Monthly Archives: December 2020

There has been no end of interesting subjects on the Merrimack River this winter. And not just ducks. Seals like to sun themselves on the rocks near the mouth of the river. I really think that they are watching us on the opposite shore. They may be wondering how we survive the cold without blubber!Continue reading “2020 Finale – On the River”

Continuing on in the State Reservation campgrounds, here are some more sightings. Black-capped Chickadees are the Massachusetts state bird, and for good reason. They live here year round and tough it out with us through the winters. They are active, bold, a bit sassy and one of our favorite birds. There were several species ofContinue reading “2020 Finale – Other Campground Birds”

This is first of a few posts to close out 2020. And if there ever was year to close out, 2020 is it. Every few years, when the pine cones are extra plentiful, Crossbills flock to our area. The campgrounds at the Salisbury State Reservation are a popular spot for them. They are somewhat rareContinue reading “2020 Finale – Crossbills and Buntings”

A more accurate title would be “Gull vs Crab” but I like this one. “Gull and Crab” sounds like a good name for a pub. Maybe one near the waterfront with gulls filling in for pirates. The following sequence of photos show a gull trying to “prepare” a crab for a snack. Those claws areContinue reading “Gull and Crab”

I watched a small raft of Common Eiders on the river as they went through their courtship rituals. This was the day with wind chills around 9F/-13C so I guess love conquers all! The males make a soft cooing call and chase after the females. Both sexes perform wing flapping, head bobbing and other displays.Continue reading “Eider Courtship”

I went to the coast on a relatively cold day when the temperatures were right around freezing. The wind near the shore made it feel a lot colder though. One thing I recorded was some more Long-tailed Duck action. A female and a male were swimming fairly close to shore. I got a shot ofContinue reading “Cold and Even Colder”

My number one lens decided it needs some R&R after four years of hard work. So its backup is stepping up while it gets some well deserved “spa treatment”. I don’t use the backup very often so it feels a bit strange in my hand but I think it did well, as evidenced by theseContinue reading “Backup Lens at Work”

These photos are from mouth of the Gloucester harbor, on the southern side of Cape Ann, and the mouth of the Merrimack River. I was in Gloucester the same morning as I was on the bluff highlighted in the previous post. I made a trip to the river later in the week to get aheadContinue reading “Views Away from the Bluff”

I am working on this post as I watch the snow coming down and wait to see how much today’s Nor’easter dumps on us. [Update: The switch from rain to snow was slow enough that I only got about 4 inches of very wet, heavy snow.] No better time to go through the photos IContinue reading “View from the Bluff”

The ducks featured in my previous post were not all resting at the mouth of the river or diving. Some were flying in from the ocean and some were just moving from one part of the raft to another. Ducks are a big part of the winter bird scene here in Massachusetts so I willContinue reading “Ducks in Flight”