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Another month begins

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, dove, mourning dove, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, Zenaida macroura on February 1, 2025| 9 Comments »

In the midst of all of the chaotic turmoil swirling in my country, I feel a need to post an image reflective of the inner peace that I am seeking at this time, a peace that seems so elusive during this challenging time. This past Monday I encountered this Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) as I was walking along one of the trails at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

The dove was part of a small flock that I inadvertently flushed as the birds were foraging on the ground. Most of the doves flew away, but this one perched in a nearby tree and I was able to capture this peaceful portrait.

Here in the Washington D.C. area we are all in mourning for those who died when a helicopter collided with an airplane over the Potomac River. I hope and pray that we all can use this time for support and sympathy for those who lost loved ones in the accident and not for launching accusations or blame on either end of the political spectrum. “To everything there is a season…A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1,4)

Best wishes to all for a blessed month of February.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Long-necked heron

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, reflection, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 31, 2025| 8 Comments »

This Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) had its neck extended so much on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge that it reminded me of a giraffe. The mind can sometimes make weird associations.

We have finally made it to the end of January. What a crazy month it has been in so many different ways.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Winter Wren

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Troglodytes hiemalis, Winter Wren, Woodbridge VA, wren on January 30, 2025| 5 Comments »

Throughout this winter, I have been trying to capture an image of Winter Wren (Troglodytes hiemalis), a tiny bird that spends the cold season in my area. As described by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, “Winter Wrens hop and scamper through the understory moving more like a mouse than a bird as they investigate upturned roots and decaying logs for food. These energetic birds often bob their entire bodies as if doing squats while they nervously look around in the forest understory.”

I have occasionally caught glimpses of Winter Wrens, but they have invariably moved away before I could get a shot. These wrens are really elusive as they scurry about among the tangled branches and leaves and my camera has struggled to focus on them, choosing instead to focus on the surrounding vegetation.

On Monday, I finally managed to get a shot of a Winter Wren, after tracking it through the brush for almost 15 minutes. It is definitely not a prize-winner, but I am pretty confident that I achieved my goal. Parts of the bird are hidden by branches, but I think helps viewers to better understand the environment in which this little birds are found.

Now I have a new challenge—to get a better shot of a Winter Wren. That’s part of the cycle of being a wildlife photographer, celebrating small achievements, but always believing that I can do better. That’s why I return again and again to the same places, always watching, always waiting, wildly optimistic that new opportunities will present themselves.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Song Sparrow in the winter

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Melospiza melodia, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, snow, song sparrow, sparrow in the snow, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 23, 2025| 2 Comments »

Many of the trails were still covered in snow (but passable) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge when I visited the refuge after a recent snow storm over a week ago. Much of that snow is still on the ground and the temperatures continue to be well below the freezing level. Fortunately the weather forecasts predict warmer temperatures next week so eventually the snow will begin to melt away..

On the day of my visit small groups of Song Sparrows (Melospiza melodia) were feverishly foraging for tasty tidbits in the bare patches in the trail paralleling the water. In most of my shots the sparrow’s head was buried in the vegetation. Occasionally, though a sparrow would momentarily lifted its head to check me out, as I captured in the final image.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Cooper’s Hawk in winter

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Accipiter cooperii, Canon 7D, Cooper's Hawk, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 20, 2025| 2 Comments »

I spotted this cool-looking Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) last Monday in a sycamore tree at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Cooper’s Hawks usually have an upright posture and long tails, which help me to distinguish them from the Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks that I see more frequently.

However, Cooper’s Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawks are quite similar in appearance, so it is always a bit of a gamble for me to try to make a call. In this case, some more experienced birders in a Facebook forum confirmed my tentative identification.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Kinglet in winter

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Golden-crowned Kinglet, kinglet, kinglet in winter, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Regulus satrapa, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 18, 2025| 4 Comments »

Golden-crowned Kinglets (Regulus satrapa) are among the smallest birds in our area of Northern Virginia at about 4 inches (10 cm) in length. These tiny songbirds are also extremely fast and frenetic and they move about high in the trees.

I spotted a Golden-crowned Kinglet this past Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge on a rare January day with blue skies. When I am tracking kinglets, I usually shoot in short bursts, hoping to capture a moment when the birds are stationary. I often ended up with blurry shots of the back of the head of this kinglet and sometimes the bird moved so quickly that it was already outside of the frame by the time I clicked the shutter.

The favorite two images, as you can see below, show the little bird in motion. In the first photo, the kinglet seemed to hover momentarily as it flitted about among the branches. In the second image, which I cropped significantly, I captured the moment when the kinglet pushed off from one branch and flew downwards towards another prospective perch. I just barely managed to keep the kinglet in the frame—in the original image the kinglet is in the lower third of the image, with its extended wing almost touching the bottom edge.

Patience and persistence helped me get this image, along with fast reflexes from lots of practice. To be honest, though, I must admit that luck played a significant role my success.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Hermit Thrush in winter

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Catharus guttatus, Hermit Thrush, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 16, 2025| 5 Comments »

This handsome Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) posed momentarily for me during my visit earlier this week to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It was unusual for me to be able to get such an unobstructed shot of a bird. Although the leaves are gone from the trees, most of the birds at this time of the year seem to forage within the vegetation where my view is often partially blocked by branches.

I am reasonably sure that this is a Hermit Thrush, though I do not see this species very often, so it is possible that I am mistaken in my identification. Let me know if you think that I have misidentified this bird.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Sparrows in the snow

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, sparrow, sparrows in the snow, Tamron 150-600mm, white-throated sparrow, Woodbridge VA, Zonotrichia albicollis on January 15, 2025| 6 Comments »

Many of the trails were still covered in snow (but passable) on Monday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, so I finally went trekking with my camera. Sparrows were feverishly foraging for tasty tidbits in the bare patches in the trail paralleling the water, including these White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis), one of my favorite winter birds.

These little birds were in constant motion, but it was a lot easier to track them when they were on the ground than in the trees (and I had a long telephoto lens). It was, however, a challenge to capture a moment when the sparrow’s head was not buried in the debris or pointed away from me.

These images may not be as impressive as ones of larger birds, like bald eagles, but I am nonetheless pretty happy to have captured these moment with the sparrows in the snow.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Winter hawk

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Buteo lineatus, Canon 7D, immature Red-shouldered Hawk, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 13, 2025| 2 Comments »

I have mostly stayed indoors this past week because of frigid temperatures, strong winds, and a snowstorm that dumped about 9 inches (23 cm) of snow on us. This is the most snow that we have seen in years and only yesterday has the weather gotten warm enough to melt any of the snow. Today is supposed to be a bit warmer, possibly reaching 40 degrees (5 degrees C) and then the temperatures are forecast to drop again.

Here are a couple of shot of what I think is an immature Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) that I spotted almost two weeks ago at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I often have trouble identifying hawk species, so I may not be right in this instance. Please let me know if you have a different idea about the identification.

The hawk was perched in a tree and the vegetation on the ground allowed me to get relatively close to the hawk, though the same vegetation partially blocked my view and limited my shooting angles.

I hope to get out with my camera later today after things have warmed up a bit. When I first looked out my window this morning, there was a lot of frost on my windshield and the last time I checked the frost was gone. It will be nice to stretch my legs a bit. I have been doing plenty of shoveling (with frequent breaks), but my phone indicates that my daily step count has dropped precipitously.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Acrobatic woodpecker

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged acrobatic, Canon 7D, Melanerpes carolinus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA, woodpecker on January 7, 2025| 11 Comments »

This acrobatic Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) was twisting and contorting its body as it foraged last week in the trees at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge when I spotted it. In the first photo I managed to get a look at the bird’s red belly, a feature that is often hidden from view. The woodpecker seemed to be enjoying some success, though not surprisingly the pickings were fairly meager at this time of the year.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Fish for breakfast

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on January 4, 2025| 6 Comments »

This Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was having pretty good success in catching some small fish one morning last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I personally do not like to have fish for breakfast, but am aware that some people like lox, mackerels, or other kinds of fish with their morning meals. As the old Latin saying goes, “De gustibus non est disputandum” (“There is no accounting for taste.”)

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Ending the year with a warbler

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Setophaga coronata, Tamron 150-600mm, warbler, Woodbridge VA, Yellow-rumped Warbler on January 2, 2025| 7 Comments »

I had been lethargic and uninspired throughout December, but decided on Monday to visit Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge to try to find some birds before the end of the year. As I walked along one of the trails, I spotted a small bird in the trees and tracked it as it moved about. I was not sure what it was, became a little excited when I thought I spotted a bit of yellow.

There are not many colorful birds in our area during the winter months, so I patiently kept tracking this bird. When I captured the first image below, I convinced myself that I would see traces of yellow in the breast of the bird. Eventually the bird turned and faced the opposite direction and I got a good look at the bright yellow patch on its rump—it was a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata), one of very few warbler species that I might see during the winter months.

It was a nice treat for me at the end of the year. Happy New Years to you all and best wishes for a healthy and happy 2025.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Keeping watch

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, eagle, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, vigilant eagle, Woodbridge VA on December 27, 2024| 5 Comments »

As I was exploring Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last week, I spotted a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) perched high in a sweetgum tree. The eagle seemed to be surveying the entire area, like a king keeping watch over his kingdom. I am pretty sure that he spotted me, but may have judged correctly that I was not a threat, and therefore the eagle remained in place as I passed on by.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Eagle couple

Posted in Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Bald Eagle couple, Canon 7D, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 24, 2024| 5 Comments »

Last week I spotted a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) couple perched near each other in a tree at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Although it is not quite nesting season here in Northern Virginia, the eagles were within eye sight of the large nest that you can see in the second photo below. It is hard to get a sense of the massive size of the nest from the photo, but it is so large that the eagles disappear from sight when they are sitting on eggs in that nest.

I suspect that the eagles will soon occupy that nest and, with a little luck, I hope to see some baby eagles in the next few months.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Winter goldfinch

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged American Goldfinch, Canon 7D, goldfinch, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Spinus tristis, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 19, 2024| 2 Comments »

The last time that I recall seeing an American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis) was during breeding season, when the goldfinch was bright yellow in color. That breeding season is long gone and the plumage of goldfinches is a lot drabber in color. I spotted this goldfinch on Tuesday at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and captured this moment when the little bird was sticking out its tongue.

I am not sure if the bird was singing at the time or was merely clearing its throat. Whatever the case, it definitely was cool to be able to see the tiny tongue of the little goldfinch.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Dramatic herons

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, Portraits, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 18, 2024| 16 Comments »

This last week or so, I have had several opportunities to capture “artistic” shots of Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. In these cases the heron was not actively engaged in fishing and was standing in the vegetation a bit removed from the water.

In the first two photos, I was struck by the beautiful light that was falling on the heron. I particularly like the heron’s pose in the first image in which the heron has his neck stretched out, giving him a very slim profile. In the final photo, the heron was partially hidden by the reeds and is much more hunched over in an effort, perhaps, to retain his body heat.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Messy eater

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, messy eater, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, white-throated sparrow, Woodbridge VA, Zonotrichia albicollis on December 17, 2024| Leave a Comment »

Are you a messy eater? Do you feel a need to constantly wipe your face with a napkin? Do you wonder if you have visible food stuck between your teeth? If you are like most people, you are very self-conscious about your appearance.

Birds, on the other hand, don’t seem to mind it when the remains of their last snack remain on their faces. Of course, the absence of mirrors and selfie cameras on cell phones probably makes them less aware of how they look or they simply don’t care.

Last week I spotted this White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge with some berry residue on its upper bill. Perhaps I merely caught the sparrow taking a momentary break from the feeding that seems to occupy the sparrows for most of their waking hours during the winter.

I felt an impulse to pull out a napkin to wipe this little sparrow’s face, but resisted that impulse and continued on my way, happy in the knowledge that the sparrow had been successful in finding something to eat.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Foraging cardinals

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Canon 7D, Cardinalis cardinalis, female Northern Cardinal, male Northern Cardinal, Northern cardinal, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 14, 2024| 1 Comment »

Most of the leaves have fallen from the trees by mid-December and the remaining birds have to work a lot harder to find food than in the warmer months. During a visit on Thursday to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted a small group of Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) foraging among the colorful fallen leaves.

Unlike many other colorful birds that migrate out of our area, cardinals remain with us throughout the year, providing a pop of color in an often monochromatic winter landscape. Although the males, like the one in the final photo, are easier to spot, I often prefer the more subdued beauty of the females, like the one in the first photo.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Tiny catch

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 13, 2024| 9 Comments »

Yesterday I watched a Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) fishing at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. After an extended period of cold and cloudy days, it was a treat for both of us to be out in the somewhat warmer weather. Although the the heron was really focused on its task, its results were modest—the fish that it caught may well be the tiniest fish that I have ever seen a heron catch.

I am hoping that the heron was eventually more successful later in the day—it would take a lot of those tiny fish to satisfy its appetite.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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A raft of coots and ruddy ducks

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged American Coot, Canon 7D, Fulica americana, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Oxyura jamaicensis, raft of coots, Ruddy Duck, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 9, 2024| 4 Comments »

At this time of the year I often see large groups of ducks, often referred to as “rafts” because the ducks gather so closely together, in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Frequently there are different species of ducks intermixed, though in my experience there is usually a dominant species.

In later November, I spotted a large group of American Coots (Fulica americana) during a visit to the refuge, as you can see in the first photo below. Coots are pretty easy to identify because of the shape and color of their bills. In addition to the coots, a number of Ruddy Ducks (Oxyura jamaicensis) were part of the raft. I encourage you to click on the image to get a better look at the individual birds.

Technically, coots are not ducks, though, because they have lobed rather than webbed feet. The coots that day were too far away for me to get a shot of their feet, so I am instead including a photo I took in April 2017 that shows those lobed feet and the coot’s distinctive red eyes.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Modest catch

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 3, 2024| 2 Comments »

Some birds, like the ospreys and Great Egrets, leave our area and migrate to warmer climates as winter approaches. Others, like Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias), remain with us and have to work harder to find food.

Last week I spotted a heron standing in the shallow water of one of the tidal ponds at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. In the past I have often seen herons wait patiently for extended periods of time to catch large fish, but this heron was content to strike often and pluck small fish from the water—every few minutes he would catch another fish, swallow it in a single gulp, and return to fishing.

I encourage you to click on the image to get a better look at the small fish in the heron’s bill and the visible spray of water droplets. I also really like the dynamism of the heron’s pose that suggests both the energy and the focus of the heron.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Vigilant Eagle

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, Winter, tagged Bald Eagle, Canon 7D, eagle nest, Haliaeetus leucocephalus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on December 2, 2024| 2 Comments »

It is still a little early for the Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) to begin nesting at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, but both members of an eagle couple were perched in a tree near a large nest last week when I visited the reserve. One of the eagles was partially blocked from view by the tree’s branches, but I was able to capture this image of the other one as it kept watch over the nesting site.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Ring-necked ducks in November

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Aythya collaris, Canon 7D, female ring-necked duck, male ring-necked duck, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Ring-necked duck, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on November 30, 2024| 1 Comment »

During the winter I often see rafts of ducks in the waters off of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Usually they are gathered in the deep water, far from the shore and out of camera range for close-up shots, but I can usually identify them with my long telephoto lens.

On Wednesday during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, I spotted a large group of mostly American Coots and Ruddy Ducks. When I examined the group really carefully, however, I noticed a pair of Ring-necked ducks (Aythya collaris) that were resting on a semi-submerged log. I have seen this species of diving ducks at other locations, primarily in ponds, but don’t recall seeing them in the open water like this.

I’m pretty sure that the duck in the first photo is a male Ring-necked Duck, thanks to his striped bill and distinctive yellow eye. I am a little less certain about the duck in the second photo, but I think it is probably a female Ring-necked duck because of the white eye ring. I am a little rusty with my bird identifications after a summer spent chasing mostly insects and mammals, but suspect that I will better as we move into winter.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Foraging sparrow

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, sparrow, Tamron 150-600mm, white-throated sparrow, Woodbridge VA, Zonotrichia albicollis on November 29, 2024| 4 Comments »

This past Tuesday I heard a lot of rustling in the underbrush as I walked about in Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Sometimes the noise was caused by squirrels, but often it was the result of energetic White-throated Sparrows (Zonotrichia albicollis) foraging for food amidst the fallen leaves.

White-throated Sparrows overwinter in my area of Northern Virginia and seem to have arrived recently. I love the distinctive markings of these little birds, with their white “beards” and bright yellow lores, i.e. the region between the eye and the bill.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Carolina Wren in November

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Carolina Wren, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Thryothorus ludovicianus, Woodbridge VA on November 20, 2024| 7 Comments »

Monday was a wonderfully sunny autumn day, so I headed out with my camera to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Suspecting that the insects were almost completely gone, I decided that I would primarily be searching for birds and switched to my longest telephoto lens, my Tamron 150-600mm zoom lens. This is a really versatile lens, but it has a minimum focusing distance of almost 9 feet (2700 mm), which makes focusing on small subjects problematic.

There were ducks on the bay, but they were too far away to photograph. I also spotted a few Bald Eagles as they flew away from me. Fortunately I had better luck with a Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) that I initially heard singing. I located the small bird and waited until it turned its head to the side and captured this wonderful little shot of the wren with its mouth wide open and its tail lifted up.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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November birds

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Carolina Chickadee, Catharus guttatus, Downy Woodpecker, Hermit Thrush, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Picoides pubescens, Poecile carolinensis, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on November 14, 2024| 5 Comments »

As the weather cools off and the insects disappear, my attention has gradually been shifting to birds. This was a real challenge for me a month ago when the leaves were still covering the trees and hid the birds from my view. Now, however, most of the leaves have fallen and I feel like I have a fighting chance of spotting a bird when I see or hear one.

On Tuesday I visited Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and managed to capture shots of some of the resident birds. The bird in the first photo is a Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens), the smallest woodpecker in our area. You can see a touch of red on the back of his head, indicating that he is a male.

Carolina Chickadees (Poecile carolinensis), like the one in the second photo, are quite common, but they are small and elusive and therefore difficult to photograph. During most of the time that I was observing this bird, its head was hidden by branches, but I watched and waited and finally was able to get an unobstructed shot of it.

I am not certain of the identification of the bird in the final photo. On the basis of its markings and color, I think that it may be a Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus), but that is really not much more than an educated guess. I would welcome a confirmation or correction from a more experienced birder.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Fish or no fish?

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Ardea herodias, Canon 7D, Great Blue Heron, Great Blue Heron fishing, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA on November 12, 2024| Leave a Comment »

I can usually count on spotting at least one Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) during my visits to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Sometimes, when the tides are right, I will see them in the waters of the bay, but most often they are in the small ponds throughout the refuge.

Last Friday I caught sight of this heron in the shallow waters of one such pond. The heron was intently focused on the water and eventually plunged its head into the water. When the water is deep, the heron will thrust violently into the water, but in this case the movement was much smaller.

I watched and waited as the heron slowly lifted its head to see if it had been successful in catching a fish. As you can see in the final photo, the results were not clear. Obviously the “catch” included a lot of vegetation, but I can’t tell for sure if there was also a small fish. A few seconds later the heron seemed to swallow, dipped its bill into the water to rinse it, and resumed its fishing.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Visiting family

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Melanerpes carolinus, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Tamron 18-400mm, Woodbridge VA, woodpecker on October 9, 2024| 8 Comments »

For the next few weeks my postings will be sporadic as I spend time visiting family members. I know that some viewers are used to seeing almost daily posts and I wanted to reassure in advance them that nothing is wrong. I am hoping to be able to give a few updates during this period, if possible, and plan to resume my “normal” schedule in early November.

I spotted this Red-bellied Woodpecker (Melanerpes carolinus) during a visit to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge last week when the skies were completely cloudy and overcast. The light was limited, so the subject is nor illuminated very well, but I was happy that I was able to capture the texture of the snap on which the woodpecker was perched. If you look closely you can see some small holes in the tree where the woodpecker has been pecking away.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Common Yellowthroat (female)

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Common Yellowthroat, female Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, Woodbridge VA on October 8, 2024| 2 Comments »

I was looking for warblers last week when I visited Occoquan Bay National wildlife and this little bird with bright yellow coloration under its tail was one fo the very few that I was fortunate to spot. I don’t know my warblers very well, so my identification of warbler species is often incorrect. Nonetheless I pored over the images in my bird guide and on line and concluded that this might be a female Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas).

As is often the case, the male of the species is a lot easier to identify with his distinctive black mask, and females tend to me more nondescript. I’d welcome the views of more experienced birders if my identification is wrong. From my perspective, I am happy enough that I managed to capture this shot of the beautiful little bird.

UPDATE: One of my friends on Facebook identified the bird as a Palm Warbler. I really need to work on my identification skills.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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Wild Turkey in October

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, Thanksgiving, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Meleagris gallopavo, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, turkey, Wild Turkey, Woodbridge VA on October 7, 2024| 4 Comments »

At this time of the year holiday preparations become intertwined at retail stores. I have already seen lots of displays for Halloween and suspect that I will see Christmas decorations for sale as well if I look a little harder. Indigenous Peoples Day and Thanksgiving Day are also part of this autumn blitz.

So I guess that it is not that surprising that I immediately thought of Thanksgiving Day when I spotted this Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) last week at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Turkeys are part of the lore of Thanksgiving and play a central role in the traditional feast, though commercial turkeys no longer bear much resemblance to their wild counterparts.

There are several flocks of wild turkeys at this wildlife refuge and I often encounter them foraging along the trails. When they see me, they usually move slowly into the undergrowth—I suspect that they have grown accustomed to the presence of humans, but do not want to interact with them most of the time. Strangely enough, that’s the same attitude that I display when I am out in the wild with my camera.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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White-eyed Vireo in autumn

Posted in Autumn, Birds, Nature, Photography, wildlife, tagged Canon 7D, Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Tamron 150-600mm, vireo, Vireo griseus, White-eyed Vireo, Woodbridge VA on October 5, 2024| 6 Comments »

The weather forecast yesterday showed that there would be some sunshine, a welcome respite after a lengthy period of rainy and/or overcast weather, so I ventured out to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Some other photographers have recently posted photos of warblers there and I thought that I would try my luck, knowing that the still abundant foliage would hamper my efforts to spot them.

As I was walking along on one of the trails, I saw some flashes of yellow, a good indication of a possible warbler. I watched and waited and eventually managed to get a few shots of the bird. I vaguely recalled having seen this species before, but I couldn’t remember what it was. A short time later, I encountered a couple of birders with binoculars. I am usually reluctant to ask for help out in the field, but somehow I managed to overcome my inhibitions and showed them a photo. One of them suggested that it was probably a White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus), not a warbler.

When I returned home, I checked my blog and found that I had previously seen White-headed Vireos in the spring of both 2022 and 2o24. In those cases, the eyes of the vireo were much whiter than those of this bird, which somehow made those prior identifications a little easier.

This is a transitional time of the year for me, a time when I try to search for both birds and dragonflies. My head is moving almost continuously as I alternate between scanning the nearby ground area for insects and the more distant trees for birds.

Summer stragglers and migratory birds mean that I never know what I might encounter when I go walking with my camera, so I try to stay alert and ready at all times.

© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.

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