May 30th, 2009 - First Landing State Park

I did the same hike as last saturday (~10 miles) but definitely saw a lot more this time. I'm also now realizing that I have a setting on my camera turned down, which explains to me why the quality hasn't been as high as it was the first few times I used it. Unfortunately, I didn't notice that till I got home, so the photos I took today are on a lower DPI then is available with my camera. Anway, some highlights today were finally getting to take a ton of photos of the Green Heron that has managed to evade me almost every time I see it... Seeing a Great Blue Heron skewer a Flounder and proceed to toss it up and inhale it all in one piece... A female Common Snapping Turtle laying her eggs in the sand along one of the secondary park trails... all in all, it was a gorgeous day! Here were a few of the 150+ photos I took this morning-

View over the tidal marsh. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Northern Watersnake. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Eastern Bluebird. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Common Snapping Turtle laying eggs on the trail. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Male American Goldfinch. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Blue Jay. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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White Hill Lake & surrounding marshland. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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My Green Heron. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Green Heron stalking minnows in the shallows. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Green Heron. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Green Heron. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Green Heron. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Great Blue Heron. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Great Blue Heron, apparently he had an itch. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Great Blue Heron & the Flounder he skewered. Photo taken 5/30/09.
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Eating the flounder in 1 bite! Photo taken 5/30/09.
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May 23rd, 2009 - First Landing State Park

Saturday (5/23/2009) was a pretty solid 10 mile hike day. Took a bunch of photos, these were the ones I liked the most. Again the same Green Heron taunted me the entire way along Broad Bay & Long Creek, allowing me only a couple decent photos before he'd fly 20 feet ahead of me.

Northern Parula with an apparently delicious Grasshopper. Photo taken 5/23/09.

Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Green Heron, one of the few times he wasn't hiding behind something. Photo taken 5/23/09.
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Northern Watersnake hidden in the reeds. Photo taken 5/23/09.
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Ghost Crab next to its mighty sand cavern. Photo taken 5/23/09.
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Eastern Kingbird. Photo taken 5/23/09.
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Five-lined Skink, probably wondering why I was taking his photo. Photo taken 5/23/09.
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May 10th, 2009 - Outside Hague Tower

I was driving back from the store this afternoon, and saw the Yellow-crowned Night-Heron walking along the headwall out back of my building. So I ran up and got my camera, and went out and shot some photos. Today was the first day I noticed that it is a breeding pair of herons, as one flew right in front of me while I was busy zoomed in on the other. I've been seeing them all week around the headwall, which is amazing for me since I'd only seen 1 other night-heron in my entire life.

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at the Hague in downtown Norfolk. All photos taken 5/10/09.
Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Stalking minnows in the shallows...
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"What are you looking at?" Photo Taken 5/10/09.
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Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at the Hague in downtown Norfolk hunting minnows along the headwall. Photo Taken 5/10/09.
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He caught quite a few minnows, there's one thrashing in his mouth in this shot. Photo Taken 5/10/09.
Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

May 9th, 2009 - First Landing State Park

Yellow-crowned Night-Heron at the Hague in downtown Norfolk. Photo Taken 5/9/09.

Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Spotted Sandpiper at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/9/09.
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Butterfly (species?) at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/9/09.
Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Female American Goldfinch at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/9/09.
Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Wildlife Photos From 3/21 To Now

Snail (species?) at Northwest River Park. Photo Taken 5/8/09.

Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Blue Grosbeak at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/2/09.
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Greater Yellowlegs at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/2/09.
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Brown Thrasher at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/2/09.
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Northern Watersnake at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/2/09.
Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Broad-headed Skink at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/2/09.
Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Northern Watersnake at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/2/09.
Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Rough Green Snake at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/2/09.
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Five-lined Skink at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 5/2/09.
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Raccoon at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/25/09.
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Canada Geese at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/19/09.
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Snowy Egret at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/19/09.
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Green Heron at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/19/09.
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Green Heron at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/19/09.
Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Eastern Cottontail at Northwest River Park. Photo Taken 4/11/09.
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Hermit Thrush at Northwest River Park. Photo Taken 4/10/09.
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Ovenbird at Northwest River Park. Photo Taken 4/10/09.
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Hornet (species?) at Northwest River Park. Photo Taken 4/10/09.
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Ground Skink at Northwest River Park. Photo Taken 4/10/09.
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Muskrat (or nutria?) at Magnolia Run Apartments. Photo Taken 4/10/09.
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Carolina Chickadee at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
Location info & Larger Photo available Here, (click the photo at the site)

Red-bellied Woodpecker at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
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Fiddler Crabs at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
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Osprey w/Fish at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
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Pileated Woodpecker at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
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Buffleheads at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
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Osprey at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
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Ospreys at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
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Osprey at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
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Tricolored Heron at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
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Red-bellied Watersnake at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/5/09.
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Double-crested Cormorant at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/4/09.
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Great Egret & Tricolored Heron(?) at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/4/09.
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Eastern Gray Squirrel at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/4/09.
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Black Rat Snake at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/4/09.
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Tree Lizard at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/4/09.
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Mud Turtle at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 4/4/09.
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Great Blue Heron at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 3/21/09.
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Hooded Mergansers at First Landing State Park. Photo Taken 3/21/09.
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