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!....

 

Park Eagles, Adults! Jan. 19, 2016

On this Tuesday, we were paid visits by adult eagles near the Visitor's Center....

 He/she did not turn around on the branch, but did it's owl imitation by turning it's head 180° !

 The same eagle took off and landed on a spit of land, with the Patuxent River in front and Jug Bay behind.

Below is another eagle who had been sitting behind the first one, eating a morsel.  It flew a little closer.......



Park Eagle Sightings!!, 1-12-16

Surprise, surprise. Saw the first Park eagles this year on last Tuesday, 1-12-16.  This lovely juvie was watching the River from a tree right behind the office.....

 It stayed for quite awhile, then took off, flying down the River.

It was being followed by an adult eagle! Saw the adult a couple times that day...

 In the afternoon,  stopped to try and see the new eagle nest.  For the first time, saw some motion there with TWO eagles nestorating!!

It's so far away that it's blurry pics you get, but you can enlarge...

 Some HP going on!!...

 Taking a rest....