Yesterday was a day for large birds and tiny birds and nothing much in between.
I thought I would check out Boston Lot above the Wilder Dam in Lebanon, even though I figured it was likely a week or more too early. I was right — it was too early.
No sooner did I take my tripod and camera out of my car than a large bird flew south over the Connecticut River. I couldn’t tell what it was, but I fired off some quick shots. Unfortunately my camera was set for the dark conditions I expected along the trail. If I had time to reset it for the flying bird, I would have lowered my ISO a whole lot and increased my Exposure Compensation. But there was no time as the bird was moving fairly fast. So the photos I got of the Bald Eagle were marginal and very noisy. Here is one.
Along the trail to the lake I saw little except tiny birds high in the trees. Up near the lake there were some sparrows at eye level, but not much else. However, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet came by and made the hike to the lake almost worthwhile. Actually, it is always great to be out in nature, even if I do not get a photo.
On the was home I decided to stop by Mink Brook Nature Preserve, a favorite spot for birds in spring. I was only a few yards inside the gate along the Quinn Trail when I found a small group of tiny birds working the ground cover. More Ruby-crowned Kinglets! They move faster than most warblers, but I managed to get a few photos.
Heading home up King Road, I spotted a hawk on a branch. I turned around and to my surprise the hawk did not immediately fly. So I was able to get a few shots from my car while handholding a large lens. Here are three of the Broad-winged Hawk. I was surprised at how small it was.
You might also enjoy the preceding blog on Mink Brook.