Along a stream near Lake Contoocook in southern New Hampshire, a mallard is taking a mid-day nap
birds
Beachcomber
A spotted sandpiper pauses to check me out while walking along the lake shore
Weekend cruise on the lake
A family of Canada geese paddles slowly along the shore of a New Hampshire lake last weekend
Saxman wingman
At the Saxman Totem Park, near Ketchikan, Alaska, a raven brings an alternative concept to the term “wingman”
Springtime at the plantation bog
At the bog to the east of the Smithfield Plantation conservation land, the bog marsh is slowly getting to springtime. The great drought of 2016 is over; let us make the bog great again ….
Eastern phoebe
While wandering along the far bog and waiting for activity near the beaver’s den, we spotted this likely phoebe.
Wood duck following
The other half of the pair of wood ducks spotted on Saturday. The edge of the beaver den is at right foreground. We have not seen any beavers this Spring so far but we have heard several loud tail slaps when we approached during mid-week. There are no obvious fresh tree cuttings around but we think there are beavers still here.
Wood duck in the bushes
I visited the far bog to check out the beaver den yesterday during mid-afternoon. I did not have high hopes of a beaver sighting but thought I could spot some ducks, perhaps Mallards or the more exciting wood ducks. It was not even five minutes into my stakeout when a pair of wood ducks paddled past the beaver den. Here an adult female calmly moves through the thicket beyond the den.
Ducks arrive at the far bog
An unruly flight of wood ducks repeatedly cruised over the bog this afternoon. Perhaps they were dismayed by the remaining snow and ice. Didn’t they enjoy the 60F temperature? Maybe these boys of Spring were looking for some ladies?
Ducks on ice
Spring in Maine is typically a transition. A group of ducks adjust to the realities by sunning themselves on an ice field near Cobbosseecontee Lake, Maine.
john's f-stop 