Sure signs of summer all around.

 I wanted to share a small collection of photos taken over the last week. You know its summer when you see bucks in velvet with the growing antlers starting to fork and grow individual tines. The hay fields are growing tall and golden ready for first harvest and a mother mallard with eight, yest EIGHT chicks all in a row!

Mom leading the way o.

Nice buck in a foggy field.

Two very nice summer bucks.

Welcome summer!

A few new images from the weekend. Lots of green Herons flying around, I was surprised to see them flying over my house 3 times on Sunday. Unidentifed yellow bird, any ideas?

Young Mocking bird

Not sure about this guy..

Green Heron Takes flight.

New Painting 99.9% done!

A few finishing touches and its ready for clearcoat! I am really happy with this painting, I think my 'style' is finally starting to show through with no effort to do so. This frame works pretty good with it to. I'm calling this one "In the Thick of It." Its based on a deer I saw 2 mornings in a row while hiking in Redding, CT a few years ago. He remained motionless 15 feet away and blended in so well with the tangled branches and chest high goldenrod that was all around him.

A week of Barred Owls

 I have make no effort to hide the fact that I am slightly obsessed with Owls ( specifically Barred Owls ) I feel they are one of Mother Nature's most amazing creatures. The stoic, ghostly presence and silent flight make my imagination run wild imagining what must happen in the forest when the light fades to black.

Looking back over the last year of living in Hollis, I think of the dozens (maybe 50) of times I have driven down this little dirt road, early in the morning, 5mph, staring up into the trees hoping to get a glimpse of this bird of prey I hold so dear. Never happened.

Up until this past week I have seen and photographed only one Barred Owl in Hollis. A nice fall shot and great experience. That was it for the year, until this week.

Last Friday I was leaving my house and headed to Connecticut for Memorial Day weekend, not a mile into my drive I spotted an owl dead on the side of the road. I pulled over and examined it. I can tell it had been hit only hours earlier. After taking a few photos I dug a grave, made a cross and buried it with dignity.

Fast forward 6 days to 7:30am this morning. While on a 4 mile run with my co-worker Connie,  just past the halfway point of the run, I stopped dead in the middle of the small dirt road.  "Look!" 15 feet away, without a care in the world, this beautiful Barred was staring right at us. We watched it for 2 minutes and let it be. I was super excited and could not stop talking about how many times I have looked along that road for owls and never saw even a feather. With a tinge of hope about a half hour later on my way into work, I swung by the same spot camera in hand. These images are the result. Glad I checked it out!