Eagles and Ospreys - - 2017

 Here's the first juvie Eagle sighting of the year near the Park Visitor's Center....

 This lovely pair had their picture taken just up the street by the son of an employee who lives there. They are really next door to him in a tree behind a Park house that is being renovated for our "Chelsea Exhibit Shop"!!! Even if I don't work much there, I'll surely go visit!!.....

First adult eagles seen near office on the osprey platforms in the River.... 

 "Yum"----must be lunch....

 Here's pic of the whole platform. Better use them before the Ospreys come to town....

Wow, a fairly clear shot of Mom eagle in the sun....

Lucky shot, but nest is blurry! We don't care!...

 On the same day, it appears that Mom may be tending to an eaglet!...

 Probably a last picture of Mom before all the leaves come out....

 OSPREYS ARE BACK!!

   We think most of them came back right after the mid-March ice storm!....                   



 Osprey on the right has a tasty fish!!...

 "I'm following!...

 An old favorite osprey picture. The tree has fallen down-boo



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



2017 Cool Critters

Hoping to get some pictures posted before the blog disappears.  And I had a miracle worker physical therapist who fixed my shoulder!!

Here's a lovely pair that stopped by after our one big? March blizzard.....

This bunny picture made before Easter was a true test. It evolved because at the Park we have a humorous Asst. Division Chief, Kyle.  He said that the Governor wanted to do an animal inventory study to see who would return after all Park animals were captured and removed-----except for the bunnies! Here is my interpretation....

This was sent to Kyle saying, "you were right!!"  His reply was that we need some coyotes!

 

Here's a tiger swallowtail on the bluebells....

 

THEY'RE BACK.........(if you get disturbed by insects, skip the next 4 pics

  The cicadas have returned, probably early. If these are from Brood X, they're not due until 2021!! Sunday, May 15,  after dark, out on the deck, saw what I thought was a moth. It was a newly emerged white adult! It got placed in the lilacs. 

Got a flashlight and checked the favorite crabapple tree trunk in front yard! Over 20 nymphs, molted skins and a couple new white adults were on the tree....

Here's our original cicada turning into adult colors...

On Monday, some were out and about!....

Here's Greg Kearns' lovely Cecropia moth that finally emerged from it's cocoon.  Wingspan is about 6"!!...

 

OTHERS ARE BACK.......

            The wonderful Rose-breasted Grosbeaks stopped by on 5-7-17....

Here's one of the faves from 4-28-07......

 

















Last of 2016 Photos

Late in the summer, finally got a photo of a monarch at home...

 First clear eagle sighting, 11-22-16, since late April! The wind finally blew leaves off of trees so we could see this juvie perching near Park Visitors' Center.... 

 And he/she is off....

 On the same day, we could view the nest.  Looks like our eagle pair is keeping the new nest they had to build last year.  Too bad it's much harder to see.....

 Tuesday, 12-22, was a banner day.  We went to a nearby historical property to help band baby barn owls (in Dec???) Our naturalist, Greg, is fishing a chick out of the nest box.....

 Here's the one male chick---has a very white face.  They are probably 4-5 weeks old and should be flying in about 2 weeks.  We hope there won't be snow, so they will be able to see and catch dinner!!.....

 Michelle is holding the male, Jeff and I have the females...

 All three chicks...

Eagle Visit at Home, 10-12-16

A sign from above, sent by my Uncle Frank??

Chelsea Farm Visitors, Friday, 3-11-16

 Finally saw a fox walk through the front yard....

Around the pond in the back of the farm office, some woodworking has been happening!!...

 Beginning of a new lodge??...

 Ah Ha!  A perpetrator making a tail trail!  We have seen nibbled trees in the past, but no beaver has been sighted before...

 MORE CARPENTRY. This is going on in the woods on left side of pond.  Doubt if they will move these logs, but they do eat the bark and seem to cut down more trees than they need...

Here is a tree whose base has been wrapped with wire by the rangers and should survive. We have had good results doing this at Patuxent River Park.  There was also a beaver swimming in the middle!...

 This beaver got a spike hairdo!!...

 Damaged trees that didn't get wrapped in time...

 Most of the pond at 6:00PM.  In the front, you may be able to see a circular black and white object. That is the TOP of the overflow pipe to prevent flooding! There's an underground pipe that directs the extra water under the side, short dam to a creek down below.  Has some engineer plugged this device??...

You may want to enlarge these two for a better look...

 Here's the center of the same pond picture showing THREE beavers!! Now that we have daylight savings time, we may not see them very often, as they are nocturnal...



February Eagles at Patuxent River Park

 

On February 2, 2016, one of our regular juvies stayed in a tree for awhile near the Visitors' Center....

 

A Day at the Spa!

If you recall a couple weeks ago, Tuesday, Feb. 16 was supposed to be the last day of the East's "monsoon"!

Here's a juvie sitting in the rain near the office....

 Finally could see that it got a "spike" hairdo!....

 

We think our juvie flew away, but then saw this bird with a white belly in a tree near the admin. office.  At first it almost looked like an osprey!!

Could be our same earlier juvie!?....

A Fuzzball in the SUN!!!....

 Doing a little preening....

 Hanging a wing out to dry!  This yucky day redeemed itself!....