Wild Delaware

Most of the northbound migrants have passed through Delaware now and the residents have all the insects to themselves along White Clay Creek. The Ovenbird (above) gets its unusual name from its nest which looks like an oven. The Louisana Waterthrush prefers habitat like White Clay Creek State Park that has flowing water.

Looking like a Jurassic Period survivor, this Hellgrammite is the larva stage of the Dobsonfly and is alive and well in White Clay Creek near Newark. If you find one of these guys under a rock in the creek beware of those pain-inducing pincers. Hellgrammites are used by fisherman as bait and eaten as food in some places in South America and Mexico. Check back in late June as I hope to photograph a Dobsonfly.

Elusive and hard to photograph, Black Skimmers feed by lowering their lowering their bottom bill into the shallow water and skimming across the water looking to catch small fish.

A Semipalmated sandpiper faces a wall of mud from a wave as it feeds on horseshoe crab eggs along the Delaware Bay today.

Order now to reserve a beautiful piece of Delaware history! Publication of Wild Delaware is this November but if you order now you will receive a signed and numbered copy of Wild Delaware plus two free signed lithographs plus free shipping. Just click Order Wild Delaware Online! (above) for the pre-publication special.

Horseshoe crab eggs were plentiful along the Delaware Bay yesterday afternoon but the gulls were clamoring to claim the best spots to feed.

An osprey carries a partially eaten fish toward its nest this morning. Normally, males catch the fish during nesting season and eat their fill before returning to the nest with the catch.

Today dawned with a beautiful red sky and I found three Great Blue Herons lined up awaiting the sunrise. A little later a Short-billed Dowitcher sped by low over the salt marsh. Then a flock of Snowy Egrets arrived and started wiggling their yellow toes to attract fish in the shallow water.

Semipalmated Sandpipers pretty much had Bowers Beach to themselves this morning as they poked around in the low-tide mudflats looking for breakfast.

A Black-necked Stilt snags a shrimp this morning.