The last five days have been quite interesting: a snowstorm and some warm beautiful spring days. I mostly photographed birds in the snow, but I also took some photos of birds before and after the minor snowstorm.
On April 20, I photographed the first Broad-winged Hawk I had seen this season as it flew over Etna while Jann and I were hiking. I took a couple quick photos with my walk-around camera as Jann yelled, “fox, fox”. After the hawk disappeared, I looked down into a field to see a red fox disappear into the woods.
When we got home from our hike, we found a tom turkey in our yard.
It snowed on April 21.
The maple buds were covered with snow when three male Purple Finch came by. Here are two photos.
Below is the very different looking female Purple Finch.
A Mourning Dove braved the snow.
It stopped snowing briefly and the sun came out for a Dark-eyed Junco. This is a brown female Slate-colored Dark-eyed Junco.
Below are two more Slate-colored Dark-eyed Juncos. You will note our daffodils got covered by the snow. But they have since recovered.
Of course Black-capped Chickadees were around, as they always seem to be.
A chickadee relative, the Tufted Titmouse, is a favorite yard bird all year long.
Several very beautiful White-throated Sparrows visited our yard. Here are four photos.
Not to be out done, a Song Sparrow came by. Although this is one of our most common sparrows, we rarely see them in our yard.
We have had Red-breasted Nuthatches in our yard all winter. Here are two photos from the snowy day.
A pair of Blue Jays sat near each other waiting for the snow to subside.
And a blue jay sampled the snow.
The next day Jann and I walked around Occom Pond in Hanover. Near the conclusion of the walk, I saw a bird fly to the base of a tree and recognized the behavior of a Brown Creeper. I hustled over and was able to get a few photos with my walk-around camera.
This is one of my favorite birds, perhaps because it is around all year, is rarely seen, and is a challenge to photograph.
Saturday Chris Rimmer led a large group of enthusiastic birders searching for early spring migrants at several spots in Norwich. Unfortunately, I had another commitment in Hanover that morning so I could only join the bird group at the first spot — in and near Foley Park.
Here is part of the group in Foley Park with Chris in the lead.
While there I was able to photograph an Eastern Phoebe …
… a Common Grackle …
… and a Belted Kingfisher at a considerable distance. Kingfishers are very difficult to approach closely.
We walked below the park to the railroad tracks.
There we got distant views of a pair of Canada Geese with a pair of Hooded Mergansers in the area to the west of the tracks.
There was a Ruby-crowned Kinglet moving very quickly through the tangled branches of a pine. Kathy and Chris heard it long before we saw it. I never heard it. Fortunately my eyes are much better than my ears.
Then I spotted a Yellow-rumped Warbler and took a few photos of it while it was still reasonably close.
Back home in Etna, I took another photo of a White-throated Sparrow, this time in front of a Mourning Dove.
Today, a Chipping Sparrow appeared in our yard.
I thought this red squirrel from today was quite cute.
