Went to Blackwater NWR with the family on Monday afternoon and saw a 
variety of interesting birds but less waterfowl than I was expecting. The eagle 
camera at the visitor center showed two young eaglets being fed- quite an 
amazing view. In real life we watched an adult Bald Eagle feeding (after 
chasing a few Turkey Vultures away) on remains of a carp along the wildlife 
drive. We observed several other eagles, mostly adults, and around a half 
dozen Ospreys.

Ducks were few but included a pair of close Northern Shovelers in pool 3B and 
a smart-looking male Wood Duck on Route 335 in a flooded ditch. A Snowy 
Egret was near the shovelers. A male and female Northern Harrier were 
hunting in the fields around pool 5A at the west end of the drive. Most of the 
shorebirds we saw were in tidal flats across from pool 5B and included Greater 
Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper. Also found two Common 
Snipe at the end of the drive. 

Land birding was fairly quiet but had Hermit Thrush, Brown Creeper and Pine 
Warbler at the Woods Trail parking lot. The only Brown-headed Nuthatches we 
spotted were in the pines at the visitor center. We also observed a Red Fox 
running across a field and had a brief view of a Delmarva Fox Squirrel along 
the Woods Trail.

Jim Wilkinson
Columbia, MD