Tag Archives: Virginia

Raven with Lunch

Raven with his lunch

Last weekend my friend took me to a sod farm in Brambleton, Virginia. We were looking for American Pipets and whatever other birds we might find. After finding our target birds, we wandered around a bit and spotted many other species. This raven was one of those. He landed near us, found something he wanted (not really sure it was to be his lunch) and took off.

War Bird Flyover

USCG biplane

The Leesburg air show was cancelled this past weekend. To help fill the gap, the Commemorative Air Force provided some entertainment with fly-bys and rides. The above biplane represents US Coast Guard aviation during WW II.

WW II bomber

The above airplane is a General Motors TBM-3E Avenger – the largest single-engine bomber of WWII

A rare visitor to Northern Virginia

Grey Shrike, Woodlands, Centreville, Virginia, evening, rare, bird, song bird, Northern Shrike,

Northern Shrike

This rare visitor to Northern Virginia has been quite an attraction. The Northern Shrike or also known as the Grey Shrike does not normally come as far south as Virginia. This bird has been hanging around the Woodlands park for a few weeks and is easy to spot. Getting good pictures can be a problem because it perches high up in the trees for a good look around for food. Over a period of a few hours though, I noticed there were a few favorite spots where he returned to often. I took advantage and got a few good shots using a 600mm lens with a 1.4 extender. Next time I go, I’ll bring along a crop sensor camera and maybe get a little larger image.

I like trains, too.

J-611, steam, engine, NS, Norfolk, Southern, railroad,

The Norfolk Southern class J-611 steams through Virginia.

I like steam locomotives – who doesn’t. I lean more toward the non-streamlined engines, but the J-611 is mighty impressive. Last weekend, the J-611 made three excursions through the Virginia countryside. She was pulling 20 passenger cars, all fully occupied. I wanted to get some shots of her in the distance, but couldn’t decide on a location. I ended up at a crossing where the 611 roared by. She was going up grade which accounts for the extra smoke. Several crossings made for lots of whistles and bell clanging. Some fun. Some day I hope to perfect my panning skills enough to blur the wheels and rods while keeping the engine in focus.