There are mornings and then there are mornings… this morning was one of those extra special mornings that I will never forget. I went to Silvio - perfect conditions - 32 degrees, no wind, and I knew the sun was going to show up. I arrived at about my usual time - about 40 minutes before sunrise. I decided to commit to the 1 mile loop and see what I could spot. It was incredibly quiet and beautiful. I made my way around the first time with hardly a peep or chirp from anyone. I decided to go around again -

I had been thinking I would do another post with shots from a variety of mornings until yesterday morning happened. I had gone to Silvio the previous day and witnessed a gorgeous sunrise and a very quiet morning in the wildlife department. So I decided I would go back yesterday morning - gorgeous temps - a little above freezing and absolutely no wind. I pulled in the parking lot and got out of the car hoping I would hear a hoot or two - no hoots but a sweet rabbit hopped over to say to good morning. I pulled out my gear…

Yesterday morning I was up very early after the Election and was in a real daze. I decided the best thing that I could do for myself was to head out to Silvio O. Conte in Hadley. I usually listen to the news when I head out in the morning but I did not do that yesterday - I drove in silence. There were clouds on the horizon making for some very nice light at dawn. I was willing myself to only focus on positive things in our world - like beautiful early morning light. I pulled into Silvio and got out of the car. I was hoping to hear a hoot or two - nothing but beautiful silence…

For this post I thought I would give you some highlights from 3 separate recent outings. I’ll start with the recent full Harvest Moon. I drove to Ashfield on a very cold and frosty morning in time to set up to see the Harvest Moon setting - it was stunning. The grasses crunched under my boots because the frost was so heavy - just so beautiful.

This morning I went to Bullitt…. we had a nice frost, no wind, and it just below 32 degrees. My game plan was to start in the upper field and then work my way down back to the fields near the building. I have been at Bullitt a few times trying to figure out where to be when based on the dramatic low angle light we have this time of year. It was so still this morning that every little song and peep helped me spot our little feathered friends…

Hi Everyone…. I made it out to Bullitt this morning. This weather has been so gorgeous that I promised myself last night I would head out in the morning - I am so glad that I did. I arrived well before sunrise and as soon as I got out of the car I could hear a deer snorting in the woods on the edge of the field by the barn. I got my gear out of the car as quickly as I could as I was hoping I would eventually see the deer. I never did see the deer but wow he or she kept snorting a lot - clearly was not happy about something… maybe me!

I made it out this morning… when I left home it was 42 degrees, no wind, no moon - and the sky was filled with stars. I arrived in Ashfield and immediately went in search of the crane family…I knew that it was very likely that the cranes had already left and started their fall journey but I wanted to give it a try. I went to the swamp, the fields, back to the swamp, back to the fields… no cranes. I am sorry that I missed seeing them one more time - I am already missing them…

From Lorraine’s first pangs of pain until her passing… only 30 days had gone by. I will certainly never make any sense of any of it… but I do find great comfort knowing that she is now at peace. I also find so much comfort from all of the incredible love and support that I have received from all of you - our many friends and family- there are truly no words that can express my gratitude...

I am asking each of you for a favor…when you have a minute to either make a post to this blog - which I will then forward to Lorraine, or to send her an email at sandflea@comcast.net and just say hello, give her words of encouragement, a smile, or any kind of message at all.

We all know the power of nature to heal us…. and we also know the awesome power of love and support from family and friends that helps lift each of us through difficult times.

We recently spent a week up in Moosehead Lake in Maine - from start to finish we had a blast! I had planned this trip as a surprise for Lorraine for her birthday! We packed up the car with Lorraine’s plein air painting gear, my camera gear, binoculars, clothes, and whatever else we thought we might need and off we went! I asked her to plug in Greenville, ME in the GPS and off we went! We had a very easy ride up - we left on a Tuesday and no one was on the road.

Finally I have some more New Zealand photos for you! I’ll start with our next to our last night on the North Island. Lorraine and I hired a guide to take us to try and find a kiwi! Kiwi’s are nocturnal (very occasionally they can be seen in the daylight). Our guide John met us at 9pm… that is our normal bedtime! But we were very excited to go out with him and give it our best try. He picked us up in a Range Rover and gave each of us headlamps. He had us sit in the front and back seat on the passenger side, roll down our windows, and look out to the side with our headlamps on…

am very, very excited to share this post with all of you! I hope that you enjoy these photos and my story. Beginning last summer it has seemed like I have been in a game of Hide and Seek with bitterns over at Ragged! I have spent countless hours in this game…. and yesterday it all came together in a way that is more than I could have ever hoped for!! This will be a long post as I have a lot to share with you from this very special morning…I will never forget this experience - truly remarkable.

“Hope is the thing with

feathers that perches in the

soul and sings the tune

without the words - and

never stops at all.”

- Emily Dickinson

These last few days I have been going to Ragged with a very specific dream in mind … I wanted to see and photograph both an Indigo Bunting and a Common Yellowthroat on a gorgeous plant that is new to me. I know that seems like quite the dream… first of all to even see the Indigo Bunting, and second of all, for it to land on a specific plant…. But hey, that’s what dreams are right?? :). Why not dream big!

Well, the third morning I finally spotted an Indigo bunting after waiting a very long time in one spot, and I mean a very long time.

Wow!! I have never seen or been in an area with more deer flies than today - UGH!!!! I went to my usual Ragged Mtn area and things started off good - a little humid, but not too bad. I ventured up to a new area I have started to explore when all of a sudden I had so many deer flies buzzing me I could not believe it! Seriously, right out of a horror movie! So needless to say I left that area as quickly as I could hoping I could walk out of the “cloud “of deer flies… and I eventually I did!

This past week we arrived in NH for the summer. On our first full day here I went over to Ragged Mtn in the mid-afternoon to check on things to get ready for the next morning’s early outing. As soon as I parked the car and started out to my usual trails and paths I spotted this gorgeous, and huge, feather! It measures approx. 17 inches… Do you have any idea who this belonged to? Really incredible… My guess.. A Great Horned Owl??? Or????

Wow!! Every year our feathered friends pop with breeding plumage colors that are truly hard to believe! I am nursing some tendonitis in my right wrist from all of my time with camera, so I am picking my mornings very carefully! I obsessively check the forecast for temps, wind, and the time of the sunrise and then I plan my attack! :). Needless to say June mornings are my earliest mornings of the year - that beautiful old sun sure does rise early in June!

I will say upfront that this is a long post because during this particular morning one incredible thing happened after another and I could not find a good spot to split this into to two posts. If you do find this is too long - please let me know as I sincerely appreciate all of your feedback!

On this particular May morning I went out to Hatches Harbor at low tide via the Fire Road - I went out very early and as I started my walk out it was very quiet - beautiful, but quiet. Alll of a sudden I felt eyes on me…

On this rainy Memorial Day I am trying to cull through more for you… Here is another morning at Beech Forest - it started with a burst of sunshine immediately followed by gray skies. I started by walking the loop counterclockwise and saw movement to my right to see this very, very busy red squirrel! Now that is a mouthful!! :)

Today’s post is combination of a couple of outings to Beech Forest in Ptown with Lorraine and my first early morning Spring outing at Bullitt Reservation in Ashfield. It is so much fun to go out this time of year to find the birds who have come up on southerly winds and land like gentle rain throughout our state as they make their way north!