The Friends of Blackwater welcome you to the online version of The Eagle's Nest
Book and Gift Shop. The brick-and-mortar version of the store is located at the
Blackwater Refuge Visitor Center, but you can find some of our most
popular items on sale here. And if you are a member of the Friends
of Blackwater, remember to apply your 10% discount when ordering.
All proceeds from our store sales go towards the educational and interpretive programs at the Refuge,
which include the Osprey and Eagle Cams.
*Note: For eagle merchandise, visit our Eagle Festival merchandise page.
The Paddling Trails map provides a guide to local wildlife, important trail and navigation information,
safety and paddling tips, and a list of recommended supplies for your trip. We strongly suggest that you
purchase a map before you enter any of our paddling trails. Total price for each waterproof map is
$5 (this includes tax and shipping). The maps also make a wonderful guide to the wildlife refuge in general. All
proceeds from the sale of our maps go towards trail maintenance. The Paddling Trails map and medallion (below) can be purchased
together for $9.00.


Our "Hiking/Paddling
Medallion" which sells for $5.00 (includes tax and shipping), is a wonderful item
for hikers and paddlers who can
place the medallions on their staff/paddle, thus commemorating their visit. The
medallion may be gently shaped to fit the staff/paddle and attached with
the fasteners enclosed in the celluloid packet. The Paddling Trails map and medallion can be purchased
together for $9.00.
Our official Blackwater osprey shirt is available as a
two-button,
collared, short-sleeved polo-style shirt. The shirt comes
with a logo embroidered on the left breast. The logo features "Blackwater NWR"
above an
osprey carrying a fish and "Cambridge, MD" beneath. The shirt is available
in white only. Very simple, very handsome.
In addition, we have caps and hats with the osprey logo. The
unstructured, garment-washed caps (one size) come in the following colors:
- Denim cap (self strap in back)
- Olive cap (leather strap in back)
- Olive cap w/black bill (leather strap in back)
And the bucket hats (one size) come in the following colors:
- Denim bucket hat
- Olive bucket hat
In "Awesome Ospreys: Fishing Birds of the World," author Donna Love enthusiastically shares her knowledge of ospreys and their
life cycle, from courtship, nesting, and raising their young to their yearly migrations. In beautiful colors that evoke the
ospreys’ aquatic world, illustrator Joyce Turley brings these birds to life in a book that will appeal to readers both young
and old. Suggested activities to try with teachers or parents give kids the chance to explore what it’s like to fly, live,
and fish like an osprey. An appendix with osprey physiology, a range map, index, and lists of Web sites and suggested readings
point young naturalists toward further research. For ages 8 and up. Paperback - 64 pp. $12.00
"Return of the Osprey": For six luminous months –- an entire nesting season -– David Gessner immersed himself in the lives of the
magnificent osprey’s that had returned to his seagirt corner of Cape Cod. In this marvelous book –- part memoir, part paean to
a once-endangered species, part natural history of the Cape –- Gessner recounts the many discoveries he made in the course
of that magical season...Writing with passion, humor, and a reverence for the natural world, Gessner interweaves the stories
of the nesting osprey pairs he observed with the narrative of his own readjustment to life on a windblown, beautiful, and
increasingly developed landscape he had known as a child. For Gessner, spotting an osprey dive for fish at forty miles an
hour becomes a lesson in patience and focus, watching the birds build their nests illustrates the vital task of making a
home, and following the chicks’ attempts to fly shows him the value of letting go. Paperback - 304 pp. $14.00
"Soaring with Fidel: An Osprey Odyssey from Cape Cod to Cuba and Beyond": Gessner, who previously
wrote "Return of the Osprey," which focuses on the effort to rescue ospreys from DDT annihilation, this time turns his
attention to migration -- why ospreys migrate to Central and South America every winter, and what they do when they're there.
He tracked ospreys on one basic migration route -- from Cape Cod to Cuba and back. While Gessner weaves in the science of
tracking the birds, it's his rowboat-and-binoculars approach to the subject that will most attract readers. Spending
days watching ospreys and chatting with other bird-watchers, Gessner discovers the "joy in reducing life to one thing."
Gessner writes beautifully, with grace and humor (Publishers Weekly). Hardcover - 304 pp. $24.95
Osprey Book Order Form
Just added to our store is this new wheat-colored tote bag with a combination screen-print/embroidery
design featuring some of the most popular birds of Blackwater. This
sturdy tote is sure to be a hit with any nature-loving person.

From Midwest Book Review:
Elton Woodbury's interest in butterflies began early in childhood and
continued throughout his life. For over 40 years he photographed Delmarva
insects. The result of his lifelong interest is the first-ever field guide
to the butterflies that occur naturally on the Delmarva Peninsula. All 61
adult butterfly species found in the area are included in the field guide.
132 full-color photographs by Dr. Woodbury help clearly identify adult,
larva and pulpa stages. Differences in color or wing patterns between
the sexes are also illustrated to aid in identification. The species
accounts that form the bulk of this book include a description of the
adult butterfly, the larva, and the egg, as well as information on the
food sources, habitat, and range of each butterfly. Anatomy,
metamorphosis, habitats, enemies, longevity, mimicry, and migration of
butterflies in general are investigated in a chapter on the natural
history of the butterfly. Hints for attracting butterflies to a garden
and suggestions for photographing the species help the reader to
increase his or her appreciation of butterflies. Paperback - 138 pp. $12.95
Friends of Blackwater Membership
The Friends of Blackwater is a nonprofit
citizens support group founded in 1987, assisting Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Cambridge, Maryland and the
Chesapeake Marshlands National Wildlife Refuge Complex to carry out their
educational, interpretive, and public use missions. Currently our ranks
include over 800 individuals, companies, organizations, and agencies who have helped us
become one of the preeminent voluntary conservation organizations in our area. In 2003 the Friends
of Blackwater achieved national recognition when it was named the 2003 Friends Group
of the Year.
Membership Benefits include:
- Newsletter and selected publications
- 10% discount at the following refuge bookstores/gift shops: Blackwater, Bombay Hook,
Prime Hook, Chincoteague, Heinz NWR at Tinicum, Eastern Shore, and Eastern Neck
- Membership decal
- Advance program announcements
- Invitation to special events
- Voting privileges at the annual meeting
Membership form
Friends of Blackwater Privacy Statement:
Personal information is collected
for the purpose of providing visitors with specific services or answering their
inquiries. The Friends of Blackwater will never distribute, sell, or share any information given
voluntarily by users (such as email addresses, names, credit
card information, etc.).