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Eaglet tests its wings

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, bald eagle nest, Canon 7D, eaglet, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on May 7, 2023| 2 Comments »

This juvenile Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) may not be quite ready to fly, but it was testing out its wings by flapping them vigorously while I was observing the nest on Friday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The eaglet is so large that there is no longer any room in the small nest for its parents—one of its parents was perched on a higher branch in the same sycamore tree.

A few weeks ago, I observed two eaglets in this nest and I have not had a good look at both eaglets since that time. Has something happened to the other eaglet? When I looked closely at all of my photos, I noticed that I could see the silhouettes of both eaglets sitting side by side in some of the images, as you can see in the final photo. The eagle on the left seems much smaller than the one on the right, which was the one that was flapping its wings in the first two photos.

The foliage in the tree and the barrier across the trail keep me from seeing any better what is happening in this eagle nest, but it looks like the eaglets are growing bigger and stronger, especially the one on the right. It should not be too long before it is time for the eaglet to be making its first tentative attempts at flight.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Ospreys

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on May 5, 2023| 2 Comments »

There are now plenty of Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) to see at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, though it is still a challenge to get a decent shot of one. I spotted the osprey in the first photo last week and it seemed to be in a pensive mood or perhaps was simply alert to the possibility of an attack from above. One of my Facebook readers suggested that this was an osprey father-to-be who was contemplating the weight of his new responsibilities and the end of his happy-go-lucky bachelor days.

The osprey in the second shot was keeping watch over one of the larger osprey nests at the wildlife refuge. Unlike bald eagles, which put a lot of care and attention into the construction of their nests, ospreys often seem content to throw a few sticks together in a rather haphazard way. As a result, quite a few osprey nests are damaged by winter storms and have to be reconstructed when the ospreys return in the spring.

The osprey in the final shot is working on a different nest. Ospreys lay their eggs later than the eagles, which are already caring for their young eaglets. It is probably about time now for the ospreys to begin sitting on their nests and incubating their own eggs.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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King of the hill

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged birds in flight, Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Tree Swallow, Woodbridge VA on May 2, 2023| 3 Comments »

As I was focusing in on a Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) that was happily singing from a perch sticking out of a small pond, another swallow came screeching in in an attempt to take over the perch. The attack was successful and the first bird was forced to leave.

Happy with his effort to become “king of the hill,” the new swallow began to sing with all of his might as he surveyed his new kingdom. How long will his reign last? Undoubtedly the swallow knows that others may soon seek his place, but seems determined to enjoy his moment in the spotlight.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Impassive eagle

Posted in aircraft, Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, bald eagle nest, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on April 29, 2023| 8 Comments »

This Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) remained steadfastly on guard above its large nest on Wednesday at Occoquan National Wildlife Refuge as a jet flew by in the distance. As I was focusing on the eagle, I caught sight of the jet out of the corner of the eye and managed to time the shot pretty well to be able to include the jet in the frame.

Normally I do not like to include man-made objects in my wildlife photos, but in this case I really like the juxtaposition between the wildness of a bald eagle’s flight and the more “civilized” human flight.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Prothonotary Warbler

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Prothonotary Warbler, Protonotaria citrea, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on April 23, 2023| 9 Comments »

I was ecstatic to spot this bright yellow Prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea) on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It can be a little frustrating at time of the year when warblers are migrating through our area, because there are leaves on the trees that conceal the little birds—I often end up hearing more warblers than seeing them.

The warbler was perched on this clump of vegetation at the end of a branch and was reaching down into the cluster of leaves. At first I thought that the item in the warbler’s bill was an insect, but now I wonder if it might be a seed. Although Prothonotary Warblers like to eat all kinds of insects, they will also eat fruits and seeds.

I am by nature a curious person and don’t recall encountering the word “prothonotary” in any other context. What is a prothonotary? According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “The Prothonotary Warbler got its name from the bright yellow robes worn by papal clerks, known as prothonotaries, in the Roman Catholic church.” A prothonotary is also the chief clerk in certain courts of law, including in the state of Pennsylvania.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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“Flasher” pose

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, flasher pose, Great Blue Heron on April 23, 2023| Leave a Comment »

Last Tuesday I spotted a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge with its wings spread forward in the so-called “flasher pose.” There are several theories about why herons assume this posture. Some speculate that it is for the purpose of temperature regulation (either to warm up or to cool off) or to dry out their feathers. Others believe that it is part of the preening process and that the increased heat makes parasites more active and easier to remove.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Two little eaglets

Posted in Baby photography, Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, bald eagle babies, bald eagle nest, Canon 7D, eaglets, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on April 21, 2023| 5 Comments »

On Tuesday I hiked to the farthest Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nest at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, hoping to determine if there were any eaglets in the nest. During most of the year you can walk past this nest as part of a big loop, but the road is now blocked to protect the eagles, so you have to double back along the trail (a distance of almost two miles (3.2 km) to return to the parking lot.

This eagle nest is in a sycamore tree. Several years ago, one of the limbs gave way and during the off-season almost half of the nest slid to the ground. The eagles have done some repairs each year, but the nest is still relatively small. At this time of the year, there is a good deal of new foliage, so it is a bit difficult to see what is going on in the nest.

When I arrived at the nest, I noticed that one of the adults was sitting completely upright, which was a good sign. When the eagles are incubating the eggs, the tend to hunker down in the nest, with only their heads visible.

As I watched and waited, the adult eagle flew to some higher branches in the tree. My flow of adrenaline and sense of anticipation increased as I waited to see if an eaglet would appear. I was double delighted when two little heads popped up. The eaglet on the left seemed to be a bit bigger than its sibling and was probably the older of the two. In the second image, the bigger eaglet is looking upwards toward the branch where the adult was perched.

I was a long way off when I took these photos with my telephoto zoom lens, so they are not super quality images, but they provide proof that there are at least two little eaglets in this nest. As I noted in an earlier post, there is one eaglet in another nest on the refuge. The third active eagle nest is so large and high up in the trees that it is not yet possible to tell if there are any eagle babies in it—any eaglets will probably have to grow stronger and larger before the climb up to the the edge of that nest.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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The eaglet has landed

Posted in Baby photography, Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged baby eagle, Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, eaglet, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on April 19, 2023| 7 Comments »

I was delighted yesterday to photograph an eaglet in one of the Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) nests at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Last week, several photographers posted photos in Facebook of the baby eagle, so I knew for sure that there was at least one in the nest. I have been keeping a close eye on this nest, a small one that was used by ospreys last year, and knew that it would have trouble comfortably accommodating an adult eagle and a growing eaglet.

When I first arrived at the barrier that closes the trail, I could see through the foliage that an eagle was sitting upright in the nest, but I could not see an eaglet. I watched and waited and the eagle eventually flew away. A short time later, another eagle flew in and landed on a tree branch above the nest rather than in the nest. As the eagle approached the nest, a little head popped up and I was able to capture the first image.

The eagle in the tree kept watch over the curious little eaglet and I never did see the adult sit in the tree. After a while, the eaglet disappeared from sight—it was probably time for its afternoon nap.

When I departed the area to check on another eagle nest, the adult was still on duty in the tree. I passed by this nest one last time and noted that an eagle was now sitting in the nest. It may be that one of the parents is small enough to fit into the nest and the other one is simply too large. As the baby grows, I suspect that both parents will be forced out of the nest. I would not see the eaglet until the adult lifted its wing and I was able to capture the final image.

As you can probably see from the blotches of green in the photos, I did not have an unobstructed view of the nest. I am hoping that the leaves on the trees do not fully block my view in the upcoming weeks.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Two small birds

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Carolina Wren, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Thryothorus ludovicianuscarol, white-throated sparrow, Woodbridge VA, Zonotrichia albicollis on April 15, 2023| 5 Comments »

When it comes to photographs, do you prefer “pretty pictures” or “action shots?” If I were to judge from “likes” on social media platforms, “pretty pictures” are more popular, although I am often most proud of my “actions shots.” One of the coolest things about photography, of course, is that there is a wide latitude for individual styles and preferences and neither the viewer nor the photographer has to be forced into making false choices.

On Monday I took a couple of photos of small birds during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. At this time of the year I am thrilled when I am able to spot the small birds that are often hidden by the increasingly dense foliage.

The bird in the first photo is an incredibly cute Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus). Carolina Wrens frequently poke about in the undergrowth and I was delighted when this one chose instead to perch on a photogenic branch in the open. The result was this pretty portrait of the little wren that looks almost like it was taken in a studio environment.

The bird in the second photo is a White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis). It was not perched in the open and it was not stationary. The little sparrow was bobbing and moving as it attempted to grab some of the tender shoots growing on the tree. I was happy when I managed to get a shot in which the bird has one of the shoots in its mouth. The background in this image is cluttered and part of the bird’s body is hidden by a branch. However, I like the moment that I captured and the way that the image provides a sense of the bird’s environment.

When I am photographing wildlife, I am unconsciously making a series of creative choices in the way that I frame an image and the camera settings that I use, all of which affect the look and feel of the resulting images. Sometimes of those images will be “artsy” and others will be “documentary”—I love both styles of photography.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Spiky-haired Heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm on April 4, 2023| 6 Comments »

When I first spotted this Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I immediately noticed how spiky its feathers looked—they were sticking out in all directions. When I was growing up (and had hair), there were times when I had some unruly strands of hair that were equally uncontrollable. I would sometimes resort to a little bit of Brylcreem to slick down my hair—to this day I remember one of the marketing slogans for this product, “Brylcreem—a little dab will do ya!” When I was really little, my Mom would sometimes use a little saliva on her fingers to control my wayward hairs—it worked.

The heron was intently focused on an area with rocks and slowly moved closer to it, gradually lowering its head. I waited and waited and eventually the heron struck. I did not see the actual strike, because the heron’s head was hidden by the rocks at that moment. I was excited to see what the heron had caught. As the heron lifted its head, I was shocked to see a tiny fish in its bill. Though the fish was only an appetizer at best, the heron carefully maneuvered it into position and swallowed it.

When I left the heron, it had returned to fishing, dreaming perhaps of its next catch, which would hopefully be bigger than this one.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Winter Wren

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Prince William County VA, Tamron 18-400mm, Troglodytes hiemalis, Winter Wren, wren on April 2, 2023| 5 Comments »

Throughout the winter I searched in vain for a Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis), but finally managed to spot one last Thursday as I was exploring a stream in Prince William County, Virginia on a sunny spring day. According to the Audubon Field Guide, the Winter Wren is “A secretive little bird of dense woods. It often creeps about among fallen logs and dense tangles, behaving more like a mouse than a bird, remaining out of sight but giving an occasional kimp-kimp callnote.”

When I took these photos, I was standing in a dried-up stream bed, so I was almost at eye-level with this tiny bird. This angle of view allowed me to get much better shots that I would have gotten if I had been shooting downwards at the subject. I recommend that you click on the images to get a closer look at the beautiful details on this wren, including its speckled feathers, upturned tail, large feet, and sharp bill.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Brown Creeper in March

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged brown creeper, Canon 7D, Certhia americana, creeper, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 30, 2023| 7 Comments »

Brown Creepers (Certhia americana) are unusual-looking birds. They are relatively small songbirds (about 5 inches (13 cm) in length) that have long, curved claws and a sharp, curved bill. Their mottled bodies cause them to blend in really well with the bark of the trees on which they are usually found. Even when I manage to spot one, they tend to be in motion all of the time as they spiral their way up the trunk of the tree, making them tough to photograph.

Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge I was thrilled to capture some shots of a Brown Creeper. I was particularly happy that the images show the bird’s distinctive bill and claws. In the middle photo, you can see how the creeper uses its curved bill to poke about in the crevices as it searches for insects, sometimes bracing itself with its stiff tail.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Cardinal on the rocks

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, cardinal on the rocks, Cardinalis cardinalis, Huntley Meadows Park, male Northern Cardinal, Northern cardinal, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on March 26, 2023| 9 Comments »

It is always fun to photograph familiar subjects in an unexpected environment. This past week I spotted a male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) amidst the rocks and other debris at the edge of the water at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge rather than in the vegetation where I normally see cardinals.

I was delighted to be able to capture a series of images as the cardinal moved about on the rocks and eventually made his way to the water. He dipped his head to take a drink, but his face was completely hidden from view, so I was not able to capture that moment.

On the whole, though, I really like the balance I was able to achieve in showing both the primary subject and the environment in which I found him—the brightness of the cardinal’s red body definitely helped him to stand out from the somewhat cluttered background and foreground despite the fact that he filled only a small part of the frame.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Channel marker nest

Posted in Architecture, Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, channel marker, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Osprey, osprey nest, Pandion haliaetus, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 25, 2023| 8 Comments »

Most of the nests of Ospreys(Pandion haliaetus) that I have seen in the past were in trees, but sometimes ospreys build their nests in readily manmade structures. On Tuesday I spotted an osprey couple that appeared to have taken over a nest on a channel marker in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

In past years I have seen osprey activity at this same channel marker, but do not know for sure if ospreys were successful in hatching eggs there. The nest takes up only half of the space on the marker and there looks to be enough room to accommodate a second osprey couple. However, I doubt that the current occupants would tolerate the presence of neighbors that close, so it seems unlikely that I will see side-by-side nests in the future.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Ospreys have returned

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Osprey, osprey in flight, Pandion haliaetus, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 24, 2023| 4 Comments »

Like many other local photographers, I am thrilled that Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) have returned to our area—they spend the colder months in warmer locations. On Tuesday, I captured several shots of one of the ospreys as it soared above me at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Ospreys hover in the air a bit, so it is a bit easier to get shots of them flying than it is with eagles and hawks. However, it is still a challenge to get shots that have good wing and head positions. I was happy that the osprey was flying towards me in both of these images and its eyes are somewhat visible.

More osprey are sure to arrive soon and I am sure that I will get some better (and closer) shots in the upcoming months. I am content with these shots that that document the fact that the ospreys have returned, yet another sign of the arrival of spring.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Osprey-Eagle Squabble

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 23, 2023| 13 Comments »

I am not sure what was going on Tuesday in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but two Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were perched on a structure and an aggressive Osprey(Pandion haliaetus) kept dive-bombing them repeatedly. The osprey would fly by right above them and each time the eagles would rear up with their talons extended as they screamed at the osprey. I took the shot below from a long way away, but it gives you a sense of the action.

Several of my friends on Facebook suggested that this might have been a territorial dispute. Others posited that the eagles had stolen a fish from the osprey and the osprey was angry about it. Another friend provided a link to a fascinating article at Natural Habitat Adventures entitled “Eagles and Ospreys: When Birds of Prey Clash.” According to the article, eagles will sometimes steal osprey chicks and ospreys may attack eagles while they are eating. It is too early for there to be chicks—ospreys have only recently returned to our area—but it is certainly possible that this was a food fight.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Pops of color

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Haemorhous mexicanus, House Finch, Kingstowne VA, Setophaga coronata, Tamron 150-600mm, Yellow-rumped Warbler on March 22, 2023| 8 Comments »

Bright colors are starting to emerge in the landscape as we move deeper into spring, a welcome sight after the long gray days of winter. I was delighted to see some equally bright colors in the feathers of several small birds that I photographed last Saturday in the vegetation surrounding a small suburban pond in Northern Virginia.

The first bird appears to be a female Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). Normally I am not a big fan of a head-on shot of a bird, but in this case I really like the way that the photo shows both of the bird’s yellow patches on its breast (there is also a yellow patch on the warbler’s rump).

The bird in the second photo is a male House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus). I was struck by the intensity of the red on the finch’s upper body, which reminded me of the color of a male cardinal.

In the coming months, warblers will be migrating northward through my area. Each year it is a real challenge for me to get shots of these colorful little birds, because they appear just as the trees begin to cover themselves with leaves—I often can hear warblers behind the leafy foliage without being able to see them.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Building nests?

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, House Sparrow, Kingstowne VA, nest building, Passer domesticus, sparrow, Tamron 150-600mm on March 21, 2023| 3 Comments »

On Saturday I encountered several female House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) with clumps of vegetation in their mouths and suspect that they are beginning to construct nests. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “House Sparrow prefers to nest in manmade structures such as eaves or walls of buildings, street lights, and nest boxes instead of in natural nest sites such as holes in trees.”

I know that some people resent the invasive presence of House Sparrows, which were introduced in the United States from Europe in 1851, because they sometimes displace native species. Personally I find them to be as interesting to observe and photograph as any other birds.

Perspective makes a difference—as a photographer I focus my attention on different aspects of my subjects than others may do. For, example, I know that farmers and gardeners will view some vegetation and insects as pests, while I may find them to be beautiful subjects. It is definitely a cliché, but there is also truth in the old saying that “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Early bird?

Posted in Birds, Humor, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged American robin, Canon 7D, early bird, Kingstowne VA, Tamron 150-600mm, Turdus migratorius on March 20, 2023| 1 Comment »

Does the proverbial early bird always get the worm? I’m not sure if that is necessarily the case. I photographed this American Robin (Turdus migratorius) just before noon on Saturday. Perhaps this robin likes to sleep in late during the weekend. Whatever the case, I was delighted to capture this image of the robin snagging a juicy worm for its meal, which might have been brunch for a late-rising bird.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Cormorant eyes

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Alexandria VA, Canon 7D, cormorant, cormorant eyes, Double-crested Cormorant, Kingstowne VA, Phalacrocorax auritus, Tamron 150-600mm on March 19, 2023| 8 Comments »

When the light is coming from the right direction and a Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) is fairly close, you can catch a glimpse of the bird’s stunning turquoise eyes. Yesterday I was fortunate to spot a cormorant perched on a concrete bar that sticks out of a retention pond in a nearby neighborhood. The cormorant was fairly close to the shore, which meant that I was able to capture some detailed images of the striking bird.

The first image is a simply a crop of the second image that really highlights the cormorant’s eyes. The orange skin on its face really makes those eyes “pop.” The cormorant twisted its body from side to side, stretching its long neck, before finally slipping into the water, as you can see in the final photo. This is the view that I am most accustomed to during my wildlife adventures, though normally the cormorant is a lot farther away from me.

These photos are proof that it is not always necessary to travel to a wildlife refuge to see wildlife—this pond is only about a mile (1.6 km) or so from my suburban townhouse.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Eagle eyes

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, eagle eyes, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 18, 2023| 5 Comments »

When a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) looks directly at me, it feels really intense—there is a sense of ferocity and power in its glaring eyes. Normally I do not like eye-t0-eye photos of birds, because that direct angle causes their bills to look really strange. In this photo, though, I really like the way that the eagle’s beak looks and the way that the color of its beak matches the color of its feet. The sharpness of the beak also mirrors the sharpness of the eagle’s prominent talons.

I try to get as many different kinds of photos of eagle as I can, and this image has a different “feel” than most of my other images. There is a minimalism and starkness that really appeal to me and a very, but effective composition.

I really feel blessed that I get to see bald eagles so often when I visit Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, where I take most of the eagle shots that are featured in my blog postings.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Changing of the guard

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, bald eagle nest, Canon 7D, changing of the guard, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 17, 2023| 6 Comments »

Most of the time I am an opportunistic photographer—I wander about and react to the the things that I see. During the nesting season of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), however, I will hangout at spots where I can observe the eagle nests.

The members of an eagle couple take turns sitting on the eggs, and I love to try to capture the changing of the guard, i.e. when one eagle switches off with the other one. Earlier this month, I observed such an exchange at one of the nests that I watch at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The first photo shows the departing eagle. If you look closely behind the eagle, you will see some small twigs in the air that were dislodge during the takeoff. I had to look through a lot of vegetation to get a clear view of the nest and the dark smudges in the photo are branches that were partially blocking my vision—fortunately those branches were on the periphery of my composition.

The second photo shows the arriving eagle. The nest is so small that I don’t think it could hold both eagles at the same times, particularly when there are fragile eggs present.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Eastern Phoebe in March

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Eastern Phoebe, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, phoebe, Sayornis phoebe, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 15, 2023| 2 Comments »

It’s almost time for birds to be migrating northward through our area, some of which will remain with us throughout the warmer months. Many birders look forward to this time when warblers appear each year. For me, though, it is always a challenge, because leaves appear at about the same time, making it tough to spot the new birds.

Earlier this month I was happy to get a few shots of an Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe), one of the earliest migrating species. The phoebe was initially foraging on the ground and then flew up into a tree. It is interesting to compare the two photos and see what a difference the background makes in the “feel” of the photos.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Vulture in a tree

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Cathartes aura, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, turkey vulture, turkey vulture portrait, vulture, Woodbridge VA on March 14, 2023| 7 Comments »

A Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) turned its head to check me out as I walked by it during a recent visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. However, the vulture did not move from its perch, suggesting to me that there was something dead nearby that had attracted the vulture’s attention.

I couldn’t help but think of a joke about a vulture that a friend told me last year—A vulture boards an airplane carrying two dead raccoons. The flight attendant looks at him and says, “I’m sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger.” Sorry—I have a somewhat warped sense of humor and love puns and wordplay.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Spread your wings and fly

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, birds in flight, Canon 7D, eagle in flight, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, soaring eagle, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 13, 2023| 2 Comments »

Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) have impressive wing spans, approximately 80.3 inches (204 cm), according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I was thrilled last week to capture some images of an eagle with its wings fully extended as it flew over me at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The afternoon sunlight was pretty strong, which caused a shadow on the side of the eagle’s face, but I was happy that I was able to keep the visible eye in pretty sharp focus—you may want to click on the images to get a better look at the eagle’s eyes.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Coming in for a landing

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, bald eagle nest, birds in flight, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, landing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 12, 2023| 8 Comments »

Last Wednesday I watched as this Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) approached its nest to take the place of its mate, who had flown away a moment earlier. It would have been cooler if the eagle had been coming towards me when it landed, but I like the way that I was able to capture the wing, tail, and talon positions in the first two photos. In the final photo, the eagle had successfully landed at the large nest—the eagle’s head was initially in the shadows, so I was happy when it glanced over its shoulder in my direction and the sunlight hit its eye.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Eagle grabs coot

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged American Coot, Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, coot, Fulica americana, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 11, 2023| 12 Comments »

Whenever I see a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) in the air, I will try to track it through the lens of my camera. This past Wednesday I was tracking an eagle that was a long way from me at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The eagle was flying quite low, so I figured he was fishing.

I snapped the first photo shortly after the eagle dropped down to the water and grabbed what I thought was a fish. As you can see in the photo, the birds in the immediate area were quite agitated with the eagle flying just above them. When I examined the image on my computer, I realized that the eagle’s prey was probably an American Coot (Fulica americana), not a fish.

The eagle flew low over the water, probably to avoiding alerting any other eagles of its catch. As the eagle flew by me, I was able to capture the second and third images that clearly show the wings of the bird in the eagle’s talons.

The eagle landed in a small tree not far from the shore and proceed to feast on its freshly-caught meal. The bird was wedged in a crook in the tree that helped to steady the prey as the eagle dug into it. If you look closely at the eagle’s beak in the fourth photo, you can see bright red blood from the bird.

When the eagle had partially consumed its meal, it flew to another tree. In the final photo you can see the dangling feet of the prey. Unlike ducks that have webbed feet, coots have lobed feet with long toes and you can see some of those toes in the last image. If you would like to get a closer look at a coot’s feet, check out my December 2014 blog post entitled “Coot feet.”

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Chickadee in flight

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged birds in flight, Canon 7D, Carolina Chickadee, chickadee, chickadee takeoff, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Poecile carolinensis, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 10, 2023| 7 Comments »

I was tracking a Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) foraging high in a tree at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge on Wednesday and instinctively pressed the camera shutter when it took off, allowing me to capture this cool image of the tiny bird. I love the fully outstretched wings, which appear to be translucent, and the long skinny legs that were just being released from the branch when I took the shot.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Immature bald eagle

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, sub-adult, sub-adult bald eagle, Tamron 150-600mm telephoto, Woodbridge VA on March 9, 2023| 7 Comments »

When Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) are born, they have brown heads, brown eyes, and a black beak. It takes about five years for them to develop the characteristic white head, pale eyes, and yellow beak that we associate with adult bald eagles. Certain changes take place each year and it is possible to estimate the age of immature bald eagle on the basis of its appearance.

I believe that the eagle depicted in the two two photos is about 3 1/2 years old. There is still a good deal of mottling in the feathers on its chest and some brown patches on its mostly white head. If you would like more detailed information about the developmental stages of bald eagles, I highly recommend an article by Avian Report entitled “Juvenile & Immature Bald Eagles.”

I do not see eagles of this age very often at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, where I took these photos last week. Most of the eagles that I see are adults or are a year or two younger than this one. From what I have read, eagles reach mating age at about the same time that they get their white heads and tails, so I doubt that this eagle has already found a mate—in human terms, I guess the eagle might be characterized as a teenager.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Male cardinal in March

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, spring, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Cardinalis cardinalis, male Northern Cardinal, Northern cardinal, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 8, 2023| 3 Comments »

Some birds blend in so well with their surroundings that it is hard to spot them. That is definitely not the case with the male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), whose bright red feathers announce his presence in even the most cluttered environment.

Last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted this cardinal as he flew across the trail on which I was walking. Normally cardinals bury themselves in dense vegetation at ground level and it is tough to get a clear view of them. On this occasion, the cardinal perched on a fallen branch and briefly posed for me.

The first two images show off the cardinal’s beautiful red feathers really well, but the final photo is probably my favorite of the three. I love the way that the cardinal cocked his head to the side as he looked right at me—my dog used to look at me sometimes in the same pose with a similar mixture of puzzlement, curiosity, and amusement.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Taking over nesting responsibilities

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, spring, wildlife, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, nesting, Nesting bald eagle, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on March 7, 2023| 2 Comments »

It is hard to tell exactly when eggs are present in the nests of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). However, when I see an eagle hunkered down, it’s a pretty safe assumption that it is helping to incubate the eggs.

Last week, an eagle was sitting in one of the nests that I monitor at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. As I watched, it took off, and I captured some shots of the eagle flying away that I featured in a blog posting entitled “Eagles in flight.”

A short time later, another eagle flew to the nest and the photos below show the arrival of that eagle and its subsequent actions. The eagle carefully examined the nest, made a few adjustments, and eventually settled in for its shift of sitting on the eggs.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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