angelo
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Look at who I ran into while going for a walk!
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Look at who I ran into while going for a walk!
bradw
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Slug on the porch 
Likely my last photos for the next few days as stormy weather is in the forecast.
Down at the Swan pond the resident Mute Swans have been here all summer. The lady across the street tells me that a stranger swan arrived a few days ago and this one who has taken residence for 10 years drove it out. She also tells me the swan drove out the Canada geese? I had never heard of them doing that though I know that Swans are territorial with their own species.
They don't seem to mind ducks though and the pond is now swarming with ring-neck ducks.
One male Ring-Neck duck was grooming by a stump in the middle of the pond. A female Mallard close by.
Lots of Mallards still about. Like the pair of Swans they have been hear all season. It will be interesting when or if they move along as the ice comes. There is a feeder stream that might not freeze and it's possible they could stay.
Finally, a Mockingbird on the wire.
I left as the sprinkles started. The gray day before the rain makes the photos less sharp as a higher ISO is needed but on a cloudy day at this pond can be good because I'd otherwise be looking into the sun as in the series from a few days ago.
Down at the Swan pond the resident Mute Swans have been here all summer. The lady across the street tells me that a stranger swan arrived a few days ago and this one who has taken residence for 10 years drove it out. She also tells me the swan drove out the Canada geese? I had never heard of them doing that though I know that Swans are territorial with their own species.
They don't seem to mind ducks though and the pond is now swarming with ring-neck ducks.
One male Ring-Neck duck was grooming by a stump in the middle of the pond. A female Mallard close by.
Lots of Mallards still about. Like the pair of Swans they have been hear all season. It will be interesting when or if they move along as the ice comes. There is a feeder stream that might not freeze and it's possible they could stay.
Finally, a Mockingbird on the wire.
I left as the sprinkles started. The gray day before the rain makes the photos less sharp as a higher ISO is needed but on a cloudy day at this pond can be good because I'd otherwise be looking into the sun as in the series from a few days ago.
angelo
Deleted
Hide & seek?
Well it's been stormy. we got 4.5 inches of rain the last 24 hours. Last night I opened the basement door under the deck to be sure the water wasn't pooling at the stairs down. There was a puddle at the bottom of the steps and this guy had been resting by the door. He just came right inside when I opened the door. So I took some photos. He was about 6+ inches long.
Spotted salamander
He crawled up my arm.
Notice the cat is curious.
Later I checked the door again and this guy was on the wall. I'm not sure what it is. It was a lot smaller. The same size as our much more common eastern red-backed salamander, 2.5 inches about, but clearly not.
Looking at http://www.massaudubon.org/learn/na...lamanders/salamander-species-in-massachusetts it appears to resemble the Jefferson but I am in eastern MA and they are, according to Audubon, only in the western part of the state. It could also be the spotted blue though it doesn't have as much blue or as many spots as the photo on the website. Or it could be the hybrid Blue-Spotted x Jefferson.
Spotted salamander
He crawled up my arm.
Notice the cat is curious.
Later I checked the door again and this guy was on the wall. I'm not sure what it is. It was a lot smaller. The same size as our much more common eastern red-backed salamander, 2.5 inches about, but clearly not.
Looking at http://www.massaudubon.org/learn/na...lamanders/salamander-species-in-massachusetts it appears to resemble the Jefferson but I am in eastern MA and they are, according to Audubon, only in the western part of the state. It could also be the spotted blue though it doesn't have as much blue or as many spots as the photo on the website. Or it could be the hybrid Blue-Spotted x Jefferson.
Despite the still rotten weather, a wild turkey in my front yard, taken out my car window as I was going out on an errand.
A young deer at the edge of my woods.
A young deer at the edge of my woods.
I took over 600 photos this weekend. Will be deleting most! Posting some of the more interesting.
This downy woodpecker is extremely interested in the moss that's growing on my garage roof. She kept doing this. Probably looking for bugs.
The ring neck ducks are all over the place now. Both at the State Park, where I took this photo, and at what I call the swan pond.
Saturday was a nice sunny day. I don't know how much longer the turtles will be out sunning but the endangered Red Bellied Cooter was back on the stump. Water is higher now. It looks a lot like a common painted turtle but doesn't have the two yellow spots behind the eyes. Though it's a lot bigger than a painted turtle they seem to get along fine. This is substantially cropped and from about 860 feet away.
This is also cropped a lot and 680 feet away.
At the Swan Pond the Pied Billed Grebes are still there.
One bird to add to my life list. Northern Pintail. About 500 feet away.
An Osprey came by for about 15 minutes, looked around and left.
The Double Crested Cormorants are still at the pond. I posted a photo several posts up. They are the same spot. But I had worked my way around to the opposite side of the pond today (tick city!) and this is looking back at the reeds where the road is.
Also from the same spot, the American Coot is still there, with ring neck ducks. Ring necks seem to make it into a lot of photos there are so many on the pond now.
Out of 600+ photos I don't post a lot of stuff. Swan, Mallards, tons of Ring Neck ducks, a great Blue Heron from over 2500 feet....
This downy woodpecker is extremely interested in the moss that's growing on my garage roof. She kept doing this. Probably looking for bugs.
The ring neck ducks are all over the place now. Both at the State Park, where I took this photo, and at what I call the swan pond.
Saturday was a nice sunny day. I don't know how much longer the turtles will be out sunning but the endangered Red Bellied Cooter was back on the stump. Water is higher now. It looks a lot like a common painted turtle but doesn't have the two yellow spots behind the eyes. Though it's a lot bigger than a painted turtle they seem to get along fine. This is substantially cropped and from about 860 feet away.
This is also cropped a lot and 680 feet away.
At the Swan Pond the Pied Billed Grebes are still there.
One bird to add to my life list. Northern Pintail. About 500 feet away.
An Osprey came by for about 15 minutes, looked around and left.
The Double Crested Cormorants are still at the pond. I posted a photo several posts up. They are the same spot. But I had worked my way around to the opposite side of the pond today (tick city!) and this is looking back at the reeds where the road is.
Also from the same spot, the American Coot is still there, with ring neck ducks. Ring necks seem to make it into a lot of photos there are so many on the pond now.
Out of 600+ photos I don't post a lot of stuff. Swan, Mallards, tons of Ring Neck ducks, a great Blue Heron from over 2500 feet....
spikepipsqueak
My Brane Hertz
Ouch!
I think I just saw a bird in flight slammed to the ground by the force of a rain gust.
I think I just saw a bird in flight slammed to the ground by the force of a rain gust.
This morning I got a huge surprise. I went down to the frog puddle and I have mentioned before that there is a separate pond there that is spring fed and stays full. But it's also very inaccessible, surrounded by shrubs and thorn bushes in summer. But I can look down upon it and once took a photo of the green heron there. Whenever I go to the frog puddle I always take a look this pond but almost never see anything but songbirds flitting about. The snapper was in there very early this past spring but also disappeared.
But I always check just in case.
Here is pretty much the only view I have of it and as close as I can get until winter comes.
And what did I see this morning? It looks like an Otter.
It's such a small pond. I don't know if it will stay the winter. I don't know how long it's been there but I look down there a lot.
So I have a mission to get a better photo. This morning it only showed itself this once. Soon after I saw a few more ripples but it didn't come up. I waited about 30 more minutes but the pond was quiet again.
I will be going here frequently. It's about a 10 minute walk from my house. I need to read up on otters to learn when it's most active.
But I always check just in case.
Here is pretty much the only view I have of it and as close as I can get until winter comes.
And what did I see this morning? It looks like an Otter.
It's such a small pond. I don't know if it will stay the winter. I don't know how long it's been there but I look down there a lot.
So I have a mission to get a better photo. This morning it only showed itself this once. Soon after I saw a few more ripples but it didn't come up. I waited about 30 more minutes but the pond was quiet again.
I will be going here frequently. It's about a 10 minute walk from my house. I need to read up on otters to learn when it's most active.
NobleSavage
Veteran Member
Deer in my backyard.
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A bit of time out today.
I love the colors. The consensus at Birdforum Q@A is that this is a Swamp Sparrow but no one is certain. Could also be a white throated sparrow with funny light.
Regardless I'll call him Mr. Camouflage.
Dark Eyed Juncos are back in large numbers. They mostly summer up north of me and I consider them more a winter bird here.
I love the colors. The consensus at Birdforum Q@A is that this is a Swamp Sparrow but no one is certain. Could also be a white throated sparrow with funny light.
Regardless I'll call him Mr. Camouflage.
Dark Eyed Juncos are back in large numbers. They mostly summer up north of me and I consider them more a winter bird here.
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Today a few photos
Dark Eyed Junco on a post
This sparrow is a sloppy eater.
A Blue Jay
Dark Eyed Junco on a post
This sparrow is a sloppy eater.
A Blue Jay
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From a couple days ago.
Wild Turkeys down by the frog puddle.
Today down at the Swan Pond today a pile of ring bill gulls have shown up but more interesting when I got the photos on the computer is that the buffleheads have shown up. In the background. I need to try for a better shot in the coming days.
A swan napping on the pond
American Coots still there. There were about 6 of them. By the way, that's not rain. They appear to have the habit of shaking their pond plants before eating them. That's the spray from their shaking of their food.
Every now and then a demo of the zoom on this camera. This is my front yard. The bare tree in the center, on the right side of that tree at the top there is a dark blob.
Zoom in and without moving from the same spot. This is that dark blob and a friend showed up while I was shooting. The top one is the original dark blob.
Down at the frog puddle, the swamp sparrows are still about.
Same one. It moved.
Wild Turkeys down by the frog puddle.
Today down at the Swan Pond today a pile of ring bill gulls have shown up but more interesting when I got the photos on the computer is that the buffleheads have shown up. In the background. I need to try for a better shot in the coming days.
A swan napping on the pond
American Coots still there. There were about 6 of them. By the way, that's not rain. They appear to have the habit of shaking their pond plants before eating them. That's the spray from their shaking of their food.
Every now and then a demo of the zoom on this camera. This is my front yard. The bare tree in the center, on the right side of that tree at the top there is a dark blob.
Zoom in and without moving from the same spot. This is that dark blob and a friend showed up while I was shooting. The top one is the original dark blob.
Down at the frog puddle, the swamp sparrows are still about.
Same one. It moved.
Today I got out for a while.
At the state park, some Ring-Neck Ducks.
Down at the old Soccer field, a lifer for me. Purple Finch. Male and Female.
Down at the swan pond, I think a juvenile ring bill gull.
At the state park, some Ring-Neck Ducks.
Down at the old Soccer field, a lifer for me. Purple Finch. Male and Female.
Down at the swan pond, I think a juvenile ring bill gull.
Not a lot today. I didn't really stay out very long. Check the yard now and then.
Dark-Eyed Junco
Red-Tail hawk hovering over my yard
It was back again a bit over an hour later.
Dark-Eyed Junco
Red-Tail hawk hovering over my yard
It was back again a bit over an hour later.
Love seeing your photos!
angelo
Deleted
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At my front door recently.
I have not gotten out much the last few days but got 45 minutes in at the Swan Pond.
The Hooded Mergansers have returned.
So have the Buffleheads
A ring bill Gull on thin ice
A new Lifer for me. A Ruddy Duck. There were several.
An Osprey swooped in and I tried to get a good photo.
It only stayed about 3 minutes. It left for good. This was a missed shot. What I got of it looks focused
I've been experimenting with Sports shot mode. It takes about 3 per second up to about 10. (need to check the specs to say exactly).
I may start experimenting more with the the birds that don't stay still and get some BiFs.
These are nothing spectacular but my first attempts. The only problem is that I end up with so many more photos to delete at the end of the day. It might get really tiresome.
The Hooded Mergansers have returned.
So have the Buffleheads
A ring bill Gull on thin ice
A new Lifer for me. A Ruddy Duck. There were several.
An Osprey swooped in and I tried to get a good photo.
It only stayed about 3 minutes. It left for good. This was a missed shot. What I got of it looks focused
I've been experimenting with Sports shot mode. It takes about 3 per second up to about 10. (need to check the specs to say exactly).
I may start experimenting more with the the birds that don't stay still and get some BiFs.
These are nothing spectacular but my first attempts. The only problem is that I end up with so many more photos to delete at the end of the day. It might get really tiresome.
Not a lot the last couple days. Yesterday a red bellied woodpecker on the suet.
And a rotten photo of a fox sparrow though the window under the feeder but it's only the second time I've photographed a fox sparrow.
Today at the swan pond the swans are out.
But otherwise most of the interesting critters have left. No more ring neck ducks. The American Coots are gone. The Grebes are gone. No buffleheads. only mallards are still there.
Except that the Ruddy Ducks are still there.
The pond is not frozen at all. I hope more visitors decide to come back.
And my second SX50 arrive today. Now I have two again.
And a rotten photo of a fox sparrow though the window under the feeder but it's only the second time I've photographed a fox sparrow.
Today at the swan pond the swans are out.
But otherwise most of the interesting critters have left. No more ring neck ducks. The American Coots are gone. The Grebes are gone. No buffleheads. only mallards are still there.
Except that the Ruddy Ducks are still there.
The pond is not frozen at all. I hope more visitors decide to come back.
And my second SX50 arrive today. Now I have two again.
Not a lot going on. I went to several of my spots. Ponds iced over.
The only action was in my own yard. House sparrows is it...
The only action was in my own yard. House sparrows is it...
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