0comments Wild Delmarva

I have been following a blog for a while now called Wild Delamrva. Kevin and Jay Fleming take stunning photographs of wildlife and have already published a book titled Wild Delaware. Just thought I would share as they are great inspiration for the wildlife photographer and nature lovers alike.

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0comments American Goldfinches

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0comments Red-eared Slider

This turtle was originally identified as a Midland Painted Turtle, but upon closer inspection by a rigorous landfillbirdblog reader, it has been re-identified as a Red-eared Slider. On older individuals the namesake red stripe can become faded. I regret this egregious error. Below is an image of a Midland Painted Turtle taken from Wikipedia.

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0comments Eastern Red Bat

The Eastern Red Bat (Lasiurus borealis) is one of only a few bats that are migratory and do not hibernate through the winter. Instead they do what many birds do, and that is fly south to warmer areas where flying insects are still plentiful. They are also different from most other bats in that they do not roost in colonies but rather individually, usually preferring cavities or branches of hardwood trees. I found this female Monday hanging from the branch of a honeysuckle bush.


Adult males have a bright reddish-orange coats, whereas females and juveniles have grayish-brown coats with red around the upper body and head. They are not easily confused with other bats other than the Seminole Bat, which is common in the deep south but absent from Kentucky. A defining characteristic of the Red Bat is the white patch on the shoulder which can be seen in the picture below.

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0comments Yellow-rumped Warbler

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0comments Don't Choke!

This little Pied-billed Grebe was determined to eat a frog that was half his size. He spent 15 minutes flipping that thing around and I'm not sure if he ever got it down. If he did he probably feel like I do after eating at the Cheesecake Factory.

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0comments Landfill Habitat

There is a tremendous amount of habitat at the landfill most would not associate with such a place. There are large tracts of woodlands and swamp most likely totaling over 200 acres. The landfill was built on wetlands much like airports because historically it was the cheapest land to purchase in such large chunks. Most of it was drained but the areas that remain natural still have the tendency to hold water long after the rain has stopped.



Most of the mature woodlands consist of oaks and the typical mix you would expect to find in this part of the country. There are also fragments that consist almost entirely of ash and willows grow thick around the wet edges of roads and canals. The mitigated wetlands along the Outer Loop contain Bald Cypress and Sycamore trees that are starting to grow in size.



Dogwood trees, grapevine, various thistles, and the large Common Sunflower seem to be the plants providing the most food in the fall for the birds. The dogwood trees were denuded of their berries rather quickly and seemed to be the first thing to be eaten by the birds. All summer the goldfinches would fly from thistle to thistle, their undulating flight making them appear like sparks shooting away from a welder at work. Chickadees dangle from sunflower seed heads as they go about searching for food in their noisy manner.



Rustling in the trees overhead can all too quickly be dismissed as the fall foraging or nest building of a squirrel. If we take the time to look however, we may discover something a little less expected.

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