Yesterday was just a beautiful day for a hike at the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. The temperatures were in the 50s and the sun was shining brightly.
As we started out on the Silver Spring Loop Trail, we were treated to the sound of a Red-bellied Woodpecker nearby. It has such a distinct call and is easy to identify.
Looking way high up in the tree, we could see this striking bird in its nesting cavity… perhaps eggs have been laid? Have you ever seen a Red-bellied Woodpecker?
This White-throated Sparrow seems to come back to our feeders every year about this time. His colors are just beautiful.
“The White-throated Sparrow is a common North American songbird known for its distinctive white throat patch, yellow spot in front of the eye, and a memorable, whistled song often described as “Oh-sweet-Canada-Canada”.
Have you ever seen or heard a White-throated Sparrow?
It’s starting to sound like spring here on Cape Cod with the Red-winged Blackbirds singing their easily identifiable song of “Cu-Cur-rie! They come back a bit early in the spring, so it’s a big treat to hear them again.
I heard quite a few of them at Fort Hill, but this is the only one I could photograph from a distance. It’s just a matter of time when we can put our heavy jackets away and enjoy the warmer weather and all that spring brings.
I can’t even begin to count the number of times I’ve gone out looking to see a Bald Eagle here on Cape Cod and have only seen 2 of them many years apart and never two together. Yesterday morning, I wasn’t even looking when I saw a Bald Eagle sitting on the branch high up in the tree. Wow! I had no idea who would be joining him… (Click on blog link for other photos.)
I learned my lesson a long time ago and try to always have my camera with me, so I started clicking away. All of a sudden, the female Bald Eagle flew in with a branch in her talons for the nest. Double Wow! I certainly was in the right place at the right time!
Did you know that “it is the female eagle who takes sole responsibility for creating and maintaining the nest, showcasing their impressive construction skills and dedication to securing a safe and secure environment for their offspring?”
I stopped back later in the day just to make sure they were still there and that it wasn’t a fluke! They were just sitting up there scouting out the area from their new home. It will be so much fun watching them and, hopefully, seeing their young! What an unbelievable experience!
We’ve seen this American Coot by the Yacht Club in Orleans many times in the past few weeks. It was always walking among scores of ducks and not that easy to photograph. (Click on blog link for other photos.)
We stopped there yesterday morning in the heavy fog just to see if there was anything going on and there was the American Coot foraging around through the grass all by himself. Not a duck in sight. What a treat! Look at those crazy feet!
“The American coot is a dark, duck-like bird in the rail family, often mistaken for a duck, with a distinctive white bill and red eyes, and is found in wetlands across North America. It has a slate-gray body, chicken-like walk, and unique lobed toes for swimming and walking on vegetation, feeding on aquatic plants and invertebrates.”
The views from Pahwah Landing are always gorgeous, whether you’re looking out toward Little Pleasant Bay or down toward Pahwah Pond. (Click on blog link for other photo.)
I was so surprised to see this beautiful reflection on the water with so much snow and ice around. And I was equally surprised to see this same Great Blue Heron standing in exactly the same place that he was standing 4 weeks ago when I featured him on my blog. How cool!
