What I saw on my drive to work this morning...

It was quite an eventful drive on my way to work today and per my usual escapades it involved stopping in the middle of roads and backing up to get a better view of what I thought I had seen.  Luckily my commute involves many back roads where I pass more pedestrians, bikers, and horseback riders than cars! 

 

So first, I looked to my right as a passed over a bridge and this caught my attention.  I stopped and backed up in the middle of the one lane bridge for a better look.  It was well worth the potential to irritate commuters on their way to work.

Then a little further down the road, I happen to notice something white floating in the Brandywine.  I apologize for the next couple of pictures, the camera that I always keep for such emergencies does not take the best quality pictures.

Note the common merganser with the brownish red head is the female.  There was a total of five males and two females.

I looked on the road right where I happened to stop and noticed a fair amount of whitewash on the road.  This was probably from a large bird spending time in one of the trees above.  I was looking to see signs of pellets since barred owls have been spotted here in the past, but came up with nothing.  The white wash indicates something big, perhaps the eagle I had seen or what I saw next..... 

 

So a little further down the road I saw a large blackish brown spot in a tree across the creek.  I backed up to get a closer look, and found my second bald eagle of the day! This one was immature.  I was able to get a shot of it as it started to fly away, but again the quality leaves much to be desired.  

 

All good fun in my twenty minute commute,which took quite a bit longer this morning.  Again, though I recommend taking in what is around you because you never know what you are going to see, it is best if you have a driver as you gawk at the sides of the road.  Just ask my husband.......since I obviously tend to drive and gawk.......