After several gray windy days, it was nice to head out this calm morning with some sunshine on our backs. And right away, I saw our Great Blue Heron, still here in spite of some nasty storms. We left him to his spot on the sunny riverbank.
It could be our last look at him before he heads out. In any case, it is a welcome start to a cold sunny morning outing with Ginger.
As I mentioned in my last post, I left my trusty camera, dings and all, in Spain. There are problems with tariff and customs. It is going to be a hassle to get it returned by mail.
We have a possible workout, but it will probably be next Spring. So, I decided to go back to a camera with changeable lenses.
I took it out for a dreary stroll today and came upon a half-dozen Northern Cardinals. The dog tugged on the leash. I tried to sort out this new rig. I got a few shots under gray skies.
So, off we go on a new adventure. Now to read the 966 page manual.
Our local walks are getting a lot less “birdy” with migration well underway. Hummers are still here and on every outing we see and hear Gray Catbirds like this one.
Later, on the same walk, Ginger encountered a young Groundhog, and after a short showdown, it ran and hid. Since then, she sniffs the encounter spot but that’s it.
I don’t chase birds these days. However, we have had one or two juvenile Black-crowned Night Herons reported downtown on the river. Ginger and I took a long walk Wednesday and sure enough, this “continuing” bird was fishing patiently.
Just downstream, below a gas station, a Great Blue waited.
And then, as I was heading out, seven small diving ducks flew in. They were juvenile Hooded Mergansers. They settled for a rest stop and likely headed out shortly later.
We had a three mile outing around the city on a beautiful August day. High above capitol, a kettle of 36 Turkey Vultures circled, on their way south. This is a good place to live, and to bird.
We had a great experience at the camp on Woodbury Lake. I saw nearly 100 bird species and we found many back roads and trails to explore. The foliage made photos tough to get, like this shot of a Hairy Woodpecker.
And we found all sorts of interesting items like this cache of vehicles and boats far from any road.
On one of our last mornings, I took my camera along in the kayak. I joined these Mallards having a breakfast outing.
And had a last encounter with the loon family.
Vermont is a great place to live and summers are special. It was a great July for us.
We bird nearly every day and with a camera and a dog, there are mixed results. For example, yesterday a lovely four-point buck with antlers in velvet strolled across the road. Then, it watched me from just within the woods. Until Ginger saw it and she went wild, as did he.
Here are some shots from recent outings, starting with an Indigo Bunting.
Early one evening, this Belted Kingfisher entertained us at a small nearby lake.
A Cedar Waxwing was also foraging and also not willing to perch close by.
A Cedar Waxwing was also foraging and also not willing to perch close by.
A Veery is a plain-looking bird with a lovely song.
And you never know what you”’ see driving the back roads of Vermont.
After a strong cold front passage the other night, we awoke to find these two Herring Gulls on our raft. They’re a little unusual here and this pair seemed pretty tired.
They rested all day despite the passing paddlers and party boats. Sometime that evening, they departed to their next destination. Glad we were able to provide a safe place to stop.
Driving along dirt roads on early summer mornings, I often come upon interesting sights. One of my favorites here is called Dog Pond Road, named after a local small pond (aka Valley Lake.)
Early one morning I came upon these two Great Blue Herons, hunting near one another.
The second bird, fishing nearby this one, appeared disheveled.
Thinking of the heat and humidity this week, I remembered our 2023 local heron. It waited until January to migrate.
I trust that the Dog Pond Road fishers will be older and wiser.
Eastern Kingbirds are fun to see and hear. They love to perch. Their song and calls are unique and watching them grab insects out of the air is a delight. Yesterday morning here at camp, this one sat patiently waiting for the hatch to start on the lake.
These birds, who arrived in May, will leave for South America in September. So, we’ve got a couple of months to enjoy them.
Here is our morning view from the deck.
We are staying at a lakeside camp not far from home for this month. The birding is good although most species are buried in the dense tall fir trees that surround us. In the early mornings, there’s no boat activity and lots of bird calls and songs. Good luck with bird shots.
We have a summer resident Common Loon, seemingly unfazed by the party boats. This morning, I watched it doing its bathing, not far from our deck.
The Canada Geese gaggle takes shelter from boaters later on but twenty-four paraded by one the placid pond about six-thirty.
It’s a great time of year in Vermont to get out and enjoy the natural beauty and critters. Diving on a back road yesterday, I came upon a mama bear and two raccoon-sized cubs, smallest I’d ever seen. Between grabbing the camera and controlling a crazy dog, she was long-gone pronto. But, it’s an image I’ll remember – a Happy Fourth of July surprise.
Nearly every morning this summer, I walk Ginger early. We often start by going down our path the the river and then on to nearby trails. It’s not unusual to see and hear many birds right in our backyard.
Two days ago, this Common Merganser was just cruising down the river.
Yesterday, about six-thirty, we came upon this little Wood Duck family. They gently eased away from us and I wondered if the youngsters were to young to fly.
In a summer of chaos, it’s calming to start the day with a taste of the natural life right around us. Get out and enjoy July.