Bald Eagle
It was sunny today with temperatures in the mid-40s, but there were 20 to 40 mph winds. I decided to try some of the beaches in the Mathews area, and went first to Bethel Beach. There weren't any sparrows in the marsh leading to the beach, but perhaps they were just hunkered down because of the strong winds. A distant, juvenile Bald Eagle was flying over the marsh. The beach, however, was loaded with birds. There was a good sized flock of Bonaparte's Gulls, and a 1000+ shorebirds. All of the shorebirds that I could identify were Sanderlings and Dunlins. I wished that I had a better knowledge of some of the rarer sandpipers so I could pick out a rare species that might have beem mixed in with all of them.
Bald Eagle
Sanderlings and Dunlins
Sanderling and Dunlin
Sanderlings and Dunlins
Sanderling and Dunlin
Sanderling
Sanderling
Dunlin
Dunlin
Dunlin
Dunlin
Dunlin
Dunlin
Bonaparte's Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
Bonaparte's Gulls
Buffleheads
Lesser Black-backed Gull
Red-throated Loon
As I walked back along the marsh, I saw a few Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a Horned Grebe in the canal.
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Horned Grebe
My next stop was at South Haven Beach. As soon as I got out of my car, I saw another Bald Eagle, and this one let me get fairly close to it.
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle
There were a few more Bonaparte's Gulls, Sanderlings, and Dunlins there as well.
Bonaparte's Gull
Bonaparte's Gull
My last stop of the day was at North Haven Beach. Except for a few gulls, it was fairly quiet, although there were a few duck species and a Red-throated Loon far out in the water
Surf Scoter
Surf Scoter and Red-throated Loon
Long-tailed Duck