February '07 -- A Summary

Photos: Purple Dead Nettle blooming near Cambridge
Thick-billed Murre in Ocean City

February was a great month that held many special moments. The Delmarva Peninsula finally experienced hard winter weather and our only substantial snowfall. The month started with a great day of birding which resulted in photos of the Northern Shrike at Prime Hook NWR and Eurasian Collared-Doves in Selbyville, Delaware. Other rare birds followed through out the month like Lapland Longspur in Talbot County and Red-necked Grebes in Ocean City. But the most special bird was the Thick-billed Murre that I saw in Ocean City. This was a life bird for me and to observe this bird at such an intimate level will be remembered for a long time. Mammal photos were finally taken this month. I will argue that mammals are going to be my toughest group to photograph because most species are rarely seen and only for brief moments. The Marsh Rice Rat that I photographed in Wicomico County was awesome as was the Gray Fox in Kent County, Maryland and the Harbor Seal in Ocean City. All three of these animals were unexpected and to secure their photos for the Big Year was a major score. The last day of February I noticed a blooming Purple Dead Nettle which reminded me that Spring is coming.