We were planning to visit the Eastern Shore the week of December 5, but looked at the weather forecast on Dec 1 and saw that it was going to rain Monday and Tuesday and snow on Wednesday. Spontaneously, we just decided to haul out that afternoon for just a short visit. Chris had to be back Friday night to attend a conference on Saturday morning.
We got off at 1 something and got over to the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware at 3:45, in time for just about an hour of daylight. We expected to see thousands of Snow Geese, but saw not a single one. There were thousands of ducks and Canada Geese, however, more of the former than I ever remember seeing there. We made one loop around the wildlife drive and made only two routine images.
On our way out, we suddenly noticed a Red Fox right next to the road. I had Big Bertha, my 600mm lens on my lap, but the fox was too cloe to shoot. It had obviously been fed by visitors and habituated. Before I could change lens, the fox ran out into the field, moved off and I wondered what had alarmed it. Two people with cameras had left their car and walked right up to the back of ours to photograph the animal. Inconsiderate? I guess so. I let out a few strong words, although they never heard them. I drove out bummed because I had not made a single decent image.
The following morning we were up early, ate a quick motel breakfast and drove to the refuge, arriving just before sunrise. Just a mile along the wildlife drive we spotted a Great Blue Heron perched in a leafless tree right against the southeastern sky where the sun soon came over the horizon. We were able to make some nice images of the bird and the trees silouetted against the dawn sky.
Several thousand Snow Geese had arrived in Raymond Pool and we watched as some more joined them and then about a third of the group burst skywards and departed for their breakfast in corn fields that dominate the DelMarVa Peninsula.
Further along we spotted seven species of ducks, Tundra Swans and various other birds. I made a few images of waterfowl, none particularly noteworthy. Surprisingly, we saw no mammals at all. In the spring along this same drive, we had seen seven Cottontails on the early morning go around.
We took a deadend side road and found some interesting dead grass heads and also some very nice frost covered leaves. Both were the subjects of some fair images.
We made one last loop before heading back to Dover to check out of our motel. On the way I mentioned that we had missed the foxes because it was now too late in the morning and they are nocturnal creatures. I added that now that I had said this, I was going to be proven wrong. And I was!
Along the beach section of the drive, Chris spotted a beautiful fox right next to the road and I slammed on the brakes. It just eyed us. It was obvious that this fox too had become habituated to visitors who had shared lunches with it! We were so very fortunate that there were few visitors on the refuge, this being Friday. We got an uninterrupted fifteen or twenty minutes working the animal. I made fifty images, most of which are very nice. The light was OK, even though this was nearly midday, because this was December when the light is always low.
We checked out of the motel and returned for one last turn around the wildlife drive, hoping for a Northern Harrier. This bird is always on the refuge in the winter and almost always seen, usually cruising over the marshes in search of rodents. This time we spotted one on a snag on the right side of the road. We parked and I got out of the car and carefully took Big Bertha out ot the car with my big tripod.
Harriers are normally very skittish and nearly impossible to photograph. I swear they see a big lens and flee! On a whim I decided to photograph this bird right through the car. Chris opened her window and ducked down and indeed I made eight photos this way. When I subsecquently tried to sneak around the end of the car for more work, the bird immediately flushed and that was that.
We then departed the refuge and drove home early to avoid the Beltway traffic and night driving. We had been gone a grand total of 27 hours, but what a great 27 hours. Beautiful weather, abundant birds, wonderful photo ops and even a comfortable motel and excellent dinner.