On my photowalk this afternoon, the first "almost sunny" afternoon we have had in a long time, I headed down the trail with some sunflower seeds in my pocket. Passing a bench, I sprinkled a handful of seeds, hoping to attract a few birds for a photo opp. Some chickadees and titmice flew in, grabbed …
Sparrows can be SO confusing!
Juvenile white-crowned sparrow -2 I knew it was a sparrow, but I couldn't find it in my bird app on my iPad. Then I had a brainstorm (Don't know what took so long) and posted it to my Facebook page, asking for help with the ID. Within minutes, a friend I didn't realize was an …
I found “big bird!”!
Look at those holes the pileated woodpecker has dug in the tree. I have been tracking this big bird for weeks, actually for the entire winter, ever since I realized that there was one living in our neighborhood park. Now I know that there isn't just one, but a pair, a male and a female. …
Birding with a camera
Most birdwatchers, or twitchers, as they are called in Britain, carry binoculars. I carry my camera. You can probably guess that I am not a serious birder with a long life-list and a longer list of exotic locations I've visited in the pursuit of elusive species. I have high regard (envy?) for the experts who …
Winter Wonderland
Consecutive days of snowfall have turned our park into a winter wonderland, making for some wonderful photo opportunities. The tree branches and fence rails are heavily laden with snow, and the wildlife have gone into "mooching mode." With a deep blanket of snow covering their source of food, the animals have become conditioned to turn …
Can’t they get it right?
Brrrr! It was a cold morning in the park. I encountered a mother with her snowsuited toddler and felt envious of his warm winter snowssuit. It was cold and it was snowy, but they (the national weather service people), never manage to get it right. They predicted that it would snow through Friday night and …
Misty Morning
Rain fell during the night, but the temperature this morning was a bit warmer and the air was very misty. Despite the less than favorable weather, I headed to the park, leaving my usual lens, the 70-300mm telephoto, at home, and was delighted to discover that my little 50mm lens (nifty-fifty) was more than equal …
Working and playing in the park
I walk in this park almost every day of the week. It conveniently borders our neighborhood, and is wonderfully maintained. It is also designated as an Important Birding Area by Audubon, and park naturalists lead frequent nature walks along the trails. I created this photoblog and titled it "Seen Along the Trail" because I felt …
Come along…
... with me for a short walk in the woods. Click on the first picture to bring up the gallery and enjoy an autumn morning. My walk in the park not far from our home is a special hour in my day. Setting out with my camera, hoping to capture a few good pictures, fills …
Autumn has arrived!
Winter jacket, winter hat, and hand warmers were needed for my walk in the park today. On the plus side, it hasn't rained all day and the wind has died down to a gentle breeze. Hurricane Sandy, aka the "storm of the century", has moved out, leaving many people without power for several days and …
SEEN ALONG THE TRAIL 