New Lens

 I love my new lens...

Orchard Hawk

Saw this guy sitting on a wire on my way to my house while driving. I got home, grabbed my bike and my camera and rode back to see if he was still there. He was, got some great shots, loving the new camera and lens combo. I THINK its a immature red-tail hawk.

Mallard X Wood Duck Hybrid

For the second time inside of a year since I have lived in NH I have identified yet another Mallard Hybrid, this time it was a group of ducks hanging out on a log near the side of the road. As I approached I noticed The wooduck ( females) did not take flight as they normally do. Carrying my new camera and lens I snapped a few photos when i noticed something funny, there was a patch of blue on the wing of the "Wood Duck" Turns out it was a genetically crossed female Wooduck that had been mixed with a Mallard, in fact there were 3 of them, all thinking that they were Mallards. Whats in the water up here?! This Website has some great information...
Click Image to enlarge

A visitor today

Hello everyone,

Its been a while since I posted here, thats what happens when you get beautiful weather and weekends fill up months ahead.... but I have been loving every minute of it, lots of hiking, biking, and thanks to our friend hurricane Bill, Surfing!

I had a nice relaxing morning on this beautiful Sunday and decided to try a quick out door oil painting. I grabbed my paint and canvas and walked about 20 feet out my backdoor under a great shady maple. I chose to paint the flower garden just on the other side of the pool and the back porch. Simple, nothing to crazy.

There I was painting along, minding my own business when my nosy ( or beaky) neighbor had to come over to say hi. I was thrilled when this young Red-Tailed hawk landed in the yard, hung out under a hedge for a little bit, the proceeded to walk right over to me, literally 3 feet away. I am convinced he thought the cleaning brush for the pool was a mouse or something. I was VERY happy that my camera was an arms reach away. This hawk allowed me to take about 50 photos...thanks bud!

Click to enlarge any photo


My painting set-up

See him, look under the hedge..



Just coming over to say hi

getting closer

closer

Doh, its a pool brush..


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Just before he left me.

Foxes!

Hello Again....
Very happy to share these with you all, its been a LONG time coming. These were taken a few weeks ago in Idaho, one set from Sun valley and the others from Hailey.

CLICK TO ENLARGE PHOTOS

Spring Backyard Birds

I have been a little behind posting photos, a few of you have kindly sent emails to give me a kick in the pants, so here is what I got. I have been going for lots of walks with the camera, in the orchards and field edges out my back door. In addition to the birds I was lucky enough to capture are all the ones who flew away before i had a chance to get a shot. All said and done, so far I have identified 7 new species that are new to me. I also started a new Birdlist for New Hampshire. According to the list New Hampshire has 389 species of birds. Check back soon
Bill



White Crowned Sparrow

Scarlet Tanger

Savannah Sparrow

Robin on nest

Freshies

Palm Warbler

Northern Oriel

Indigo Bunting

Blue Heron

More Fisher Cat!

The past week and a half I have been out to Beaver Brook scouring the edges of the fields looking for all the cool birds that are passing through, I have seen a great variety, from Scarlet Tangers to palm warblers, many of these I have never seen before. I will be doing a post in the next week or so with a collection of these images. Today I would like to share some images I captured this morning of a fisher cat. I was hiking quietly along a new trail and discovered a Fisher cat who was too busy to realize I was there, This would mark the second time I have seen one in person. Glad I had the camera.

Fisher Cat!

Just finished moving to beautiful Hollis NH, I am surrounded by vast tracts of forest and huge farm fields, I love it here. I have been hiking daily and shooting some photos, feeling a renewed urge to create, check back soon!

I was pretty happy to have captured a daytime photo of a fisher cat on my trail camera. I plan to have the camera set up as much as possible this spring. I have this dream that there must be bob cats around here! We will see.

Hybrid Mallards

This is a first for me. I had first thought this was a Green Wing Teal, but after looking at the photos I realized it was actually a Mallard that had been hybridized with a American Black Duck, this LINK makes it ver clear what happened. Nature never ceases to amaze me!

New Hampshire Fox!

Red Fox in Hollis, NH Click image to enlarge


I had a great weekend exploring a tract of land owned by the Beaver Brook Association in Hollis, New Hampshire. I am excited for several reasons about this. The land is located a mere 8.5 miles from where I live, second, for a wildlife photographer like myself it seems to be teeming with life. I saw more deer and turkey in the first hour than I normally do in weeks around here. Another reason I have really been drawn to this land is how similar it is to my beloved Tarrywile Park where I started shooting. While the trees are not quite the same, the general layout of the land is. Its steep and thick, and has a lot of small open field areas as well, very similar to Tarrywile. On Saturday I hiked 6.95 miles from 10:30 am-almost 4pm. My legs were toast. I rarely found my self on trails, instead i explored the entire perimeter of the southern parcel. Today after trying unsuccessfully to paint for a few hours, I felt the need to be outside. I packed up and headed back over to Beaver Brook.



Catching a mouse, or vole? Click image to enlarge

Ill take this to go please. Click image to enlarge

About a mile from the parking area I spotted this Red Fox hunting for mice, and actually saw it get one, might have been a vole. He seemed healthy in actions but his fur seemed to have areas of missing hair, possible the onset of mange or a really bad fight. Got some fun shots most were blurry because i was so excited i could feel my hand shaking as I was trying to hold still.

Spring is upon us, one more big storm, tonight and I look forward to some sunny days, although I know i should probably not hold my breath. I have seen a bunch of ducks already starting to migrate through and will try to get some photos of them, Several pairs of Hooded Mergansers, and a new one for me, the Golden Eye. Photos coming soon.

More work on the turkey

I feel like i have been working on this FOREVER, but truth is that I am close to finishing, not sure when but here are 2 shots from last sessions I had on it. I am savoring the last few strokes of this one. It will almost be sad to finish it. I have started another larger painting of a Barred Owl, I will try to post the first few shots of it in the next few days. Also planning to paint some Koi fish. So far keeping with my new years resolution of a painting a month!
Stage 25??




The current painting below.

Fire in Nashua

Around 930am this past Monday I was at work headed to get some food from the fridge and saw a plume of smoke rising from the center of Nashua, I headed over to have a closer look. I heard fromt he fire chief that it was the biggest fire in Nashua in over ten years. With the camera I was able to get pretty close, i thought that was all good, until a down draft sent the black smoke createdfrom the asphalt roof down into the street choking me so bad i gasped for air through my sweatshirt, after that i backed way off!

An Old Friend

I pulled the Turkey painting back out this past weekend. I started this painting in April 2008! Id say a solid 6 more hours and it will be looking good!


click image to enlarge

More Icicles

This one is getting insane



They just keep Growing!!!

These are on my building at work 100 factory street in Nashua. They have since fallen off..