Out by the Water at Kent Island, Eastern Shore, MD

Went out to the Eastern Shore, MD and saw a pretty sunset and some really cool wildlife.  There was an osprey nest, a heron, and ducks. (Yes, more ducks...) 

It was really peaceful by the water.  I could see out toward the Chesapeake Bay with Baltimore beyond the horizon.  It was a great evening with my family eating out on the deck watching the sunset and seeing the animals.

The osprey nest had been made on a post that was put out especially for them. They build the nest though.  My family was passing around binoculars to see them better from the deck.  Apparently the baby osprey are nearly fledged and ready to fly off soon so it was nice to see them still in the nest.

When we saw the heron I wanted to get a closer look so I quietly walked down to the dock and tried to get a few pictures. At first it just stood where it was, but it eventually flew off, I caught it on my camera but since it was dusk the lighting was low.  It blended in well along the shore line after landed farther away from the dock, but I could see it in the distance. Of course the camera on my phone doesn't do well in the dark. I will try to add more pictures when I can. Enjoy summer, Meet Me Outdoors.

Ducklings of MSC follow up

I went out look for the ducklings today but found an empty nest.  I didn't see the mallard ducklings and mommy mallard out on the water but I did see a gaggle of geese.  

I will keep up the search for the ducklings. Until then, I am including the Maryland Science Center's Instagram picture of the mother duck and her baby ducks.  You can see that they are well camouflaged in the nest in the corner. You can see little duckling heads to the left of the mommy mallard's beak.

For those who know me well might also find another picture of me at the MSC's Instagram page demonstrating the need for Sun protection especially in the summer time. Using UV meters I was testing how much suncreen helps block the UV radiation from the Sun compared to the control.  Hint: Look for the person wearing a big floppy hat and sunglasses.

Keep exploring, Meet Me Outdoors.

Ducklings of MSC

Rumors have been going around the Maryland Science Center about ducklings hatching nearby.  When I left work today I saw a crowd of staffers looking towards a small cornered section of the outside wall. As you can see in the picture the mother duck, a mallard, is sitting on her nest. I  heard that four (4) duckings have hatched so far and must be taking shelter behind the mother.  Because it has been hot out, one staffer put a tub of water so they can cool off while waiting for the last of the hatchlings to emerge.  The one white shell you see off by the bucket of water is likely from one of the already hatched ducklings. If you look under the mother duck you can see one more egg waiting to hatch.

 

I will try tomorrow to see if I can catch the ducklings out from the nest. The mother duck and ducklings have coloring that helps them blend in with the ground and nest area making them well camouflaged. Likely once all have hatched they will all go to the harbor water for their first swimming lessons. 

Remember to take care when near wild animals.  This area is sectioned off so the mother duck isn't disturbed by people. Look around and see what new things you find, Meet Me Outdoors.

Baltimore Harbor

Lately I have been taking walks during my lunch break in the Federal Hill and Baltimore Inner Harbor area near my work. One of my routes takes me along the water and I like to look to see what animals are around. Usually I see a lot of ducks but sometimes is see something new.

Today, I looked over the edge of the harbor walkway and saw a turtle.  It was sunning itself on one of the stones. You can see it in the picture centered at the bottom. 

Besides the turtle, I did see a bunch of ducks bobbing up and down in the water looking for food.

If you take the same routes every day, try looking around. There may be something new that you walked by and missed. Meet Me Outdoors.

Robert E Lee Park Walk

I went on a walk today with a friend at the Robert E Lee Park which is north of Baltimore.  I walked there before with a hiking meetup group a few years ago.  That time it was just following a group with someone who knew the trails well. This time I did my best to follow the trails stayed on the path but there were a few places where the path crossed with another or veered off in to some direction.  I used my walking app that maps where I walk with GPS and was able to see where we were going and where we needed to be. So we made a big loop but not exactly the trail that we were aiming for.  

 The first critter we saw was a snake as you see it on the bridge stone.  Of course when my friend went to get a closer picture she scared the snake and it slithered off. The park is dog friendly so in a lot of mud spots of the path we saw paw prints from dogs.  Other tracks are people's shoes and bike tires. Sometimes I saw deer prints in the mud patches. We even saw a deer off in the woods but it ran off out of sight. The last picture was an attempt to catch a frog in action. It was a teeny tiny frog.  It was so small I was amazed I even caught sight of it in the first place it is pretty well camouflaged. It was about the size of my thumb nail. To find it in the picture look on the stick, just to the right of the light. It kept hopping away from one side of the path to the other.

In all we did 4 miles of walking. It was hot out so afterward we made sure to get something to drink to rehydrate. It was good to walk get fresh air while exploring the trails.  Robert E. Lee Park is just up the road from where I live, so it was good to see try the local trails. Find a local park near you to explore, Meet Me Outdoors