
Red-Winged Blackbird, near Fowler Beach, DE
Today, I rose early to drive the twenty minutes from home to one of my favorite places, Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge. The early morning sun lit the marsh with rosy gold, and there were many birds actively feeding. Several kinds of ducks, dabbling for breakfast. Herring gulls trying to snatch a fish or crab from the semi-frozen marsh. Willets scuttling along, looking for a meal. I spent a few hours observing and photographing, moving from Prime Hook to Fowler Beach.
The Red-Winged Blackbird seen at left serenaded me for several minutes, showing off his scarlet and yellow epaulets, fanning out his wings. I've missed their songs over this winter. The bustle of activity, and the slight reddish cast to the river birch twigs tell me that spring is coming, in spite of the mid-twenties on the marsh this morning. I left the marsh with lots of images and a deep sense of peace and gratitude for this place I call home. The beauty of central Delaware and the wildlife here inspire me and bring me out, even in the cold and wind to see the first glimpses of spring to come.
The Red-Winged Blackbird seen at left serenaded me for several minutes, showing off his scarlet and yellow epaulets, fanning out his wings. I've missed their songs over this winter. The bustle of activity, and the slight reddish cast to the river birch twigs tell me that spring is coming, in spite of the mid-twenties on the marsh this morning. I left the marsh with lots of images and a deep sense of peace and gratitude for this place I call home. The beauty of central Delaware and the wildlife here inspire me and bring me out, even in the cold and wind to see the first glimpses of spring to come.