The last 10 days, I wandered NH as far southeast as the New London area and as far north as Haverhill. But I stayed home to photograph the Super Moon of April 26. Super moons are actually overrated. They are close to the earth, and hence they appear a bit larger and brighter. But unless you can see one a the same time as a “normal” moon, which is hard to do, you can’t really tell.
My friend Marc Beerman lead me to a red fox den in the New London area that was fairly near his home. (The foxes have since moved their den as they frequently do.) He visited “more than once” and got some great photos. I spent far less time with the foxes, and, in nature photography, time in the field is almost as important as skill — which Marc has in abundance. Here are a dozen of the photos I took. The vixen was always present, standing watch over her kits.
Here is a sequence of two kits tussling while the vixen watches nonchalantly.
And another fight with a third kit looking on.
I was overjoyed to have this opportunity since the foxes who had a den near our home the past two years did not return this year. Last year they were only visible for two days before neighborhood dogs caused them to move their den. You can see the 2020 fox kits if you CLICK HERE. That blog also has links to 2019 red fox kit photos. Unlike the den Marc found, the parents were almost never visible near the Etna den.
In late April four friends hiked the entire length of the Colette Trail in Enfield. Here are my three companions near the spot where Bicknell Brook empties into Crystal Lake.
Before and during our hike I could not resist photos along and near the trail. Here are some I took.
I found no warblers these ten day but did get some nice birds: Belted Kingfisher, male and female Purple Finch, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Chipping Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Glossy Ibis with two Greater Yellowlegs and alone, Common Grackle, American Robin, Great Blue Heron, and a Red-tailed Hawk soaring high overhead.
And a few spring wildflowers: Bloodroot, Trout Lily, and Red Trillium.
Besides red fox, mammals were represented by a Red Squirrel going for a spin on a feeder and a distant photo of a Black Bear heading into the woods.
Jann and I came upon a Garter Snake while we hiked. It was cold so the snake was quite still, waiting for the sun to warm it up. I took this photo very close up with a wide angle lens.
I photographed a few spring “scenes”.
Finally, I could not resist sharing a few more red fox photos in this blog.
