One sure sign of spring is the Red-winged Blackbirds scoping out territory and displaying. At Great Meadows they get so used to people walking by that it is easy to get shots like these.
Another sure sign of spring are all the ducks. They are more challenging to photograph because they are wary of people (probably because we shoot at them). Even with a long lens it is tough to get close to anything other than a Mallard.
Male Wood Duck in flight
Trio of Ruddy Ducks in Lower Impoundment
Mallard on Final Approach
As a child I always looked for Robins as a sign of spring. There was a small group of them, somewhat cooperatively foraging on the path.
Near by one of the year round resident Downy Woodpeckers was exploring a dead tree
I often hear things before I see them. All of a sudden I heard some rustling in the grass. I looked down to see this muskrat at my feet. (If he was any closer I would have stepped on him.) I had to back up beyond my lens' minimum focusing distance to take these close ups. Which version do you like better the horizontal or vertical orientation?
I had been playing leapfrog with Kathy and Will as they were conducting the bird census. On the backside of the Upper Impoundment we were treated to a fly-by of a pair of Belted Kingfishers. I imagined that they were returning and checking out the area.
AS I was leaving I encountered this grackle in a tree near the kiosk. They aren't the prettiest birds, but in the right light they look good. Since it was posing so nicely I had to include this photo.
