Solitary Sandpipers

Several Summers past, I ventured to the Eastern Shores of Maryland in search of saltwater marshes and beaches that stretch as far as the eye could see. A stop at Assateague National Seashore to photograph the wild ponies that make the island their home was on my itinerary. Rest assured I snapped my fair share of wild pony images, however, I also captured countless images of birds. There were birds everywhere from Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island. These I believe are Solitary Sandpipers resting on the water's edge on Assateague late in the day. As I stood to capture this image, I was surrounded by salt marshes and water as far as the eye could see. It was heaven. ENJOY!

Summers' Past Series - Maryland's Eastern Shore

Looking back in my archives over the past decade at various outings taken in the Eastern United States,

I thought it only appropriate to take you along on a new series called Summers' Past Series. 

Let's travel to the quaint coastal towns of St. Michael's and Chincoteague along the Eastern Shore,

to the most captivating island of Nantucket, off of the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts,

to the seaside villages of Bar Harbor and Stonington in Down East Maine, and finally,

to several lakeside villages near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in beautiful Michigan.

Looking back at the beautiful Sunset across Kent Narrows, Kent Island, Eastern Shore, Maryland

Plein Air Artist and a Seascape, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, St. Michael's, Eastern Shore, Maryland

Assateague Ponies grazing in the Salt Marshes, Assateague Island National Seashore, Eastern Shore, Maryland

Looking back at the Assateague Ponies in the Salt Marshes from a distance, Assateague Island National Seashore, Eastern Shore, Maryland

I hope you enjoyed this journey back to the Eastern Shore of Maryland taken over a two day period. As I traveled from the Chesapeake Bay to the east side of Maryland's Eastern Shore, I stopped at Kent Island, St. Michael's, where you can find the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, and finally to the beautiful Assateague National Seashore with its stunning salt marsh views featuring the beautiful Assateague Ponies. I might add that it was nice to have Lightroom to bring these images out of the shadows which isn't something I had at hand when I originally posted these images. Hence, the last image is new to you as I was able to work on it to bring it out of the shadows of darkness. It is beautiful. Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend everyone. ENJOY!

Ode to Spring

Winter harkens the darkest of days, with bitter cold and snow filled skies.

As Winter days bring sleet and ice, we dream of a warmer season.

A season filled with sunny days and warm wispy breezes.

Of misty raindrops that water each flower petal nurturing new life.

Of bright yellow Daffodils and pink and white Dogwoods in bloom.

We dream of Spring.

I captured this image on a warm Summer's day as I drove through West Virginia on my way home to Kentucky from a trip to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Virginia. A field of Poppy flowers greeted me at a visitor center there. The sun was shrouded by clouds, but the pinks, lavenders and yellows of the Poppies were so beautiful. ENJOY!

Barn, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum

Several years ago I paid a visit to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and on my visit I captured several images of this beautiful old Barn sitting in Boat Yard #1 on the museum grounds.

I remember the day well. It was a sweltering 90 degrees, but the humidity wasn't painfully bad. And aside from the heat, wished I could be right there at the Maritime Museum taking in the Chesapeake Bay on the beautiful Eastern Shore of Maryland in the small town of St. Michaels. Before I leave you today, I wanted to mention I finally got around to changing my hometown on my profile. I guess you could say the transition is official, I'm a Tennessean. But you and I both know, I am Kentucky woman at heart. ENJOY!

Linking to the Barn Collective

St. Michaels, Maryland

Beautiful St. Michael's! If you ever have a chance to visit the Eastern Shore of Maryland, you must plan a stop in St. Michael's. The itinerary I planned for my Eastern Shore trip was the perfect mix of small town charm, bird and pony watching, beach walking and lots of photo taking. One of my main stops the day after arriving on the Eastern Shore was in St. Michael's where I spent several hours walking around the town checking out the shops and grabbing a bite to eat. Michael's is situated a short drive south of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge on the Eastern Shore, just across from Annapolis.

The best part of visiting this small town is how nicely it plays host to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum which is situated right in the middle of town within walking distance of the shops and eateries. The museum houses tons of beautiful exhibits depicting the history behind the bay area mariners and fishermen. While visiting St. Michael's, I soon became aware that the town was playing host to the Plein Air Arts Festival which drew open air artists from throughout the United States to display their wares for the week. It was such a treat to watch the artists in action painting the landscape. The water images were taken while I visited the maritime museum that afternoon. It's a great museum, but is all a beautiful place to visit too. I especially have a fondness for the beautiful Chesapeake Bay Lighthouse, which is a somewhat famous lighthouse often depicted on Eastern Shore tourism websites.

Here's the breakdown for the wintery mix received here in northern Kentucky so far this week. We received six inches of snow Monday, a quarter inch of freezing rain Tuesday evening leaving all things out of doors covered with a frozen glow and today we received two tenths of an inch of snow. Winter Storm Nika really packed a punch. Oh, boy are we having fun! ENJOY!

Juvenile Mallards, Assateague Island

As an outdoor photographer, so often I take photos that my audience never see. These images never get posted to my blog. Perhaps it's safe to say these images never see the light of day. Yet, as I visit my archives from time to time, certain images tug at me for one reason or another. And I find myself revisiting those same images time and time again. All photographers possess an archive that contains these types of images. We all know which images I am referring to. This image is one of those.

What tugged at me each time I scanned my archives and passed this image and stopped . . . is the strikingly intricate detail and the soft variation of color in the feathers of these Juvenile Mallards that somehow I managed to capture when I briefly stepped out of my car that Sunday afternoon on Assateague Island National Seashore. There were five ducklings in all standing together having just gone for a quick dip in a teeny tiny inlet that led out to the bay on the west side of the island. However, these two Juveniles were huddled closer together and looking around as if they were contemplating, "what next". Every time I saw this image, I would always be 'this' close to choosing it to feature in a post. But then I didn't, until today. And today I stopped and asked myself the same question I asked myself every time I caught sight of this image . . . where else can you find such truly unparalleled detail as you find in the feathers of these Juveniles and what subtle variation of color. I ask you where? Only Mother Nature can create such an intricate, yet beautiful creature. ENJOY!

Shorebirds, Chincoteague NWR

Let me preface this post by saying, "Identifying shorebirds is not as easy as it sounds." There are Dunlins, Sandpipers, Godwits, Sanderlins, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, etc. etc. etc. OMG! So in an effort not to drive myself completely mad, I'm sticking with the 'shorebirds' heading before I take the plunge and tell you what species I 'think' these two lovely little birds are.

Spending time on Chinocoteague National Wildlife Refuge this Summer photographing the multitude of large wading birds was such a great time, in spite of the heat wave. As I drove the main route through the refuge, I would get close to the beaches and in turn the shallow waters where the smaller shorebirds were wading about poking their bills in the water. I snapped several images not really making much of an effort. They were pretty far out in the shallow water so I didn't expect to be able to crop any of the images and use them. However, there were a few that I felt were good enough to post. Keep in mind this image is heavily cropped. Now back to identifying these birds, I believe these are Lesser Yellowlegs as is evidenced by their yellow legs and feet and their long bills. There are Greater Yellowlegs that look similar, but their bills are longer and minutely turned up at the tip. Of all of the information I read about shorebirds and how to identify them, these were the main features that stuck with me regarding these two species. Regardless of whether my I.D. is correct or not, I love these little guys and their speckled bodies and especially their long snouts. Hope you are having a great weekend. It's still chilly here, but a warm up is coming. ENJOY!


PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTE: I had a very scary header planned for Halloween week, but opted for a less scary one. I hope you like it.

Beautiful Great White Egrets

Have a Wonderful Weekend All. ENJOY!

Lighthouse, Chincoteague NWR

There's beauty everywhere on the island which plays host to Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. There's Egrets and Herons and Chincoteague Ponies. There's beautiful beaches with creamy white sand. There's emerald green lagoons filled with huge wading birds. There's azure blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean surrounding you.

And then . . . there's this beautiful lighthouse. This lighthouse with its red and white stripes. This lighthouse that braves Fall's fierce hurricanes, Winter's blustery storms, Summers heat and humidity, and then revels in Spring's balmy days. With its new coat of paint the Lighthouse on Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge stands in testament that time really does stand still. And everyone on Chincoteague couldn't be happier as they marvel in its new found beauty.

I didn't want to photograph the lighthouse up close, but rather off in the distance with perhaps the bay in the foreground. And what was so unexpected were the beautiful subjects in the foreground. The Egrets and shore birds were busily searching for dinner as I captured this image. Priceless to me. ENJOY!

Little Blue Heron, Chincoteague NWR

As the warm light of the day faded away, I continued to photograph this Little Blue Heron looking for a catch in the waters around Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge back in July when I visited there.


It is amazing just how light can change the look and feel of a subject. In these images this Little Blue Heron is so dark he almost doesn't even appear to be a Little Blue Heron.

He was busy fishing and only looked up once. Not sure if he was looking at me or not but I doubt it. He probably saw something in the water that I couldn't see. I saw a beautiful Little Blue Heron on Assateague which I posted earlier in the summer and then I posted another image of a Little Blue Heron on the bay side off of Chincoteague Island itself, and now here's a photograph from late day off Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. So needless to say, Little Blue Herons were plentiful around the Eastern Shore when I was visiting there in July. I hope to get back there again some day, but until then memories and these images will have to sustain me. Hope your weekend is going great. ENJOY!

Gulls, Assateague National Seashore, Maryland

Here you'll find my attempt at remedying the situation of not posting Seagull images, other than the Laughing Gull images, from my summer trip to the Eastern Shore.

These Gulls were at Assateague National Seashore on the bay side around the marshes the day I photographed them. This first image is of a Greater Black Backed Gull. I've started to realize some of the traits that make the distinction between one Gull and another. Traits like the spots on their beaks or the bright rings around their eyes, or even that some have pink feet while others have yellow. The characteristic varying greys and whites and blacks of their colors serves as identifying features also. So I downloaded a chart which I hope will help to demonstrate the complexities of the situation.

This next image is of an American Herring Gull which I believe is displaying breeding plumage demonstrated by the distinct white head, neck and breast. I wished the sun hadn't gone behind the clouds when I took this image, but I still wanted to share it.

This chart will serve as my witness as to the degree of difficulty in identifying birds. You can find it on the National Geographic Animal webpage. There you'll find pages on Gulls in their various stages of life and cycles. Stages range from juvenile or fledging to adult with 1st year, 2nd year and 3rd year sometimes indicated on the charts. And let's not forget the breeding and non breeding stages where generally the color of the feathers is the differentiating factor. It's a crap shoot sorting out an identification, but I promise I'll continue to try if you bear with me. ENJOY!

PHOTOGRAPHER'S NOTE: While in college, I studied Science and Geology and simply loved it. Yet, I ended up majoring in Communications. And while Communications has served me in my profession, it's now a major factor in my blog. And now ultimately so is Science. Is that what they mean by full circle? Regardless, I love learning the distinctions about all of the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, etc. in our world, not to mention the landscape we like to call Mother Earth. Thanks for stopping by.

Sunset, Kent Island, MD

As far as confessions go, I seldom make any. However, I will confess I seldom photograph sunrises or sunsets. In my earlier days as an photographer, I did make more of an effort. However, I believe sunrises and sunsets are best reserved for the gorgeous vista or an unusual moon like the Harvest Moon. Having said that, on my first day out on my trip to the Eastern Shore of Maryland, I arrived at my hotel fresh from dinner and realized that the sun was setting over the marina. So I grabbed my camera bag which was still in my car and ran for the patio at the hotel.

It was a very warm, humid Sunday evening on Kent Island. The hotel and marina situated on Kent Narrows, both sit on the north side of the main highway just after you cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The first place you stop once you're over the bridge is Kent Narrows. It was a busy area with hotels, restaurants, the marina and the like. I snapped several images of the boats with the sun setting behind them to the west.

This particular marina is called Mears Point Marina. There was a fort that once stood on this island called Kent Fort which was the first and also the oldest English settlement in the state of Maryland. Surely being right across the bay from Annapolis, there's a ton of naval heritage here.

As the sun made a quick retreat in the western hemisphere, I turned to the north and saw this image of the saltwater marshes in the bay looking back at me. The serene blue waters seemed almost magical. I only snapped two images, but I'm glad I did because that blue water draws me in every time. This is also the first time on this trip that I saw the saltwater marshes, right here in this spot. Little did I know I'd fall in love with them. No matter where I found them, be it Assateague or Chincoteague, or here on Kent Island, they were beautiful. Hope your week is off to a great start. ENJOY!

Linking to Scenic Weekends

Photographing Great White Egrets

As you surely know by now, I spent some time on the Eastern Shore of Virginia earlier in the Summer and while there I captured many, many images of large wading birds and shore birds at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge. Here's a few varying poses of the Great White Egrets I took one afternoon as I drove along the main road which runs parallel to the lagoon. I was truly amazed to find so many of them at one time in one area. Obviously, the lagoon is a popular place to hunt for a meal.

There was a Great White Egret in the dried brush . . .

A Great White Egret in the lagoon . . .

A Great White Egret hiding in the bushes . . .

And a Great White Egret perched on a large downed tree. On this particular afternoon the sun was in full force, so many of the images didn't show quite as much detail in the feathers as I would like, but I was happy nonetheless with what I captured. ENJOY!

Tri Colored Heron in Blue Lagoon

Every now and then a photograph captures your heart and sweeps you away. In the case of these images, the blue lagoon and the greens of the marsh reeds do just that. The last warm light of the day brought out the blues in this lagoon that runs parallel to the main road in Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

The beautiful colors of the lagoon were the perfect setting for this Tri Colored Heron on the hunt for a meal. He was especially active moving about in the lagoon. First one direction, then back the other way. My guess is he hadn't had a meal in a while.

My hesitation to bring you more images of wading birds and Chincoteague photos was outweighed by the gorgeous colors I kept coming back to in these images. And well, when you're tired of seeing my Chincoteague images, I know you'll cry uncle.

Sadly, I did not get out this weekend. I have several thoughts on a trip I'd like to take soon. The destination eludes me though. I would like to get back to southern Illinois to the Cache River system and visit two national wildlife refuges situated just north there. The migrating Warblers are passing through Magee Marsh on Lake Erie in northern Ohio in the next few weeks, heading south for the Winter, and I would love to get some photos of them. Then there's Hocking Hills in south central Ohio. I want to try my hand at Cedar Falls again, and perhaps this time, I could get a usable photo of the waterfall at Ash Cave too. I can't let Summer slip away without attempting one of these expeditions. It's the timing that's been off lately. There are subtle signs of Fall visible here in the Bluegrass State. The weather has finally cooled way down especially in the evenings. Hope your week is off to a good start as mine has started out great. ENJOY!

Wild Ponies of Chincoteague

Every day in the early evening the Wild Ponies of Chincoteague would gather in the wildlife refuge way out in this field. The field is to the right as you drive past the Welcome Center along the main road that traverses the refuge. The Ponies would play and romp and run around and munch on the grasses for hours. I count about 26 horses just in this one image alone. And swarming all around the Ponies were lots of birds, no doubt eating the insects that were biting the Ponies.

Lucky for me I had bought that longer zoom lens prior to leaving on this trip especially when I saw how far out the Ponies were from the road. The younger Ponies would play and frolic and run around their mothers and the rest of the herd. It was a treat to watch them.

Some day I would love to go back to Chincoteague. But if I never get back there, I can say I saw a great deal of what Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Chincoteague Island has to offer. Wading birds, shore birds, the bay, the beach, the lagoon, the saltwater marshes, the Ponies. It is a magical place.

I'm hoping to get outdoors this weekend and get some new images. Of what, I'm not sure yet, but the desire is there so we'll see. ENJOY!

IN MEMORY
I've not forgotten what this day means to every American. My thoughts all day off and on have shifted somehow toward the memories from 9/11/01. Oh, how I wished this day was not in my memory. But as it is and we cannot go back . . . to all of those whose loved ones were lost and those who were directly affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the flight in Pennsylvania that crashed, and to all Americans who watched on that fateful day, I pray. I remember . . .

Laughing Gull, Chincoteague Island, VA

As I drove out onto the causeway that leads from Chincoteague Island to the mainland in Virginia in search of well, birds, I stopped and snapped a few photos of this Laughing Gull sitting on a stump among the saltwater reeds.

The Laughing Gull species name is Cachinnans which comes from Latin and means to laugh heartily. Linguists believe that the word came about because it sounds like laughing. These birds are typically found along the Eastern Seaboard. I only saw a few of these at Chincoteague and they were mostly along the causeway and not so much on the beach.

To me he looks like he is sporting a tuxedo. Or something. He's just cool looking I think with his dark head and dark upper body. I hope you had a great weekend. Mine has been spent nursing a sinus infection. This week it continues to be in the 90's, but next weekend, the weather cools off and is sunny. I'm looking forward to that. ENJOY!

Mirror Image, Great White Egret

Just a quick post today. I captured this image of this Great White Egret one evening during that 'golden' hour at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge.

Every time I see this image as I scan my archives the first thing that strikes me is his almost perfect reflection in the water of the lagoon. And the second thing that strikes me . . . is his slightly inquisitive or perhaps apprehensive stance as he peers down into the water. It is priceless. ENJOY!

The View from Dog Harbor, Tilghman's Island, MD

It was a beautiful sunshine filled day with bright blue skies and just a hint of a heatwave as I headed out onto the Eastern Shore of Maryland one Monday morning back in mid July. I was filled with enthusiasm at the thought of not knowing exactly what my first day on the Eastern Shore would hold. After driving through the quaint village of St. Michael's, Maryland, I drove over Knapps Narrows and crossed the drawbridge which connects Tilghman's Island to the mainland.

This is considered the mid Chesapeake Bay Region with many a Maryland and Delaware Beach within an hours drive, but I wanted to see a little bit of Tilghman's Island before checking out St. Michael's. I had seen Tilghman's on maps and read about it as I researched my destination earlier in the summer, but wasn't sure I'd take the time to drive out to the island. However, I had gotten such an early start to the day that I decided to go for it. I pulled onto Tilghman's Island and stopped almost immediately at Dog Harbor to take a few images. It was pristine and beautiful as I looked out across the harbor at the beautiful bay. I learned since visiting Tilghman's that it is a true working waterman's village and is home to the last commercial sailboat fleet in North America, the skipjacks, which makes its home in Dog Harbor. I wished I'd taken some images of the boats, but there was only so many hours in a day and I had a full day planned ahead of me. I have more images from my trip to share and provided you aren't totally sick of seeing images from my trip, I'll be back soon with more. Have a fantastic weekend. ENJOY!

Birdapalooza!

One evening while staying on Chincoteague Island back in July, I drove part of the way across the causeway to see if there was any bird activity along the bay road late that day. I hit the jackpot as you can see in these images! There were too many birds to count, but no doubt as you can see, a signicant number of wading birds hanging out in the low lying marsh area

Most of the birds were Snowy Egrets, but this first image which I cropped very very heavily, shows two White Ibis foraging for a meal. Yes, I got to add another bird to my Life List. The Ibis has a long curved bill and while it is a wading bird found in the Deep South, they also forage for insects on lawns.

And luckily there were also several Glossy Ibis foraging in the marsh. Another Life List bird I added. The Glossy Ibis, again with a curved bill, sports dark coloring, and is only found along the Atlantic Coast. There were tons of Snowy Egrets hanging about with the Ibis, as well as a Laughing Gull which you'll find in the top of this image. I have better Laughing Gull images I'll post another day.

I didn't see any Great White Egrets hanging out in this crowd or any Herons of any type which was odd. Mostly just Snowy Egrets and there were numerous ones sporting breeding plumage. So cool looking seeing their billowy feathers standing straight up on their heads. I was amazed at the sheer number of birds in close proximity, but also how well they seemed to co-habitat with each other. The best I can surmise is Snowy Egrets and Ibis get along great together. I have no idea what drew them all to gather in this area that evening. Nevertheless, it was a sight. We've turned the corner toward the weekend. It's supposed to be nice this weekend and I would love to get out and take in some scenery, maybe even a hike. Do you have big plans for this weekend? And hey, the next weekend is Labor Day. I love three day weekends so much I've already decided to make it a four day weekend. ENJOY!

American Oystercatcher, Chincoteague Island, Virginia

While on my Eastern Shore excursion in July, I made the acquaintance of the American Oystercatcher and happily added this gorgeous bird to my Bird Life List. Yippee! Let me just say, they are one cool looking bird! Their long red bills are so bright, not to mention perfect for prying open bivales such as mussels and clams which is their primary diet. Apparently, I got very lucky, as the waters off the coast of the Eastern Shore are the American Oystercatcher's summer breeding grounds. In winter the Oystercatcher is found along the coast of Florida and the Caribbean. The remainder of the year, you can find the Oystercatcher along the southwest and southeast coasts of the United States, as well as South America. Apparently, there's a Black Oystercatcher that can be found mainly around Baja California also.

This was one colorful little bird scurrying about amongst the remains of oyster shells on the western side of Chincoteague Island. I only saw a few Oystercatchers in this one location on the island. I love their long red bills and their yellow eyes with the red rings around them.

As you drive out past Tom's Cove on Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, at one point the road is closed with signs posted due to nesting birds in the area. I wonder if one of those nesting birds could be the American Oystercatcher. They normally build their nests up high on sandy spits or in lowland areas where there is good cover. The area closed past Tom's Cove was covered in higher sand dunes definitely a great breeding area for the Oystercatcher. I wonder have you seen the Oystercatcher in your travels? Our weather here has been unseasonably cool with an abundance of rainfall, not the typical Kentucky August weather of hot, humid and dry to the point of drought. ENJOY!

Linking to Wild Bird Wednesday