Tag Archives: Birding with Ginger

A Couple of Walks

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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.

Farewell To The Lake

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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.

Mixed Flock

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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.

A Mini-Fallout

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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 Dirt Roads With Ginger

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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. 

Our Local Eastern Kingbird

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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.

Happy Fourth

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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.

Early Morning Backyard Birds

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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.

F/8 and be there birds

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“f/8 and be there” is an old expression. It means you should just shoot. Don’t be too concerned about getting everything right. That’s why I carry my digital camera nearly every time I’m out.

I’ve seen a lot of birds on my walks and drives with Ginger lately. With the heavy foliage, warblers are a challenge but here are a couple from the last few days. American Redstarts are everywhere, calling, foraging, and always moving.

The same goes for Common Yellowthroats .

This has been the summer for Gray Catbirds, their litany of calls and songs wake us early most mornings.

It’s easier to photograph birds that sit still for a while. This Savannah Sparrow at the airport the other day is a good example.

Or this American Robin bringing breakfast home.

Birds that swoop and soar are impossible for me to capture with my point-and-shoot camera. These Tree Swallows stopped for a break.

Ticks and mosquitoes are bothersome in the summer, and there often are too many leaves to get clear shots. For me, summer mornings are a wonderful time to get out for exercise and birding. I need to remember that four months ago, here’s what our backyard looked like. Seize the day!

A Road-side Hawk

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One of the first rare birds I ever traveled to find was a Roadside Hawk in early 2010, in Texas.  

Yesterday, on a rural back road not far from here, I had a brief but wonderful encounter with a hawk. My dog and I were traveling slowly with the windows down. Suddenly, my windshield was filled with a flash of brown and a distinctive tail of black and white stripes. It was low and landing just beyond us. I stopped the car. I decided not to back up or get out. Instead, I slowly opened the door partway. I leaned out with binoculars and saw the bird just behind me.

Grabbing the camera from my backpack, I leaned out, hoping no cars were coming, and took a photo.

The bird was focused on something on the ground. As I shot a closeup, it lazily flew off behind us. Because of the car acting as a blind, it never got spooked.

It seems it was a Cooper’s Hawk. This is an example of the neat surprises we get when we least expect them.