Thanksgiving Potpourri

Knowing that most of this weekend would be preoccupied with Thanksgiving traditions including eating, raking leaves, cleaning gutters, and making final preparations to the house to face winter, I went to Great Meadows late Monday afternoon to bank a few shots that I could share over the weekend.

It was a quiet day at the refuge. Here are a few of the things that caught my eye.


The fallen tree near the parking lot. All year I've looked at this tree and tried to think how I could photograph it. Today it hit me, to photograph it from the side.


The mysterious, "UFO Landing spot" of crushed reeds near the kiosk. Perhaps this was caused by snow blowing off the trees near by during the snow storm. Supporting that theory is that the reeds are all bent in the same direction.

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Chickadee in the trees near the kiosk


Coot Stretching


Muskrat heading home towards the setting sun


What Mute Swans like to eat


I love the water drops frozen in space


Sparrow along the path


Sparrow in the cattails facing the setting sun


Dike Trail light up in the setting sun


Another tree I've liked, but never got the right photo, until today. The reflected setting sun makes the difference.


Sunset viewed from the end of the lower impoundment