Park Birds in the Snow, Jan. 27

Female red-winged blackbird, cardinal, and white-throated sparrow.

Our cute buddy, Carolina wren.
Goldfinches are showing yellow plumage.

Naptime after lunch!

Winterberries

Jan. 27 Park Eagles

One of the nesting pair in a tree close to the entrance road.

This eagle landed very close to the Visitor Center. Did not get a second chance to refocus, so use your imagination or think of it as modern art.
FOUR juvies appeared in Jug Bay.
And then there were three.

Their pal flew down the river.

Blackwater Eagle Egg 1-23-09

Icy Saturday at the Park, 1-17-09

The frozen Patuxent River in early morning.
Looking downriver, there was a hazy fog lifting off the ice as the sun rose.

Ice flakes falling in the sun in front of the former McClure Gun Club! We couldn't tell if they came from the sky or blew off the trees.

Canada geese huddled in Jug Bay.

Icy Saturday, 1-17-09 Part II

Mourning dove and "puffy" white-throated sparrow.
See this heron huddled in same spot frequently. Today he stayed until late afternoon and finally flew off to find a nightcap.

Some flashes of blue........

Jan. 3, '09 Park Eagle

There's our girl!

Two or three pileateds were in the area.

Here's view of nest and pileated on the right.

What a difference a little sun makes on the nest! Too bad we couldn't see our big bird.

Our Woodpeckers

The Downy and Hairy woodpeckers are almost identical in

plummage. The Hairy is 2" to 3" larger and has a much

longer beak. Our "Ms. Headband" has been visiting for 3

years and has an unusual charcoal band in front of her red

head patch. All the other female red-bellies have a uniform

pale grey forehead.

In early '08 we first saw a male sapsucker. They are the only

woodpecker species that migrates.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Here's a good view of the "red belly".