I packed in a day’s worth of photography and exercise yesterday morning. I started early and photographed the explosion of Little Island before the sun rose behind it.
I then ventured into Sunapee Harbor where I found a nice seat to observe the rest of the sunrise. But I just couldn’t sit still so I snapped a photo of some boats and headed down the Sugar River to the “hidden” upper and lower falls.
Next stop was Cricenti’s Bog. I had not been there for a year, and I was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it was in the early light. This has got to be one of the best bogs in NH. Many Calopogon (Grass-Pink) plants were in bloom. I also photographed some tiny Round-leaved Sundews. The circular leaf you see here is about 3/4 inch in diameter. The reddish glandular hairs exude a sticky juice to trap insects. I’m not sure if the tiny bugs you might be able to see in this photo are yet prey of this carnivorous plant.
On the way out I started noticing birds. A white-throated sparrow had been singing while I photographed the plants. Now there were black-capped chickdees, a female common yellowthroat, a pair of cedar waxwings, and a northern waterthrush (a warbler). Here is a quick shot I got of the waterthrush.
I drove through Elkins on my way to get an apple fritter ($0.99 and huge) in Blackwater. I got a photo of the falls below Pleasant Lake and used it as a backdrop to create a “teaching photo” of some mushrooms that you can see HERE.
Finally I met 4 others at 8:30 for a hike up Ragged Mountain. On the way up I photographed some interesting bolders. And from the top we could see Mount Washington in the 11 am haze. But this hike was mainly about exercise, not photography.
