I visit Centennial Lake in Columbia, MD quite frequently. The 2.5 mile walk around the lake provides a good opportunity to take photos of birds and waterfowl while getting the most important item, exercise.
Here are a few photos taken over the past few weeks.
#1 - Pair of Canvasback ducks ...
#2 - Belted Kingfisher just rising from the water below ...
#3 - Carolina Wren soaking in the early morning sun rays,
#4 - Cedar Waxwing. This is one of a large flock that landed in a tree right in front of me.
#5 - Great Blue Heron ...
#6 - A pair of Hooded Mergansers ...
#7 - the common Mallard Drake ...
#8 - Northern Mockingbird ...
#9 - Northern Cardinal
#10 - Northern Pintail ...
#11 - Ring-Necked Duck ...
#12 - A lone Wood Duck that was traveling with a few Mallards ...
The next two photos of a Downy Woodpecker were taken yesterday behind my house following the snowstorm ...
Final photo ... a female Downy Woodpecker.
That's all for now !!!
Your pictures are beautiful. I really would love to see a cedar waxwing. They say they are around here, but I have never seen any. Great photos!
Thanks, Candy, for your comments. I, too, find the Cedar Waxwing an exciting bird to observe. Last summer, I got my best photo of a Cedar Waxwing, to date.
wow, these are great! i have never paid much attention to ducks, but they are so beautiful. these are all fantastic pictures! do you take your tripod with you on your walk?
Beautiful pictures...looks like it was a great day to go birding. I really love the little Carolina Wren but then I'm sorta partial to them. I'm always amazed at the big voice of such a little bird
amberoakley, thanks. I do not use a tripod. However, I am considering buying a monopod. A tripod for the ducks may be okay but for songbirds, I would miss most of them by the time I got set-up.
Floridian, thank you, also. I agree that it is amazing how loud the Carolina Wren is in comparison to other larger birds. Here is another photo of the Carolina Wren taken the same day.
Linthicum, your photos are outstanding! Such clarity!
Linthicum, your photos as usual are just great. I did enjoy seeing all of them. Our birds are just beginning to return from their winter in southern areas. There was a large flock of Cedar Waxwings here a month or so ago. Ate all the crabapples on my 10 Prairie Fire carbapple allee, in about an hour. There are two othe crabapples around the house, different varieties, they did not eat any of them.
Thanks again for taking the time to post your beautiful bird photos.
DonnaS
Thanks, rutholive and Marcy_1. I'm glad you all enjoy them.
I'm looking forward to the Spring migration. Here is a photo of two Bluebirds also taken along the walkway around the lake. I have seen Bluebirds all winter here in Maryland. In the past, I always looked at them as a sign that Spring has arrived.
A photo of a Ring-Billed Gull, also at Centennial Lake ...
Thanks for the lovely second Carolina Wren. I watched one this morning singing from a small branch about 10 feet away, near enough to see its little throat swell with song. So close...so LOUD!
I saw a Bluebird last week near my neighborhood!! A second sighting for me, first in our county. I was very excited about that. Now we need BB boxes!
This past weekend the weather at Centennial Lake was quite blustery and sent most birdlife to the underbrush or thickets. I did, however, get some good photos of several Red-Winged Blackbirds that appeared to be starting their courting ritual. The geese numbers have diminshed somewhat as they begin their journey up north.
Another Red-Winged Blackbird ....
Also, on my trek around the lake, I was able to photograph this Hawk. I am still trying to properly identify it ... any help is appreciated.
Here's a photo of his back ....
Linthicum, as always, I really enjoyed your photos. My favorites are the cute little Carolina wren in #3 and your Northern Mockingbird in #8....such lovely gentle faces those birds have. But I also really love your second shot of the Cedar Waxwing. The lighting and overall composition of that shot is really lovely IMHO. Your unknown hawk 'back-shot' is also beautiful. It looks as if he's lost in meditative thought :-).
-Julie
Beautiful birds you photografed.
It looks like your hawk is a juvenile with that short tail. Could it be this one. its the only one I found that has the same colours /white on its back and tail.
Janett
http://donb.furfly.net/photo_cd/e/b9.html
linthicum, wonderful bird shots. thanks for posting. Our spring birds are just returning. They are late this year. Robins , blackbirds and phoebes are all that have shown up. Not even heard a meadowlark.
DonnaS
Linthicum, I just wanted to thank you for posting such gorgeous pictures of the birds you photograph. It is such a treat for me to see them as I live in UK. I visited Ohio several years ago during the Winter and fell in love with the birds I saw. My particular favourites were the Chickadees and I'll never forget seeing my first red Cardinal.
Waxwings are fabulous birds aren't they, we saw a flock of them two years ago, they were eating the berries on a tree outside my daughters bedroom window. She told us they'd visited that same tree every day for over a week and she often felt like she was the only person that had noticed them. I'm so pleased that I taught my children to 'look and take notice' of the nature around them, so many people miss so many beautiful sights.
Thanks again for the pictures, please keep on posting them, they are such a joy.
Terri
Your pictures are a joy. Thanks for the walk around the lake.
Both of the cedar waxwing shots are beautiful, but i like the first one best he seems to be looking right at you. All of these are tremendous shots, hard to believe that you get such sharpness hand held.
And they are so verrry sharp. each feather ... just wonderful. Thanks, that's a wonderful place you've go walking in. ~Blooms
Janett, it is very possible that it is a Red Shouldered Hawk. Thanks ....
I was able to take this photo at just about the same spot this past weekend.
Thanks everyone for your comments !!!
Centennial Lake has provided me with some excellent photo opportunities. I was particularly elated that I was able to outsmart the sly ole' Fox. Two weeks ago, I was observing some ducks on an adjacent pond when I noticed an orange spot off in the woods which I thought could be a Red Fox. I waited a minute or two and then slowly walked up a gravel road close by. All of sudden, he came out of the woods onto the road and looked in my direction. He actually started to run toward me. With a 500mm lens he looked like he was right next to me. I started to back up and then he decided to run in the other direction. I took 8 photos. I should have taken 30. Sometimes you can't think and take pictures at the same time.
Another photo of the Red Fox ....
A third photo .....
See you later ...............
What a rewarding thread! I love it all. Congratulations on your wonderful days & thank you so much for sharing them.
