Birding - Higbee Beach

For me it was another glorious fall day with moderate temperatures and lots of birds to make me happy.  I have been away or busy most of the past month so I haven't had much of a chance to go birding.  Higbee Beach has been busy with migrating birds so I decided I'd start my day there.  Lots of Yellow-rumped Warblers, White-throated Sparrows, Goldfinches, Pine Siskins, Eastern Phoebes, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglets, Flickers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Cardinals, Blue Jays were feeding.  A highlight of the day was seeing several Brown Thrashers.  There were kettles of  hawks flying overhead along with the single hawks that were trying to pick off a meal.

Conwingo Dam - Take 2

After a great day at my grandson's wedding yesterday I was off to Conwingo Dam ready for some more action.  I was not disappointed with it.  There were times when an American Bald Eagle swoped down grabbed a fish and then had up to with more eagles chasing the first eagle trying to take it from him.  It was awesome to watch the cases.

Also down on the river there were good numbers of Double-crested Cormorants fishing.  More than once I saw another cormorant come into swipe the fish from the one who caught it.  Sometimes the swiper was successful but more often he wasn't though there were plenty of fish for everyone to catch.

Megan & Jess's wedding

My grandson's wedding day...an awesome day!

Megan & Jess, bride & groom, Anthony & Meg, parents of the groom

Andrew & Tiffany, brother of the groom and his wife

Anthony & Meg

Renee & Jeff, brother of the groom & his wife

American Bald Eagles - Conowingo Dam, MD

Last year when birding one day another birder and I got into conversation about good places to see different types of birds.  He suggested going to Conowingo Dam in MD during the from mid Octiber through mid-March to see both American Bald Eagles and a variety of species of gulls.  He had been there and told me that while the winter months are usually the best there's lots to see at other times. 

The dam is a hydroelectric plant that pulls water from the upper river when electric demand is high.  It pulls fish with the water that the birds then feed upon.  Wintertime is also said to bring in a number of duck species.  To be it sounded like a delightful spot to take some photographs of the eagles.  Since my grandson is getting married this weekend in Lebanon, PA and I planned to stay in Lancaster this was the perfeect time to check out the dam.

This time of year driving is a visual pleasure due to the changing of the foliage.  I had a little trouble finding the dam and the area where you can view the birds along the Susquehanna River.  It was great with a good number of eagles over on the island across from the viewing area.  There was also one eafeeding on a fish up in the tree right by where we parked. I spent about 2 hrs there before leaving for my friend's house in Lancaster.

Katie comes to visit

For 25+ years I have been writing to another quilter in Australia.  She planned a trip to NY for a conference staying with a friend in NYC.  After her conference we made arrangements for her to take a bus to Atlantic City, for me to meet her and bring her to my house, stay overnight and then for me to take her back to Atlantic City the next day to catch a bus back to NYC.  What a great visit we had together.

A great day in my yard

Another new yard butterfly, Orange Sulphur which makes the 25th spieces of butterfly I've seen in the yard this year.   Since this is only the second season of the gardens in my yard I wonder how many butterflies will visit them next year. (top photo credit Will Kerling)

Then there was another new yard bird, Golden-crowned Kinglet which is the 7th new bird for the yard this month.

 

 

Black-throated Green Warbler - My Yard

Awesome month so far - another new yard bird - Black-throated Green Warbler.