Calmn Water This Morning

Headed out early this morning. A little chilly sitting for an hour or so at waters edge. I did see several mature eagles soaring off in the distance. Walking the shoreline I located numerous turkey feathers in a small area. It would suggest that something had a meal.

Rounding the point presented a quick pic of this couple.

 

The reservoir was calm with numerous ducks and geese making wakes as they distanced themselves from me. The onset of spring should now bring photo opportunities.

 

Jim

What A Difference A Week Can Make !

Chilly this morning then warming up quite nice when the sun broke the tree line. I decided to make make a full day of hiking today. The reservoir was beautiful with visible ice only in a few coves. This is the view I had eating breakfast..

Surely you could see spring is here. Skunk cabbage breaking through the frost free ground. After seeing this my hopes of seeing a bear increased.

Deer looked pretty healthy. Four of them crossed the road.

On the hike back to the truck I checked out a small beaver swamp. This goose was tolerant of me for a few moments, then sounded the alarm.

With today's hike I saw, deer,turkey,woodcock,eagles and two geese. Sure beats a good day at work
Jim

Windy & Cold

Twenty eight at the house this morning. Weatherman said  today the winds were going to be light . DON'T THINK SO!  The reservoir was bitter at dawn with strong wind.. I brought along my digiscoping equipment in hopes getting a picture of the eagles on Snell Island. My tripod was no match for the wind. I was able to see both eagles just using the spotting scope. I will attempt again when it warms up.

This was the only picture I was able to get. This was taken@ 40x with a strong wind,. I like using 80x however the slightest breeze and the pictures are blurry. I will attempt  again when the weather  warms up.
Jim

Spring Really !

Thermometer read twenty six this morning. Today's hiking was quite eventful even with the strong winds and several snow squalls that were quite heavy. My plan today was to sit on the reservoir shore along the water ice line. It paid off. Right off this coyote came trotting down the ice.

It took a while for the sun to break the tree line. Off in the distance I could hear a number crows squawking flying my way. Sitting very still presented this photo op. A immature eagle following the ice water line.

 

A colleague that spends quite a bit of time at Quabbin shared a pic this week of the eagles on Snell Island. I wanted to to see if I could view the eagles this morning even though it was somewhat of a white out. Thanks Dick

Eagles are sitting on the second pine tree.

 

Feel Spring In The Air

A little cold with the start of my hike this morning. Thermometer was near twenty when I left the house. Once the sun broke the tree line it was nice walking. A canine crossed the road a good distance out. Couldn't tell whether it was a fox or a small coyote. As I approached my favorite swamp it was good to see some open water and a few mallards alerting all that I was present.
From there I headed to the reservoir. Surely sign that spring is near.

Coyotes have been using the ice for easy travel.

Standing under the canopy of a low hanging white pine I caught this guy soaring the shoreline

Sure hope the weatherman is wrong with the storm coming early week.

Jim

Spring Just Around The Corner

A walk this morning at a northeast gate, gave away my first sighting of a black coyote. While walking the road, the coyote crossed in front of me about thirty yards. No chance for a pic, it was just nice to see it. The surrounding woods were busy with birds.

A VERY light dusting of snow gave away the tracks of a fox on my hike to the reservoir. Although the reservoir was still pretty much covered with ice ,you could see the shoreline starting to open up.
On my ride home ,I did see two deer feeding on a southern exposed ridge . They appeared to be in good shape.

I had a chance to tag along with my son yesterday on a bear tagging attempt. Things didn't work out to plan. Maybe another time.
Jim

Massachusetts WildLife Article

If interested in reading more of my adventures drop me an e-mail: hikingcamera@aol.com

Jim

Weatherman said , " O" percent precipitation till noon today, then thirty percent after lunch. It flurried pretty hard while hiking this morning. Had to cover my camera. Sure felt like the middle of winter. . Little activity with critters with hearing a few woodpeckers and chickadees.I set out for Graves Landing in hopes of catching glimpse of a coyote or bobcat. Pretty quiet all around.....
I did see a few signs that spring might be coming.

The weather for the coming week looks to be above freezing during the day. Should make for a good start of the maple syrup season ,and winter lifting its hold on the Quabbin Woods

Jim

This morning made for a nice hike. Very few sunny weekend days the last month or so ! Approaching the reservoir an immature eagle was sitting on the ice water edge with a immature eagle roosting several hundred yards away on the opposite side of the cove.

A handful of  Common Merganser flew as I approached the open water.

The hint of spring was ever so slight with ice receding on a edge of the swamps.
Beavers have been at work...

Won't take much to finish this tree.
Sitting high on a ridge over looking a two acre swamp, I was entertained watching a fisher work the area in pursuit of a meal. It's head would look into every crevice and hole.What I was surprised to see is the fisher slip into the water and swim  like an otter for  30 or 40 yards .
I am reading a book called the Wolverine Way by Douglas Chadwick. The fisher and wolverine both come from the  Mustelidae Family. Many similarities with the fisher ( on a much smaller scale)
Jim