Easton (Blackwater NWR)

This morning I drove out to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge . This is truly a world class destination, both the refuge itself and the visitor center. I spent most of my time on the wildlife drive. It is a loop of only a few miles, but very rich in wildlife. The visitor center boasts research, teaching facilities, an indoor viewing deck (accessible) as well as an exhibit with an excellent history of the region.

As is sadly typical, this land was originally inhabited by indigenous peoples, in particular the Nanticoke and Choptank tribes. The land was stolen from them first by war, then by lopsided peace treaties with the Colonial settlers, and they were relegated to a small reservation with few resources. Some of their descendants still live in the area and are attempting to preserve their culture and history.

This is also the region on which the plantation to which Harriet Tubman was born was located. She is, of course, known for escaping from slavery and then working as a conductor on the Underground Railway to help scores of enslaved persons escape their bondage. She also assisted the Union Army during the Civil War and became active in the Suffrage movement later in her life. She was truly a remarkable person. The Harriet Tubman visitor center , which depicts her life and accomplishments, is just down the road from the Blackwater NWR visitor center.

I made one loop around the wildlife drive in the morning, went over to both visitor centers in the middle of the day, and returned for two more loops in the afternoon. During the second loop I ran into Pam and Steve when I stopped to see what they were photographing. It was a red-headed woodpecker that I would never have found on my own. We got to chatting and really hit it off. We ended up photographing together on a couple of different occasions over the afternoon. Pam is a local and knows this refuge well. She is also a really good spotter. Several of the images I made would not have been possible without her guidance. Steve is from Pennsylvania and was meeting up with Pam to photograph the refuge. We had a really fun (and productive) time and hope to keep in touch, and perhaps meet up in the future.

I came back with about 1500 images (welcome to wildlife photography) and it is close to midnight - several hours past my normal bedtime - as it took this long just to winnow and edit. Tomorrow, I will continue to explore Easton and Dorchester Country, but it will be a lighter day.

Many more images are found in the gallery.