Traveling Geese 4-27-12

The arrow shows the area behind the foliage where there is a containment pond. From there to the big trees is a field with untrimmed grass. Today, the top of an adult goose was seen emerging from the field. The building is on the left...

 From the window we saw the whole goose family! Did they all travel through the field!? There is a gravel road around the grassy area, but no one was seen there! If you enlarge, you may be able to see 7 goslings....

Marching to our pond for the evening!....

Beware of the Mail!!!

On the porch of our Exhibit Office Farmhouse, we have two plastic bins. One is for interoffice mail envelopes and the other is for work orders or jobs to drop off or pick up.  Last week, THIS is what I saw when I opened the porch door!!!.....

 Today Bubba made it indoors! He was left by one of the historians that is working on our new Fishing/Trapping Museum at Patuxent River Park. I think he needs some refurbishing. (Why didn't she give it to our crack taxidermist??)..

Outdoor Shepherdstown, 4-21-2012

We finally found the Potomac behind NCTC. In background is Dam # 4. A man with his young son came to fish and said they often see eagles fishing there, too! Some that we know??...

 We drove back over the bridge from town and went down to the C & O canal, towpath, and Potomac River....

 A train track support straddles the road next to the Canal!.....

More of the "creepy" train track.....

We found a small puddle of water in the Canal which is mostly a grassy ditch. The raised hill behind is the towpath and the River is behind that...

 Water!.....

The Potomac River....

 One of the steep paths down to the River, probably used by the campers there and fishermen....

Shepherdstown Sights

In 1734, Thomas Shepherd took up a tract of 222 acres. For a short time the settlement was called Pack Horse Ford or Swearingen's Ferry. In 1762, The VA Assembly named it Mecklenburg. In later 18th century it was changed to Shepherd's Town, as Thos. Shepherd was the sole trustee and was responsible for the government. It got today's name after the Civil War and there is a dispute whether S'town or Romney are the oldest cities in the state of West Virginia.

The Entler Hotel, 1786, now houses the Shepherdstown Museum and Visitors'Center. It had become a men's dorm for the College, then a buyer wanted to use the space for a parking lot!! Thank goodness there were protests!...

 Some Museum items....

(you can double click to enlarge and read some of the text or signs)

 Manual sewing machine and flat iron....

 Crocheted flag made during WW II.....

 The Railroad bridge we saw! Opened in 1879...

 Some American Indian artifacts....

 Snyder boat model built by a young man recovering from rheumatic fever....

 Behind the Museum is the famous Rumsey Steamboat display....

 The stern with information on the 1786 invention. Rumsey had lived in Harpers Ferry previously and built a house for George Washington who had formed the "Potomac Co." to improve navigation on upper Potomac. James Rumsey was chosen superintendant...

 Steam engine parts...

 Looking towards the bow....

 Lovely building across the street that is now a restaurant....

 Old Masonic Temple....

We were parked across the street, just a couple spots down from the famous Betty's Restaurant!

Another Surprise! April 18, 2012

When leaving Chelsea farm office today, saw some tannish fur disappear into tall grass at edge of front field. This spot is where the fox den was last year. Stopped car and went behind a tree. Later, some little furballs came out of the edge half of the way down the field!.....

The past few times we've seen baby foxes, it's been in the first week of May!! Most of these are blurry, but if you enlarge probably three kits can be seen here....

 Maybe four....

 FOUR......

There may be more.  We'll be watching!

Other Spring Babies

We've seen these before, but soon the leaves will be covering the two eaglets (bobbles to the right of Mom) at Patuxent River Park. Photo taken Tuesday, 4-17....

 At Chelsea pond on Wed., 4-18, was first sighting of goslings. Now you see them....

 Now you don't!! (They're in between the parents!)....

 The whole family headed for the pond edge. Seven goslings were spotted up on the grass later....

Ruff 4-17-12

The Ruff, Philomachus pugnax, is a rare Eurasian visitor. It was seen in Jug Bay on the Patuxent River on 4-16 and 4-17.

Here is link to an article in the MD Osprey by Fred Shaffer who spotted the bird~~  The Ruff

The bird we saw was probably a male and had a dark red base to the black bill.

First Sighting in 2012

Must be ESP! We recalled that early May at Chelsea farm office is the time to see fox kits and wondered if we'll have some this year. About 3PM, this fox was seen exploring the front field......

 Must see something.....

 The next two pictures show something in his mouth!...

 Hello.....

 He/she continued to explore the field and was still there at 4:30 pm. Turning on the car didn't disturb him. Altho we could not see the white tail tip, this is a red fox.....

Eagle Surprise 4-10-12

Things seemed normal this AM with Mom in the nest....

 This afternoon, Dad and a Bobble were there. I walked back up the road to my car...

 When driving past the nest, there were NO adults. In a minute, an adult flew in with a fish...

 And then there were TWO!!!!!.....

Easter Critters

Scooter took a nap with the Easter Bunny....

 Binky inspected the eggs....