Yesterday, 1 March, marked the start of meteorological spring for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere. Meteorologists divide the seasons into three month increments for easier data tracking, although in the United States we generally use the astronomical calendar that ties the start of spring to the vernal equinox, which is on March 20 in 2026. No matter how you calculate the start of spring, there are definite signs that the seasons are changing.
After a brutally cold period of weather in most of February, we had an unusually warm day on Saturday, the last day of the month. The sun was shining brightly throughout the day and temperatures soared to over 60 degrees (15.5 degrees C). I generally don’t go out with my camera on the weekends to avoid the inevitable crowds, but I couldn’t resist the pull of the beautiful weather and headed off to Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge.
There were quite a few people at the refuge and most of the wildlife that I encountered was out of camera range, but that didn’t really matter. Like the turtles that had risen up from the bottom of the ponds, I enjoyed simply basking in the warmth of the sun.
I did manage to capture a shot of a distant Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Many of you know that I rarely pass up an opportunity to photograph an eagle, even when they are far away. As you can see from the blurry branches in the foreground, I had to bend and twist my body to get a clear view of the eagle through the thicket of branches that mostly blocked my view.
It will soon be nesting season for the eagles, so I’ll be checking out several locations at the wildlife refuge this month for signs of eagle activity.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
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