Map by William Tipton
A younger Charles Thomas on his crabbing boat.
in construction. Men and women who make a living by fishing, crabbing, and oystering on the Chesapeake Bay are called watermen. In the summer they crab, and the spring, fall, and winter they fish for a variety of fish and eels. The winter months are oyster season. Later, in St. Michaels, I’d learn more about watermen at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (CBMM). I thought fondly of Charles, Lex, and their parents as my husband Michael and I drove across Kent Island. Once over the Kent Narrows bridge—our first view of dozens of gorgeous sailboats floating on lovely blue water—we continued south on U.S. Route 50. BLACK WATER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE Instead of stopping at St. Michael’s though, we kept heading to Black Water National Wildlife Refuge. With both of us being camera buffs and hubby a lifetime birder, we planned a bird-filled afternoon and we were not disappointed. We met my nephew Warren and he took us to his favorite spots to see bald eagle nests, complete with nestlings. There were also multiple osprey nests with families. The 20,000 acres of the refuge have been referred to as the "Everglades of the North," and have been called one of the "Last Great Places" by the Nature Conservancy.
Blackwater is the center of the greatest density of breeding bald eagles on the east coast, north of Florida, and sightings of bald eagles are fairly common throughout the year. We saw and photographed a variety of birds, lush wetlands, and many turtles. My favorite siting was of the elusive Delmarva Peninsula Fox Squirrel, which is a large tree squirrel that can only be found throughout the Delmarva Peninsula—the correct name of the entire Shore, which includes bits of Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia. Adjacent to the refuge is the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad State Park and Visitor Center. It’s near the birthplace of the heroic emancipated slave who led more than 70 others to freedom. Her daring journeys as the Underground Railroad’s most famous conductor can be explored via a driving tour along the byways that connect to the woods and waterways Tubman skillfully navigated under cover of darkness as she led slaves to freedom. Soon we said goodbye to the beautiful refuge and our intrepid tour guide and headed north to St. Michaels to arrive in time for sunset. Although not directly on the Chesapeake Bay, St. Michaels is surrounded by wide
ST. MICHAELS, MARYLAND
COAST TO COAST FALL MAGAZINE 2019
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