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!

Weekend adventures.

Spent some time near the coast this weekend and enjoyed some sun and nature. Hiked around Odiorne State Park before the crowd got too big. A few new birds for me, a Long Billed Marsh Wren, and a decent shot of a Common Eider. After that headed to Maine and tried my hand at fishing for stripers in the the Salmon Falls River. Fished all day and we only landed one fish but it was a 36 inch beauty. We let it go for another day. Finally, located the fox one of my co-workers had told me about. I had to wait a little while but finally he showed himself! This little guy was a blast to watch.

Long Billed Marsh Wren

Common Eider

Spring in Hollis

Had a great weekend exploring small areas of conservation land in Hollis. Looks like pretty much everyone has woken up from the winter slumber. Saved a Painted turtle that was stuck crossing the drive way at the highschool, the curbs were a bit too high for him. The weekend breeze was great for keeping the biting insects away for the most part.

Eastern Towhee

Lily Pad Abstract

Pink Lady Slippers

Painted Turtle

Black Snake

Microwaved Eggs for Breakfast?

 I have been watching these osprey as I drive to work at 1019 West Hollis Street in Nashua. I wonder what the effect of the strong microwaves or cell phone signals will have on not only the adults but the chicks? They seem happy. From my quick calculation using Google Earth, within 1.6 miles there are 3 active osprey nest including this one on the Nashua river.
Bill

Lincoln, NH

Spent a very fun, rainy and snowy weekend in Lincoln, NH. The weather was intense, high speed winds, driving rain and lightning, with a very brief clearing around 6pm to allow us a few minutes to shoot at the nearby Beaver Pond with Mt Jim and Mt Waternomee in the background. Felt weird to be hiking in fresh snow in May as we climbed the Mount Kinsley Ridge trail on the Appalachian Trail.

Variety is the spice of life.

Yellow Rumped Warbler, Hollis NH

With all the cold, windy weather I have not been out with the camera for a week or so. This morning was a nice break, sunny, warm and calm. I headed out to the Hollis/ Brookline Highschool where spring break at the school makes for a nice peaceful setting to stroll around. I was very, very happy I went there. When I first got out of my truck I was blown away by a flock of about 40 Yellow Rumped Warblers ( one of my favorite little birds, they are beautiful!), I was shooting some pictures  of them when a coyote ran out into the field right in front of me. As if this was not enough, after the coyote ran off I walked a little further and noticed a duck that seemed different, I took a few shots and realized this was a new one for me. I identified it as a Blue Winged Teal. The on the way back to my truck I spotted a pair of Killdeer doign the hanky panky. Not bad for a half hour before work!
-Bill

Eastern Coyote, Hollis, NH

Eastern Coyote, Hollis, NH

Blue Winged Teal, Hollis NH

 Mating Killdeer, Hollis NH

Nashua Osprey Nest

It was great to see this pair of nesting Osprey working so hard to construct their nest Wednesday morning. Its even better that I can drive right past here on my way to and from work to track the progress, with a  little luck we will see some baby Osprey soon! A few shots.
-Bill

Great Horned Owl+ Great Blue Heron+ Great light =Great day!

This Great Horned Owl is nesting in an abandon Blue Heron nest out on a small pond. What an amazing place. Besides these amazing residents I also saw 15 double crested cormorant, a few pairs of wood ducks, 5 pairs of Osprey, and a bunch of different woodpeckers. I hope to go back with the canoe this weekend, this way i will be able to float a little closer.  Now if the rain will just hold off.
Bill

New Page added to site!

Realizing that there are a lot of images on the site and that it is difficult to see what may be new and updated, I created an album for the newest of the new. The album called Recent Images will have some of the most recent images that have potential to make it into a permanent album on the site. I would be very happy to have your vote on new images using the star rating system. If you like something, let me know!
Thanks have a great weekend!
Bill

Carolina Wren, first for me

Was blessed with not only perfect light but a first sighting of a Carolina Wren this morning in my yard.

Birds of Berlin, CT

I spent Easter weekend in my home town of Berlin, CT and got out for a few short hikes on Orchard Rd. Although spring is still warming up I had a few good sightings!

A few photo highlights:

Coopers hawk

Red Shouldered Hawk

Eastern Bluebird

Here is the total list:
Robin
Cardinal
Chickadee
Wild Turkey
Red-tailed hawk
Red Shouldered Hawk
Coopers Hawk
Wood duck
Yellow rumped warbler
Song sparrow
Tree Sparrow
Tree Swallow
Northern Flicker
Belted Kingfisher
Mallard
Mute Swan
Canada Geese
Titmouse
Brown Creeper
Eastern Bluebird
Crow
Grackel
Red Winged Blackbird
White thoated Sparrow
Blue Jay
Northern Mocking bird