Snow Buntings and Horned Larks

Not much in the way of Photography lately

The Charles has slowed down with just the usual Ring Necks and some mergs

there have been some fly overs of Bald eagles but I have not been able to photograph them as of yet Hopefully with this cold snap things will pick up

I went out to Salisbury and The Merrimack river and the river is wide open so the eagles are disbursed all over all I saw were a couple of distant Immatures

Salisbury beach does have a continueing Snow Bunting and Horned Lark show by the pump area on the gravel pile

good photo ops as these guys come in the get some grit and also feed on the grasses

Going out to Magic Wings in Deerfield to do some winter Butterflies and have a mid winter escape into the warmth

Will post those after the trip

John

Charles River Walk

After spending the week taking care of my youngest Daughter ,who had her tonsils and adnoids taken out on Monday, I made a short jaunt down to the river and went from Elm Street to the Mary Early Bridge in Waltham.

No Goldeneyes were seen by me today and the rest of the birds were way down from a couple of days ago.

Saw only a couple of Common Mergs and a few Hooded Mergs.

Ring Necks were the dominant bird of the day along with 8 Mute Swans

The regular Great Blue Heron was present but I saw no raptors today and even no crows

Not many Mallards either and there are usually many in this strech Oh well

Thats why we keep going out there

John

Charles River Again

Well since it snowed pretty good last night and into today I never made it out to the Merrimack River area So I made my way back down to the Charles River inWaltham again

And the sun actually came out for a minute or two

Same characters as yesterday but a few better photos of the possible Barrows

Goldeneye's on the Charles

Went down to the Charles River in Waltham from the Elm St end down a little past the Newton St area

Lots of Ring Neck's , Common Goldeneyes, Hooded Merganzers and Common Merganzers.

Also saw two Coopers Hawks and a Juvenille Red Tail Hawk

Snow was falling most of the time but the temps were not bad and the wind was light early

May go up to the Merrimack on Sunday to try for the Snowy Owl that has been seen on and off

The top picture may be a female Barrows Goldeneye and the second is a female common goldeneye

A New Year

The new year has started with some light snow and cloudy conditions

There are birds about and the winter ducks are in the rivers and any open water that you can find.

The Charles river in Waltham and Watertown have some and the Merrimack will be picking up as long as the cold weather is here.

The ocean fronts will have plenty of activity also so now is a good time to head out even if it is only to observe and learn behavior to use to your advantage for another time when the weather is better for photography

Happy New Year

As 2009 comes to a close and we look forward to a beter 2010

Lets reflect back on the previous year and also look forward to what we hope to accomplish in the future year and years ahead

Not only are we closing out a year but we are also passing another decade

The last time we passed a decade we also passed a century it is true that time really flies

Myself I have been photographing with digital for over a decade now and as I look back it is unreal the advances we have seen this decade.

And to think that really digital is still in its infancy what the future holds I can not tell but if it expands as fast as the last decade the future is looking quite good for photographers.

As I part I would like to leave with a photo of the great grey from last April in New hampshire

Last year was the year of Owls so it would seam also for some rare visitors from the north such as the3 Ivory Gulls

What will we see this year can only be determined by getting out there and seeing for yourself

May you have a very good New year and Healthy one to boot

See you in 2010

Happy Holidays

May the joy of the Season last throughout the year to all of you and your families

John