Here are a few captures of a few moons. Had to play a little in the interim.
Until the next time….
A Little Bit Off the Trail
Something In The Air
Today was another beautiful sun filled fresh air. So nice to see the icicles melting. Not that wishing winter is what is meant but the warmer brighter weather will be embraced. Today crossed paths with a coyote that was hot on the scent. Such a beauty on the search.
Today was attempting using different equipment and after today, SOLD! Not many photos as the time was short and manually focusing because the gear used was 2 1.4 extenders and an extension tub along the 100-400 lens.
Until the next time!
Calm Winter Outing
This morning was very calm out and really pretty to view the snow that glistened. The morning view was inter changeable with the fog that moved through. The starting temperature was 15 degrees.
The first sighting was a herd of six does. They waited for us to move on to continue on their way.
The views were really pretty as the sun was rising, so glad to be able to enjoy this all in our back yard, so that thankful for that.
In the distance a bobcat was spotted making way to the forest line. Totally amazing to see these beauties from time to time.
Startled two Juvenile bald eagles that flew off. We did cross paths again with one of the two and managed to capture a photo.
Decided to check in on a friend of the ice. Yes, it was otter play time for a brief time. The lighting was much better this time around. With much much delight was treated with a sliding time around the hut! I took photos but while I was clicking I thinking how I was saving everyone motion sickness.
The ending temperature was 24 degrees, and oddly enough that feels so warm. Thanks for stopping by, until the next adventure..
A Bird of Prey Kind of Day!
This morning was a little rough to get moving, but it was so rewarding. The temperature was a mild 23 degrees it was really nice to be out there. The first bird of prey encounter was a red tail perched watching over a field. The second was a bald eagle soaring around then perching in a clump of trees not too far off and just watched us as we snapped a few captures. Then poof off it went into the distance.
We continued on and saw some deer, walking through the woods. Out of the corner of our eyes we could see a large bird, thinking hawk, but then realized it was an owl as it went right in front of us into an area not that far back. So we followed and were not disappointed and this beautiful barred owl perched to rest and observe over the snow covered ground for about 20 minutes. Then off it went into the wooded area no where to be seen.
After this wonderful little encounter we came across some turkeys just hanging about! Until the next adventure stay safe and enjoy some fresh air..
Snowy Sunday Jaunt
Today after a hearty breakfast it was off for a jaunt with nowhere in mind. It was a balmy 26 degrees out and snow was in the forecast it was a calm morning. About a couple hours out the first flakes started. It was creating such beautiful scenic views. Came across a bald eagle perched observing over a snow covered field watching for movement. The snow was falling at a pretty good clip so made photographing this beautiful bird a little challenging.
Continuing on saw this beautiful red tail hawk land in a tree to watch over a snow covered field. After a couple of photos and a quick chat continued on. At this point the snow is coming down pretty good so time to head back to the den.
While heading back came across an otter just otterly enjoying the snow and no-one about. Again the distance and the snow made capturing this sweet otter a little challenging.
Overall it was a really beautiful snowy Sunday, until the next adventure!
Beautiful Winter Morning
It is amazing what a temperature difference of 24 degrees can make for hiking. This morning it was 16 degrees out and it was refreshing. There were lots of coyote, deer, and moose tracks to be seen. The moose prints were really good size so kind of thinking possibly a bull moose. Other than that it was a pretty quiet 7 mile hike. When arriving at the car it was 26 degrees out.
Chestnut
It appears winter has decided to set into New England. This morning starting out on a beautiful Sunday morning walk through the woods. The temperature was -8 degrees. While walking a sudden cracking noise which spurred an instant halt to walking. It was so sweet two young moose went across into the woods. One photo came out. of one of the two young in the woods. However, afterwards there was more cracking, it was Momma moose. So elegant and calm just stopped and looked at the humans one of which was pointing the mega lens her way. This is Chestnut so happy to have met her up close and personal as she allowed her young to get further in the woods she stood there then as calmly as she came she left into the woods.
After arriving at the water and sitting in the sun to warm up stumbled upon a flock of Snow Buntings.
Once arriving back at the car it was still a whopping -8. Stay warm and stay safe until the next time.
Beautiful Winter Day
Well living in New England has some advantages! Nature is awesome, this weekend was going to be a yard cleaning weekend, well as nature had it we received quite a bit of snow. Made for a beautiful scenic hiking in this temporary winter wonderland!
We just enjoyed the sound and the smell of the air. Today the starting temperature was 16 degrees and when we arrived back to the car 7 miles later it was 32 degrees. Sometimes when it is so cold it isn’t cold at least I have experienced it that way but then again I am a bit different!
Had the pleasure of spending some time with some water birds. Again it was amazing with the constant transformation of the landscape with the rising sun, mist, fog, and wildlife.
While watching the water fowl along came three deers to the waters edge. These does seemed to be on edge and constantly looking back. There surely must have been something that pushed the does out of the wooded area to the point of going to the waters edge and contemplated swimming. However, they opted to not swim and went back then came back out eventually have to go around the shoreline to get back into the wooded area.
After spending time along the shore we decided to head into the woods ourselves. We were excited to see what tracks could be found with the recent snow. Much to our surprise not much snow on the trail but the trees with the snow cover made it sound like it was raining out through the whole hike. Lots of leaves dropping from the weight of the wet snow. It was truly a really nice day to be out there and just soak it all in.
As we were winding around the corner noticed a beautiful bobcat just watching us heading up the trail. It took off shortly after realizing there was two of us and did not grace us with another viewing at that time. It was nice to see that there was one in the area and it looked pretty healthy. We did manage to capture a photo of two.
So thankful to have all of this so close to us that we are able to enjoy!
A Few More Moose Photos
Came across a few more captures of the moose encounter on Sunday.
Cold Fall Morning Hike
After a swim a good shake is always a good idea ❤
This morning we woke up early to head out and see what may be roaming. It was a whopping 31 degrees with a light breeze and we dressed in layers to insure warmth if perching some where. As soon as we go out of the car and started walking we heard the call of the loon. Such a neat wondrous sound.
It was really nice walking and taking in the scent of the fall leaves in the cold air mixed with pine. We decided to head to the shoreline in hopes of seeing tracks of animals roaming about. Well we were side railed by seeing a flock of Chickadees, with some yellow-rumped warblers and possibly some other type of warbler. I decided to perch there in hopes of capturing sone half way decent shots of them. In the meantime there was a loon nearby so took the opportunity to take a few shots. Then we notice an immature bald eagle that flew by three times.
We decided to head into the woods and see if anything was around and about. Within entering ten minutes there was a glimpse of a moose in the water in-between two areas of grass drinking. After a short bit it decided to swim over to another part of land and quite a distance also. It was quite the scene to be seen.
We were able to observe this young bull moose for a good thirty minutes if not more before it decided to go inland. So amazing to see and so thankful for the opportunity.
We hope you enjoy the photos as much as we did taking them. Until the next adventure!!
Beautiful Fall Scenic Drive
Tonight’s clear sky allowed for a brighter moon to photograph.
We have been working on a house project for quite some time and I feel like the world is just passing by and we need to get out there in the woods. So we were going to go for an evening hike and see what has been moving around. Well being in New England and the frequent weather changes here it rained so no hike but a beautiful scenic drive to return some items not used on our project and get new stuff. It has turned out to be a bit more than planned but it really will be worth it with the end result so we plug on!
On the drive it was so pretty seeing all the colors about even though gray out, New England is awesome with such a variety. We saw a hawk, an pileated woodpecker (good size) but a car was too close to safely pull over.
We were also pleased to. see the two sandhill cranes are around. That was exciting and the moon tonight with the clear sky made for a good photo. Have a great evening and I am happy to say we are heading out tomorrow morning so very excited to smell that fall scent of leaves. So we shall see what nature beholds.
Shared Breakfast Snack Time
Hello, thank you for coming on back to visit. This weekend was so exciting to say the least. Yesterday, Saturday, headed out to grab a breakfast sandwich to fill the belly before walking in the cold (never thought I would be sharing a feast with a coyote). It was 32 degrees out and the sun…
Another Trail Cam Treat
It was a brief sighting but such a treat, can’t wait to see what else comes by the cam, nature is awesome! As always thank you for stopping by to see what is new out on the trails.
Trail Cam Treat
It was quite a task going through the videos from the trail cam that is set up in the woods. Here is a video compiled from three clips of a Doe that was pregnant on cam 27 days earlier. As always thank you for stopping by and checking out what is new out on the…
Pine Siskin
Today when the rain cleared out and the sun eventually burned through the thick cloud cover the feeders were very busy! I don’t recall ever seeing a Pine Siskin prior to today, and they are really pretty. Here are a couple of captures of them. Maybe tomorrow will allow for another photo opportunity if they return.
We also had many many goldfinches, tufted titmouses, black capped chickadees, and our local chipmunk. Here are a couple of captures of some of the other birds as well that visited and Chip of course!
A First For Bluebirds
Hi everyone, It really has been a long while since we last posted here. This post is an exciting one for us because we have never had bluebirds at the den before. Well once but a fleeting moment with three at the feeders and never to be seen again for years. Well 2020 with all going on with COVID it was such a joy to have a pair of bluebirds come by to visit us.
They even came within 8 feet of us to visit the watering hole to take a bath and allowed us to enjoy watching them.
Here are a few photos of them. We hope you enjoy the photos as much as we enjoyed their visits.
Shared Breakfast Snack Time
Hello, thank you for coming on back to visit. This weekend was so exciting to say the least. Yesterday, Saturday, headed out to grab a breakfast sandwich to fill the belly before walking in the cold (never thought I would be sharing a feast with a coyote). It was 32 degrees out and the sun was just rising and poking in and out of the clouds. There was a frost from the night chilled air covering the grass when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a coyote. I Headed on over in that direction and the coyote was so in tuned to the grass and what was under it that it did not even care I was there. Started out over 500 feet away and made my closer when I discovered it was moving past a hilly knoll so I could get a better view. Here are some photos from this wonderful exciting opportunity.
I hope you enjoyed the photos as much as I did photographing this magnificently beautiful canine. As always thank you for stopping by and come on back to see what else is new on the trails, nature is awesome. Stay safe until the next time.
Another Trail Cam Treat
It was a brief sighting but such a treat, can’t wait to see what else comes by the cam, nature is awesome!
As always thank you for stopping by to see what is new out on the trails.
Trail Cam Treat
It was quite a task going through the videos from the trail cam that is set up in the woods. Here is a video compiled from three clips of a Doe that was pregnant on cam 27 days earlier.
As always thank you for stopping by and checking out what is new out on the trails.
A beary Exciting Hike
Hello everyone it certainly has been a while since posting and quite some time hiking. Sunday we finally got out there the temp was 42 starting out and when ending it was 55 degrees out. It was so enjoyable to walk in and it felt absolutely AWESOME to be out there on a gorgeous fall day.
Deciding to perch by a swamp started to set up my chair when I looked up and saw a black bear down the trail! It crossed into the woods and after eight minutes it came back running and crossed to the other side. I was thinking what would make a bear run back like that? So I decided to move further down the trail to see if I may catch sight of the bear near the swamp and even had the mind hoping to see it swim. While sitting there with this wild thought I heard leaves moving not far from me in the woods so I stayed still and just watched the tree area, after about five to ten minutes a gorgeous Buck appeared and just looked at me probably wondering what kind of critter is that with the camera being held high and still trying not to move and scare it off.
After a few minutes the buck moved further up in the trees and we decided to leave and allow it to come to the water. As we were walking down the trail we saw this head popping out and looking at us I thought ohh is it a doe, but it wasn’t it was the buck.
After a stare down for a few moments it decided to hop run down the path and then gave us a perfect stance for a full body shot! I just laughed because it was going in the same direction we were heading when we just wanted to allow it the freedom to go down to the water. We did not cross paths with the buck again.
Some other sightings on the way out were:
Kingfisher sitting on rock
Loon
On the way home saw our local Coyote just enjoying the sun as it poked in and out of the clouds.
As always thank you for stopping by and catching up on what is new out on the trails.
Love the Mountains
Today hiked Camel Hump Burrows Trail to the summit. It is was quite steep ascending to the summit. The view was beautiful, wish that we could have spent more time there but some weather was moving in so headed back down.
Upon leaving the mountain road saw a doe and two fawns eating some apples they were adorable. Hoping to head out once again today once the rain lets up and checking out Smugglers Notch.
As always thank you for stopping by and come on back to see what is new on and off the trail. stay safe until the next time!
August Trail Cam Pick Up
Went out this morning to pick up the trail cams to utilize in another area. It was a bit disappointing as I believe a bear was around one of the cams but it only took photos no videos and all you could see was black. The same trail cam had a security wire was loose when arriving so something could have played with the wire or maybe a claw swiped it and slid the crimp piece which may not have been tight enough to keep it in position. The lens looked dirty but no scratches on the camera itself. There were 33 photos in 6 weeks. I am guessing a bear could have climbed the tree and what we saw was the fur in front of the camera.
The second trail cam had 11 captures on it and one photo of a young bull moose and a good video of that same bull moose. There was also a fawn and doe will keep on trying and experimenting with the cams before putting them back in moose country to have more success capturing those desired videos.
Thank you for stopping by and as always stay safe and come on back to see what is new on the trails or at the den!
The Masks Have it!
Good evening from the den again. Last night was another busy night with multiple visits which I am totally enjoying the clips. I can’t get bored of the raccoon family. There was a new adult with a short tail and I am guessing that may be papa of the family.
Hope you enjoy the videos as it is a work in progress as I am learning. As always stay safe and come on by to see what is new on the trails to the den.
A New Visitor At the Den
On this mornings nature film review there was a new visitor that was recorded *smiles*.
I know we have had black bears in the area before (a few years back) but this is a first here at the den recorded. Guessing this is a male two year old that has recently been booted from a den. Handsome fellow I do hope he visits again. Have a great day and as always stay safe and come back to check what is new here from the trails to the Den.
Den Visits
Good morning this summer day, here at the den we had a family pet get out when the door did not shut tight. Since then we have put food out as well as set up cameras to capture if she comes by. We are able to report she has been seen and looks well. We also have attempted a heart trap to catch her but she is way too smart for that and is totally enjoying her freedom. Not to mention trapping other animals and stressing them out being in there for hours is not beneficial. We trapped a baby skunk for 8 hours and his/her mother like a good parent stayed with it all those hours, until we could release it when waking up.
Listening to our beloved pet, when she returns after getting sick of her romping around and exploring, she will be an indoor outdoor cat. We stopped allowing our cats to be indoor outdoor cats when we were losing them and after testing it was antifreeze poisoning. However, she has made her statement and we love her so when she comes home that is just the way it will have to be.
In this post I will put a compilation video of last nights visitor pleases note we do not promote feeding wild animals as a draw, but at the current time it needs to be done so our beloved family pet has food available until she comes come back in the house and we can train her it is ok to be in and out safely. In the interim we are enjoying the neighbor critters we were never able to see before and hope you do as well while it lasts.
Spring is Springing!
Hello again, Welcome back to out on the trails. This morning it was a chilly start 32 degrees and ending the hike it was 43 degrees. It was quite a breezy day which kept the air on the cooler side. However, it was still nice for walking it is amazing the difference of 32 degrees feels in April verses December/January. While walking it was a welcomed sound hearing the loons doing their calls. Today when reaching the water had the surprise of seeing an Osprey, not surprised with all the open water to be had but it was the first time seeing one in this area in all the years tromping around there.
While out there decided to check on the trail cams to see if there was any activity in the last couple of weeks. There was indeed I am happy to say a moose! Not very long of a clip of the moose but a lot of clips of the moose checking out the cam and sniffing. For this entry just one video clip. Looking forward to more but will leave the cam alone for a longer period of time and see what it may capture.
Went to another location and saw a swan on the grass surrounded by water, wondering if it was on eggs *smiles*. There was another swan casually bobbing around resting in the water. This was a first for me to see and even with the scuffling of the leaves on the shore it didn’t flinch. Had the pleasure of seeing either 3 or 4 ospreys as well at this location. Not sure if one of them was one that took off from the nest to chase off a trespassing osprey protecting the one in the nest on eggs. There was also a painted turtle out and about was surprised as it was gray and windy. Also had the pleasure of seeing an American Kestrel.
I am also including a couple of shots from last weeks adventure where there were two Sand Hill Cranes, never saw any here at this location before so it was exciting to say the least. Also a porcupine and wood duck that was also seen last week.
As always thank you for stopping by and hope you enjoyed the photos/videos as much as the experience was. Don’t forget to come on back to check and see what is new out on the trails. Until the next time bye for now.
adventures on the trail blog 