Life with Birds

Adirondacks Pt… Whatever… Oh Deer

heylara — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 02:09:17 +0000

So we were driving along when we came across a doe by the side of the road. Not an unusual sight for anyone familiar with Vermont or Michigan, but she didn’t immediately bolt when we slowed down. Actually, she just sort of slowly wandered her way back into the woods, even while we opened the window and snapped a few photos then changed lenses and snapped a few more.

Okay, not the greatest shot, but how often do you get close enough to a deer to take even this?

Well… a few more miles down the road, that first doe seemed like a scaredy-cat. Three does and two half-grown fawns grazed their way along the roadside, even when we stopped and snapped photos. By “we” I mean Jeffrey, graced with the passenger side and shooting position. Jeffrey can take some great shots (the sepia-toned roadster in the classic cars post was his) but deer are maybe not his best subject, to judge from a lot of out-of-focus photos. But the ever-cooperative deer sat there long enough that Jeffrey got a few lovely shots.

And one, uh, “less” lovely shot, but I had to include it because it’s just so, uh, unique, and besides reminds me so much of Starling. We love you, Starling… even if you are a little overly familiar with your own rear.

We could have gotten several dozen more photos, for all the deer cared. They were still grazing calmly when we left.

Yet even they got showed up by some young buck. No, really, a young buck. While waiting for our order outside a pizzeria, this guy comes sauntering in like he owns the place…

He was completely unconcerned by us, not to mention another couple and their toddler. The toddler asked if she could touch him… mom said no, but I’m not sure the deer would have minded. I didn’t want to touch him, I just wanted to photograph him. Wouldn’t you?

He almost looks wild in this one! No pavement in sight… (shhhh, no one needs to know about the marina storage lot just out of sight…)

This shot is my favorite, just because it hardly required any zoom at all. He was maybe six feet from me.

The guy at the pizzeria said this is normal, that a herd of deer go through there regularly, munching people’s gardening attempts as they go. He didn’t seem to like them much. We should have told him what a tourist attraction they could be! What is it with these Adirondack deer? Don’t they shoot deer in the Adirondacks, too? I mean, besides with cameras…

Wild Flowers (and more) at The Wild Center

heylara — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 22:45:54 +0000

… so… many… photos… and I haven’t even gotten to the deer yet!

Wild Birds (and more) at The Wild Center

heylara — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 22:00:25 +0000

The Wild Center has a short nature walk, and a bird blind set up with feeders. The geekiest (from a birder’s point of view) birds we saw weren’t at the blind at all, but migrating warblers elsewhere on the path. What the blind was good for, though, was snapping a few photos.

The red squirrels controlled the best feeders, though occasionally a blue jay would fight for them.

The chickadees…

… and red-breasted nuthatches were left with the less favorable feeders.

While the chipmunks waited for the scraps on the ground beneath.

Adirondacks Pt. 2: Classic Cars

heylara — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 15:41:15 +0000

By coincidence, there was a get-together for classic car enthusiasts while we were there. Not just any classic cars, but very old ones. (Most of their owners could be described that way, too… the word “loaded” also comes to mind.)

… more photos of the Wild Center and other Adirondack exploits upcoming! For now, it’s off to the farmer’s market. (Jiggity-jig.)

Adirondacks Pt 1: The Wild Center

heylara — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 15:33:57 +0000

Thursday we drove northwest, across the state line and well into the Adirondacks. Thursday was mostly a waste of driving to difficult-to-find campgrounds only to discover they closed last weekend. Approaching dark, we settled on an open, but all too busy, campground near Saranac Lake. After some difficulties pumping up the air mattress (thanks so much Sea Eagle, your foot pump is moderately fail) we slept reasonably comfortably through the cold, rainy night.

Jeffrey took the tent down in the morning…

Thanks Jeffrey! Then we cruised down 30 for a while, stopping to lay down $30 and get into The Wild Center. We walked their short nature trails, with view…

… and back to the Center itself for a kestrel demonstration. This is Isis, and her handler friend…

And, can’t forget, Stickley the porcupine.

My Days Off

heylara — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:43:20 +0000

Thursday we drove down Rt. 100 and stopped at Glen Falls…

Friday, we went back to Richville Pond and the Lemon Fair River for more paddling.

We met a Green Heron…

And enjoyed the scenery.

We also saw an American Bittern, but he didn’t stick around for a photo shoot.

And, more turtle!

On the drive back, we stopped at a farm stand for a bag of superawesomegood peaches, and homemade chocolate ice cream. Summertime FTW!

I ♥ Barnyard Animals

heylara — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 01:40:07 +0000

We were driving along a Vermont country road, doing the usual damage to our Subaru’s shocks, when we met a cow.

A Jersey steer, in fact.

A very friendly Jersey steer.

Who licked my hand.

This Jersey steer had a friend. His friend was an Alpine goat.

The End.

That’s it. That’s the end of my story. I hope you enjoyed the illustrations, at least.

Enter the Inflatable Kayak

heylara — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 00:52:04 +0000

When mom was here, she took us tubing down the White River, off Rt-100. We decided floating on water was supercool and bought ourselves an inflatable kayak, the Sea Eagle 330, so we don’t have to pay the tubing people anymore money. As an added bonus, we can float places other than the White River, and paddle even. The first few trips, I didn’t bring my camera, because what idiot brings a $700 camera onto a tiny blow-up boat? But I regret that deeply, because we paddled well within photo-taking distance of a nestful of fledgling ospreys on southern Lake Champlain, and could have gotten some amazing close-ups of Least Bitterns on Lake Richville. Our next purchase was a SealLine waterproof bag, and although not Ospreys or Bitterns, I did get a few nice shots from recent visits to Colton Pond and Glen Lake.

Hazy sunset at Colton Pond…

… and a sunny day at Glen Lake.

Four Mallards in eclipse plumage at Glen Lake let us paddle in close. We frightened three of them off…

… but the fourth stuck around for some close-ups…

… while a Painted Turtle watched the whole show.

And in unrelated news…

… a Red-tailed Hawk being mobbed by robins (one visible above his head) let us photograph him from the road.

“Mom was here”

heylara — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 00:33:52 +0000

And she left this photo of a butterfly on my camera…

We walked the section of the Long Trail from Rt-140 to Rt-103, and this here is Airport Lookout:

And this photo has nothing to do with that, it’s just a leftover I found sitting around, from a hike Jeffrey and I walked, months back:

Life since winter

heylara — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 22:29:18 +0000

To be honest I haven’t been using the camera quite so much. I’ll get back into it, eventually. Give me time. Here’s a few shots I did manage to get.

A shot from early this spring. The creek meadows, George’s “front yard,” were flooded. Normally this area is completely dry.

The ducks enjoyed it, though!

This is the Kissing Bridge, in Ticonderoga, NY, early this year.

A flock of grackles makes for a nice black and white.

A view of the barn.

Starling, looking much more photogenic than usual.

Pi is usually photogenic.