Vermont Birds Again - Jim Block Photography

For my last four blog posts, I bounced back-and-forth between Vermont and New Hampshire showing photos of birds from spring. For this post I’m back in Vermont at two sites — the beautiful Hartford Town Forest and Kilowatt South in Wilder.

Hartford Town Forest

Ted Levin and Tom Sherry led a group of about two dozen birders on an informative walk a week ago in the Hartford Town Forest. The morning was dark and foggy, so we only had a few fleeting glimpses of birds. I contented myself with photographing the beautiful forest and listening to the birds, most of which were identified by others.

We slowly hiked the extension of Reservoir Road south from the parking area to the boundary of the town forest.

When we got back to the reservoir and Ted turned right and headed down Simons Way, most of the group continued straight to the parking area. Here are two photo along Simons Way.

Finally, two hours after the walk started, I was able to photograph a beautiful Chestnut-sided Warbler in the area around the Upper Hurricane Reservoir. We had heard it earlier, but this time it obliged for a few photos.

Kilowatt South

Slightly starved for birds to photograph, I decided to head to a nearby spot that I was fairly certain would supply some avian subjects for my longer lens. Kilowatt South did not disappoint.

The first bird I saw was an Empidonax Flycatcher, most likely a Willow or Alder Flycatcher, but I can’t tell them apart. For a small brown bird, it is quite pretty.

I knew three species in the Mimid family — Gray Catbird, Brown Thrasher, and Northern Mockingbird — favored this area along the Connecticut River. I easily found them all.

A pair of Gray Catbirds were having a face-to-face discussion.

I managed to capture a catbird leaving its perch and heading toward me.

Here are three more photos of Gray Catbirds from KW South.

A Brown Thrasher landed very close to me. So close I could not get it all in the frame.

From a much longer distance, I photographed one preening and shaking.

In the field a bit south of the 6 to 10-year-old lacrosse players, a Brown Thrasher found a tasty morsel, at least tasty to it I presume.

A Northern Mocking bird did its bird song imitations from atop a power pole. Not a great spot for a photo. But I did get a few photos when it flew down nearer my level.

The challenge was to get it in the air. I managed a few as in the slide show below.

There was a Blue Jay around.

And a Song Sparrow with a beak filled with food, presumably for young.

In the distance to the north, a Bald Eagle soared.

I took many photos of what I feel is one of the most beautiful warblers, the Yellow Warbler.

Here are a baker’s dozen Yellow Warbler photos.

A pair of Osprey have a ragged nest nearby. It does not look like this will be the season for raising young. I was able to photograph one sitting on top of a pole with a headless fish.

Here are three more photos of the Osprey in flight. Perhaps is was saving the rest of the fish for later.

Now back to NH for my next blog post.