their beaks on.

The fishing is pretty good for everyone. Here a double-crested cormorant has caught a nice catfish.

Of course, you can always try to take what someone else has caught….

But, the real action is the eagles. When I was there, the winter crowd was just beginning to arrive. The local birders estimated somewhere between 50 and 75 eagles had arrived. Many of the eagles were juveniles.

You get frequent close looks as they fly over.

But, the real attraction is the mature eagles.

Looking down from the parking lot on a mature eagle with a meal.

Another fly-by with a meal tucked up under.

Bald eagles often seem more interested in stealing fish from other birds than in doing their own fishing. A successful catch often leads to a chase. Here a couple juveniles tussle over a fish, look closely under their wings and you can see the eagle on the right has dropped what should have been his meal. There were several skirmishes between adults and adults and juveniles, but they usually took the fight over the trees along the river and out of sight.

There were good views of eagles fishing; this eagle has spotted a fish below and is banking to line up for his dive.

There were several flybys with eagles showing off their catch as they headed to perch in the trees behind me.

And, I was lucky enough to catch a few well-lit fishing sequences.

Look on the right side of the photo, that’s a fish breaking the surface and about to become breakfast.

And, like all fishermen, he wants to show off his catch.

bald eagles, birds in flight, eagles

Finches on the Thistle

On August 27, 2020 - Wildlife Photography

The flowers in the Island of Thistley are going to seed and Atticus Finch, et al, are feeding on them regularly.

There are still a few flowers attracting butterflies, moths and hummingbirds. The male hummingbirds have found the flowers, but I haven’t gotten a picture yet. The highest count for monarch butterflies in the patch is 14. Here’s one sharing a thistle with a ladybug.

It was goldfinches that I’d hope to attract when I left the thistle. Now that about a third of the flowers have passed, the finches – Atticus and Scout – have arrived en masse. There’s a Nyjer seed sock a few feet from the thistle. Between the two, we have a couple dozen goldfinches coming and going. (Their feeder is right next to the hummingbird feeder, things can get kinda hectic at meal time.)

Wise finches take a moment to look over the buffet before diving in.

Once the tastiest looking seeds are identified, the next challenge is to get into position without getting pricked.

Once properly positioned, one can dig in!

And the best seeds may be deep in the flower.

And sometimes you just want to look silly.

Everyone Loves Thistle!

On August 20, 2020 - Wildlife Photography

We leave a patch of our yard for wild plants to help our local wildlife. This year, we’ve got a good patch of thistle – either ‘bull,’ ‘milk’ or ‘common,’ depending upon who you ask. I’ve dubbed the patch ‘The Island of Thistley.’ My wife didn’t approve either.

I started leaving the thistle to attract Atticus, our resident goldfinch, and his charm. The goldfinches love the seeds, and they’ve got lots of company.

Thistles are beautiful plants, even if they have some sticking points. They’ve got lots of pretty purple flowers.

The flowers attract lots of pollinators, including several varieties of bees.

We’ve had a bedstraw hawk-moth, aka galium sphinx, feeding for several days.

And, a kaleidoscope of monarch, swallowtail and a few other butterflies are steady visitors. Here’s a great spangled fritillary. ( I think ‘great spangled fritillary’ sounds like an exclamation you’d hear in someplace like Idaho. “Great spangled fritillary, Uncle Fred won the lottery!”) This fellow looks like he has some tales to tell.

A black swallowtail is a regular visitor.

We’ve got a good group of monarchs, I’ve counted 12 at the busiest time.

Sometimes the flowers are busy enough that they need to share.

The thistle is not far from our hummingbird feeder. The hummingbirds sometimes take a break from squabbling over the feeder to feed on the thistle. So far, I’ve seen only females feeding on the thistle, hope the males will get around to joining them.

And Atticus, the American goldfinch for whom I planted the thistle.

Checking in on Our Loon Family

On August 14, 2020 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

I was lucky enough to get to spend two mornings on the pond with the loons this week. Tuesday morning had a very pleasant surprise.

When I got to their pond, the loons were at the west end, I headed to the spot they like to forage on the east side of the pond. As the fog began to lift, both parents showed up. But, there was only one chick with them.

There are lots of threats to loon chicks and while sad, I wasn’t too surprised. Mom and dad were both keeping busy feeding the chick.

Looks like a small fish with side of salad.

The chick is still learning what is and what isn’t food. This pine cone got a good thrashing before being discarded as inedible.

Loon chicks poke and nibble their parents around the neck and breast when they’re hungry.

After breakfast, it was time for some preening.

Loons run their bills over every feather to keep them clean.

The loons headed back west on the pond, I went exploring to see who else might still be around. The swamp is a quiet place, not a grackle or red-winged blackbird to be found. There were just a handful of sparrows and phoebes around.

The eastern phoebe posed nicely at eye level.

Pileated woodpeckers are my nemesis bird – I just can’t seem to get a good pic of one. Three pileateds were working trees along the pond. True to form, they mocked me, hiding behind brush or staying on the far side of the tree. This guy goofed and came into the open for a couple seconds.

The loons caught up with me at the west end of the pond. And there was a great surprise. The second chick was alive and well! He’d(?) foraging on his own. He stretched and headed over to greet the rest of the family.

There was another round of preening before everyone settled in for a nap. A good preening session requires a good stretch when completed.

Breakfast with the Loon Chicks

On August 7, 2020 - Loons, Raptors, Wildlife Photography

I got a chance to check in on ‘my’ loon family Thursday morning. Both chicks seem to be doing well, they’re big, their feathers are growing in and they’re diving and foraging on their own – as well as being well-fed by their parents.

Our pond was a tough place to be a fish Thursday morning. There were two osprey patrolling the pond. It looked like one was a juvenile and was pestering a parent to be fed (I’m pretty sure I heard the parent say ‘Get your own darned fish!’).

The parent had a good perch to watch the pond.

One of the adult loons was up before the rest of the family, cruising around the pond before flying off on some errand.

The rest of our loon family took their time getting up and around. One of the little guys started off with an impressive yawn.

The parent on babysitting duty started them off with a tasty appetizer.

The parent soon got serious about feeding the chicks and went after much larger fish.

The chicks are capable of swallowing fish nearly as long as they are.

After feeding, all of the loons spent several minutes preening.

Ruby Valentino on Guard

On July 6, 2020 - Wildlife Photography

We’ve got a hummingbird feeder just off our deck. It is a favored feeding spot for the neighborhood hummingbirds. There is always competition between a few males to protect the feeder. This afternoon, Ruby Valentino claimed the feeder and stood guard protecting it.

He’s on a perch we’ve clipped to the feeder pole. He’s kind of dull when the sun isn’t on his throat.

His colors really pop when he turns back into the sun.

There are at least three female hummingbirds coming and going with his approval. We love watching them swoop and buzz each other when another male appears.

birds, hummingbird, ruby-throated hummingbird

Friday Morning with the Loons

On July 3, 2020 - Uncategorized

Our little loon family spent a mostly quiet morning on their Upper Valley pond this morning. Everyone slept in a bit before mom and dad went to work to deliver breakfast. The chicks are growing quickly and doing well in their studies to be loons.

With an iffy weather forecast and a couple appointment scheduled for this morning, I debated if I should head out. My wife was up early to head to King Arthur to make bread and I got up and peeked out. Seeing lots of stars, I started packing up. My trusty mouse sidekick turns out not to be so trusty and was nowhere to be found. His cousin, Thelonious chipmunk, did greet me in the garage. Apparently my service at the feeder is not up to snuff and Theo let himself in and was busy redistributing sunflower seeds from the bag to the corners of the garage. After we had a discussion about this, Theo was not in a mood to accompany me.

I put the kayak in just as the sun cleared the trees on the pond.

I needed have hurried, our family was sleeping in.

After a bit, they began to stretch and stir.

The chicks seemed interested in breakfast, so mom and dad went to work. There is a shallow section of the pond with a variety of water plants. This provides shelter for lots of fry, crayfish, bugs and frogs. Mom and dad headed in through the plants – something I’ve never seen before – to see what they could find.

Both parents were very successful catching and delivering a number of fish. Here’s one diving to forage.

Looks like fish again. Get used to it kid.

Chicks need to learn to turn fish to allow them to be swallowed head first.

And yet another fish. A family of four loons will eat something like 1,000 pounds of protein over the course of the breeding season.

You never know where a loon might surface. I was watching this chick when a delivery arrived.

Breakfast was briefly interrupted when another pair of loons flew over the pond. They stayed high above the pond and all the adults called as they passed overhead. There were also a trio of crows (ravens maybe?) that spotted a pair of kingbirds feeding their fledged chicks. The crows went after one, which brought four or five pairs of kingbirds to the fray. The crows talked a lot, but it looked like they went away hungry. Both our loon parents stopped to watch the action.

Back to our chicks. They act like siblings, playing nicely sometimes.

Here a chick gives a good stretch. I’ve heard it suggested that loons waive their feet in the air to cool themselves. Not sure what to make of that, water should be a better coolant. My guess is that this is just a way to stretch. Look at the size of that foot, that’s a lot of surface area to push water to move such a small bird. This shot also gives a good view of how far back a loon’s legs are – that’s the reason they can’t walk very well.

Might as well stretch a wing while we’re at it.

Loons have a small gland, called the uropygial gland, near the base of their tail. This secretes an oil that helps waterproof their feathers. They preen regularly to coat their feathers with this oil. Here, one of the parents is rubbing its head against the gland and then over its body.

Preening also involves running their bill through their feathers to clean them and spread the oil. Note the chick watching and mimicking – he’s learning how to loon.

The water drops on this chick’s back give a pretty clear view of how water beads up on their feathers rather than sinking in.

The chicks spent some time working their wings.

The loons had good timing. As it was getting close to time for me to leave, they finished up with breakfast and preening and headed off for first naps.

Sunday Morning with the Loons

On June 30, 2020 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

Both loon chicks seemed to be doing well Sunday morning. Their pond was a relatively quiet place. The only time the parents seemed alerted was when a pack of coyotes started talking just west of the pond.

The parents spent much of the morning bringing chick-bite-sized morsels to the chicks.

Sometimes, the parents were overly ambitious. Here’s one with a bass fingerling that must outweigh the chicks.

The chicks were exploring the world and learning to loon. These wing things must do something….

Mom and dad were leaving the little guys for longer and longer periods as they foraged.

But the chicks were content to ride along when they had the opportunity.

Saturday’s Loon Update, June 27, 2020

On June 27, 2020 - Loons, Wildlife Photography

Saturday morning, I loaded up the kayak and got ready to head out. I whistled for my trusty mouse, but he must have been already engaged. Off I went to the pond to check up on the chicks. Both chicks were out and patrolling with their parents. The chicks have mastered looking majestic as they ride along.

The chicks were riding along on, or near when they fell off, one parent while the other foraged in the shallows for chick-sized meals. Loons aren’t very diligent about remembering they’re carrying chicks. They’ll often stretch, dive or just stretch a wing with the chicks onboard. This often tosses the chick overboard.

Here, we’ve got the parent heading back to the chicks with what appears to be a perch fry.

Being a loon chick is a tiring business.

Both chicks seem to be doing well. Both are active, feeding eagerly and exploring the world. One of them seems unconvinced that the parents aren’t edible. The older chick was pulling on a parent’s feathers yesterday and tried to grab a parent’s eye when the parent offered food. At least one of the chicks was still exploring the possibilities of eating feathers.

Stay tuned, I’ll be visiting with them more as I have a chance.

Meet the Upper Valley’s Newest Loons

On June 26, 2020 - Loons, Uncategorized, Wildlife Photography

Thursday started with a beautiful early summer morning. I set sail in my kayak enjoying the solitude on an Upper Valley Pond. Solitude was temporary – I soon realized that a mouse had stowed away in the kayak and was along for the ride. He must have climbed aboard while the kayak was sitting in the yard. He retreated back behind the bulkhead in the bow and settled in for the ride.

My goal was to check in on a pair of loons that have been on the nest for over three weeks. I’m not going to say where, over the last couple years a couple of birders following my posts have harassed the loons I’ve posted (and me).

When I checked the nest, there was one loon sitting peacefully on the nest, the second was resting not far from the nest. They didn’t

seem to be up to much, so I wandered off to see who might else be about. The usual suspects were easy to find. A sparrow belting out a song, red-winged blackbirds squawking about whatever it is that makes them squawk, grackle fledglings chasing mom around demanding to be fed. Kingbirds and phoebes nabbing dragonflies, a trio of chipmunks chasing each other, interrupted by regular breaks for snacks. There didn’t appear to be many exciting photo opportunities and decided I should be at my desk. Before leaving, I figured I’d try to catch a nest exchange to see how many eggs the loons have.

My passenger ventured out from the bow, looked around a bit and decided he was better off tucked away.

My timing was good for the loons. As I got settled in the brush to watch the nest, they swapped. It was quick, one left and the other immediately climbed onto the nest. The exchange was quick enough that I didn’t get a good view of the eggs. I saw only one egg and was a bit disappointed. Then I noticed there was a chick in the water to the right of the nest – well hidden by the water lilies. Looking at the photos, it sure looks like there are still two intact eggs in the nest. Loons usually have only one or two, so it is likely that one is the shell from the hatched chick. We’ll see in coming days. (Friday update – a second chick has hatched. The lilies in front of the nest are placed perfectly to block my view of any remaining eggs.)

After the exchange, the new nest sitter turned the eggs. The chick in the water must have decided that the world was too much to tackle today, and climbed back into the nest.

You can see the chick between the water lily leaves by the parent’s tail below.

The parent that left the nest returned shortly with a small fish for the chick, with a dragonfly escort.

After feeding the chick, the parent wandered off to forage for his own breakfast. The parent on the nest settled in for a nap. I headed home to release the mouse. He was agreeable company, but it seemed he must have errands of his own.

Friday morning, I was up well before dawn and on the water. I beached the kayak in the cove where the nest is and settled in to wait. One parent was on the nest, the other babysitting nearby. They all slept in a bit, making me wonder I’d started so early. The mouse must not have been an early riser, he was a no show.

Eventually the parents got down to parenting. The babysitter – I suspect it was dad, he kept forgetting he had a chick on his back when he wanted to stretch or dive – started rustling up some breakfast.

A hawk flew over calling which upset the parents. The babysitter herded the chick back to the nest, eventually corralling the chick back into the nest and under wing.

After a bit, the parents relaxed and swapped nest duty. I got a brief glimpse of a newly hatched chick in the nest. The chick was tempted off the nest with the promise of more breakfast. While waiting between servings, the chick practiced all the important loon skills. He tried out his wings.

After he managed to dive, he needed to figure out how to avoid surfacing under the water lilies.

There was more excitement as the babysitter spotted a snapping turtle surfaced only ~20 feet from the chick. The parent dove, there was a commotion underwater, then the parent herd the chick away from where the turtle had been before resuming foraging.

Left alone again, the chick was curious about why I was clicking and took a good look at me.

The parent foraging for second breakfast was ambitious, but unclear on the concept of volume. After several small offerings, the chick got to tackle a snack fit for a king.

Stay tuned for more of their adventures.

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