Update on the Usual Suspects

On July 28, 2026 - Herons, Loons, Moose, Shorebirds, Turtles, Wildlife Photography

OK, this one will be a bit long as I try to catch up on all the loon families and the heron rookery. Please keep going, we’ll check in with the loons, Hank Heron, our moose returned and a few of our other friends.

Thanks to everyone for all the kind words on the Tall Ships post. Perhaps I should give up on the critters and take up marine photography?

I’m looking for a field of sunflowers to try to get some shots of indigo buntings. If you know of one relatively near Newbury, VT, I’d love to know about it.

It is time again for the The 93rd Annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair . It opens this Saturday, August 1 and runs through Sunday August 9. I won’t have a booth this year, nine days is just too much for me anymore. But, I’ll have note cards, my 2027 Wildlife Calendar and a few prints in The Shop At The Fair at the League Fair. And everything is available on my web site, www.IanClark.com. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, please send an email or give me a call. And, be sure to visit all the other craftspeople at the Fair – there’s lots of amazing work to see.

My 2027 Wildlife Calendar has arrived! They’re available on my site at www.IanClark.com. This year, I’ve added a couple photos of bears from my trip to Alaska last fall, including a cuddly-looking little first-year cub I wanted to bring home. But, while never specifically stated, I’m sure that would have broken at least one of my wife’s rules.

When we last checked on the loon families, the Westons had hatched two chicks, the Middletons had abandoned their first nest and were sitting on a second clutch and the Eastons’ chicks had hatched in the last days of June. The heron chicks were getting big.

I went to check on the Middletons on July 8. It was a chilly morning with thick fog.

As I paddled out, I got a great look at Champ, one of the lake monsters that is supposed to live in Lake Champlain. Come on, this is the clearest photo of Champ yet!

Mrs. Middleton was on nest duty. And it was a quiet morning. I headed in early.

On the 9th, I headed up to check on the Eastons.

Hank was fluffed up pondside finishing up his ablutions.

And finishing with a good shake before heading off to perch in a nearby tree.

He decided he’d missed a few spots while preening and set about some touch ups.

If Auguste Rodin sculpted a heron…. what would Hank be thinking of? Tasty fish? I’ve always found herons trying to scratch their head an amazing feat of balance. I’m in awe of their being able to do it perched high in a tree.

Hey! Did you hear the one about the wildlife photographer that got up really early?

I’m not sure what herons are doing when they open wide. They often stretch their necks high up before doing it. I wonder if it is a burp or a stretch or maybe trying to reposition food in their gullet. Sometimes they stand with their mouths open when it is warm, that would seem to be panting to cool. But they’ll often open wide for a few seconds and then return to what they were doing. And wildlife photographer jokes aren’t that funny.

After Hank settled for a nap, I went to catch up with the Eastons. They were feeding the chicks. Here’s Dad for the handoff.

I’ve heard back from the Loon Preservation Committee’s intern. Our banded bird this year is last year’s Mrs. Easton. They banded her late in the season after I’d headed to Alaska.

All gone but the tail… come on little guy! You can do it! Of course he can. And he’s instantly ready for the next meal.

Watching the Eastons I was interrupted when I noticed a visitor to the salad bar at the far end of the pond.

What looks like the moose I’d seen back in June returned – in daylight! There was another photographer out on the pond. We were able to hide in the deep shadows on the east side of the pond to watch. The moose stayed about 90 minutes. Plenty of time for us to go through a couple of camera batteries.

The moose was browsing in the shallow water. Occasionally he’d reach deep enough to get his head under, requiring a shake when he raised his head.

He took his time feeding, and moved around enough to let us get several angles.

This was a great opportunity for photos. I hope he’ll give me a repeat performance after he drops the velvet on his antlers.

I think the sores on his leg and flank are from botfly larvae. I wrote to NH Fish & Game’s Moose Biologist. I’ll update when I hear back.

On the 12th, I went back to check on the Middletons on a foggy morning. Mrs. M was on the nest. She was fidgeting and checking the eggs regularly. I suspect one of the chicks was hatching. I paddled around to see who else might be around. Most of the marsh birds have moved on already. I found just a couple red-winged black birds and several kingbirds.

There were a few painted turtles out basking and looking good.

There were lots of northern flickers chattering in the brush. There must have been several fledglings in the flock. It turns out a flock of flickers is a guttering, a menorah, or a Peterson.

And while I waited for news of the loon chicks, I had time to channel my inner Monet with the water lilies.

There wasn’t any news from the nest by the time I had to head home. The next day, LPC emailed to tell me someone on the pond had spotted the Middletons with a chick.

All too early on the 13th I was up and driving two hours to check in on the heron rookery.

I found just empty nests. And, as birds are wont to do, they left no forwarding address. This was a fun project, hopefully I watch the rookery again next year.

I didn’t get a chance to get back to the Middletons until the 16th.

I found both parents sleeping and floating together. I watched for the chick….

Dad woke and headed off to handle some loon affairs.

Mom awoke and stretched. Sadly, there wasn’t a chick.

On the 17th, I headed west to check on the Westons. A lone loon flew in as I was leaving the boat launch. The loon was feeding with determination and covering a lot of the pond. This was the only loon I saw that morning. On my last visit, the Westons had been at the very far end of the pond. I didn’t get all the way down there this trip. Friends on the pond emailed later to tell me the Westons and their chick had moved back to the main part of the pond.

There was a handful of solitary sandpipers out feeding in the shallows. This one seemed to be doing quite well in the water lilies.

The 20th found me back on the Eastons’ pond. The morning started quietly, with the chicks getting breakfast and the adults preening and stretching.

But things soon took a turn for the worse.

An intruder flew in. The confrontation escalated quickly, with lots of vocalizations and wing rowing. The dispute is between two females. Both went wing rowing up the pond out of sight. Shortly after, two loons came flying back down. I’ve never seen a dispute take to the air. I’m not sure if one of these is the intruder, or if it is the home team. The dispute soon resumed with lots of wing rowing. A couple times, the intruder dove and reappeared between the home team and the chicks. The home team didn’t approve of this and both would go after the intruder.

Here they come wing rowing back up the pond. That’s Mrs. Easton out front getting chased.

And back down the pond – this went on for about 45 minutes. You can see the bands on Mrs. E’s leg, she’s the loon on the left.

Eventually, the intruder departed, circling the pond several times tremoloing. The Eastons had some time to stretch and rest. I headed home.

I went back on the 25th. Once again, the morning started quietly with the parents providing breakfast for the chicks.

The chicks fed, one of the Eastons went off for some time alone. I didn’t see the bands to know who was who, but I’m betting it is Mrs. Easton – she always seemed to do the minimum needed with her chicks.

Mom has alerted and is looking for the threat. It was the intruding loon again. The confrontation soon escalated again.

The intruder coming up the pond. I’d estimate loons get going about 25 mph when they’re wing rowing. This one was making good time.

A change of tactics! The intruder dives! Mrs. Easton dove too and they resurfaced out of sight.

But soon came rowing back down the pond…

They’ve turned around and are coming back down the pond. This is the intruder again.

Mrs. E starts to turn. To turn, the loons put one wing into the water which quickly turns them towards that side.

Mrs. E has her right wing in the water, she’s lifting her left – probably for balance.

And off she goes about 75° off her original course.

With the intruder matching her turn and continuing the chase.

This was another extended fight, with them rowing up and down the pond.

Mrs. E is in the foreground – you can just barely see her orange band in the splashing water.

When the chasing loon catches up, they’ll attack with either their bill or by ‘punching’ with the joint in their wing. Here the intruder has caught Mrs. E and is hitting her with her wing. The fight still isn’t settled. They resumed rowing for a time before the intruder left for the day. I suspect she’ll be back until one of the loons is exhausted or dead. It is tough to watch, but we’ve got to let nature take its course. That doesn’t stop me from rooting for the home team.

With the intruder gone, I went back to check on the chicks. One was sleeping, this one was flexing his wing.

Dad was keeping a sharp eye out to make sure the intruder didn’t return.

Mom didn’t trust the intruder either and was keeping watch too.

After several minutes, the home team relaxed and took time for a quick preening and a stretch. I had to head home. I’ll get back up when I can, looks like we won’t have good weather until the end of the week.

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bull moose, great blue herons, herons, loons, moose, turtles

Tall Ships In Boston

On July 26, 2026 - Photography

A little different topic this time. I went to Boston to watch the tall ship Parade of Sail for Sail Boston, a celebration of the US’s 250th anniversary. Friends and I set up on Castle Island in South Boston to watch the ships enter the Harbor. It was a miserable setup for photography – it was hot and hazy day, we couldn’t move about easily and there were boats of all sizes coming and going in the sightline of the tall ships. Ship happens. The ships are beautiful and they have interesting histories. It was a great event.

The 93rd Annual League of New Hampshire Craftsmen’s Fair kicks off next Saturday, August 1 and runs through August 9, 10 to 5 daily through Sunday August 9 at the Mount Sunapee Resort in Sunapee, NH. I will NOT have a booth this year. Nine days – not counting set up and knock down – is just too much for me anymore. I will have my 2027 Wildlife Calendar, lots of note cards and a few prints available in The Shop At The Fair. And even if I’m not there, there will be lots of wonderful craftspeople exhibiting amazing work.

My 2027 calendar has arrived. This year with over 200% more bears! The cover and September images are from my trip to Alaska to photograph the brown bears in the Chilkoot Valley last fall. There are also otters, a mink, fox kits and more. They’re $25 and shipping is $4.50 per order.

Onto the ships….

Sail Boston 2026 was organized by Sail Boston, Inc. as part of America’s Semiquincentennial celebration. They organized over 50 tall ships for the event. The ships sailed into Boston Harbor on July 11.

Along the way, I had to learn some of that nautical type talk to learn about the types of ships. Tall ships are sorted by the number of masts they carry and the type of sails on the masts.

A ‘full-rigged’ ship has three or more masts, with ‘square-rigged’ sails. That means they’re hung from horizontal yards perpendicular to the centerline of the ship. Yards are the horizontal crossbars on the masts.

A barque also has three or more masts, but only the after-most mast – the ‘mizzen’ mast – is ‘fore-and-aft’ rigged. That means the sails run lengthwise along the centerline of the ship. The other masts carry square-rigged sails. Apparently this is better for sailing into the wind.

Tall ships are traditionally-rigged sailing vessels that are mainly distinguished by the number of masts they carry and the type of sails set on those masts. A full-rigged ship has three or more masts, all of them square-rigged (sails hung from horizontal yards). A barque also has three or more masts, but only the aftermost (mizzen) mast is fore-and-aft rigged while the others carry square sails.

A barquentine reverses that arrangement. The forward mast is square-rigged and the remaining masts are fore-and-aft.

Brig and brigantine ships are both two-masted. Brigs have both mast square-rigged. Brigantines have the foremast square-rigged and the mainmast rigged fore-and-aft.

Schooners have two or more masts that are fore-and-aft rigged. Often the forward mast shorter than the ones behind it. Schooners may also have square topsails.

And woe to he who calls the cannons onboard cannons. To sailors, they’re ‘guns’ or ‘great guns.’

The USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides,” led the Parade of Sail in Boston Harbor. Here, she’s been taken to the harbor and turned.

The Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship still afloat. (The British HMS Victory is older and still commissioned but is in permanent drydock.)

The Constitution was launched in 1797 and saw service against the French in the undeclared war from 1798 to 1800, the First Barbary War, the War of 1812. She was a training ship in the US War Between the States. She earned her nickname on July 17, 1812, in the War of 1812 when the HMS Guerriere fired her guns at the Constitution and the shot deflected off the Constitution’s side.

She’s a museum piece now, semi-permanently tied up in the Charlestown Navy Yard, Boston, MA. To keep the wear even on her hull, she is turned yearly on the Fourth of July in Boston Harbor. The strain of sails on her masts may be too much for them, so these days she’s escorted by tugs. For this event, the Zachery Reinauer and the Harold A. Reinauer II escorted her out in the harbor and turned her.

To kids growing up in greater Boston, she was a regular field trip destination for schools and scouts. I went aboard on several tours in the late 1960s and 1970s.

The Harold A. Reinauer II turning the USS Constitution.

The tugs backed away from the Constitution and she rendered a gun salute.

Other boats were out and about in the Harbor. Here’s Boston Fire and Rescue Marine 1, the Martin Pierce spouting off.

The Martin Pierce is the Boston Fire Department’s newest primary fireboat. She’s a 2026 Metalcraft Marine 70-foot high-speed aluminum vessel that serves as the flagship of the department’s Marine Unit.
She’s 70’ with four 1,000 HP Caterpillar turbo-diesel engines with jet drives and capable of pumping about 12,000 gallons per minute for fighting fires.

She was built by Metalcraft Marine, Inc. in Kingston, Ontario. She was delivered by sailing her through Lake Ontario and Lake Erie to the Erie Canal and across New York to the Hudson River.

The boat is dedicated to both Firefighter Martin Pierce Sr. and his son, former Fire Commissioner Martin Pierce Jr. Martin Pierce Sr. joined the Boston Fire Department in 1943 and served 37 years on Ladder 17. Martin Pierce Jr. joined in 1969, rose through the ranks, and served as Fire Commissioner in the 1990s.

Massport’s American United (also known as Marine 31 or Fireboat 31) was also out showing her stuff. She’s the Massachusetts Port Authority Fire-Rescue’s primary fireboat. She serves Boston Harbor, Logan International Airport, and surrounding waters.

She’s 79’ long, built in 2011 by A.F. Theriault & Son Ltd. In Meteghan River, Nova Scotia. She has four Caterpillar diesel engines, two 1,450 HP and two 873 HP. She can do 24 knots and can pump 6,000 gallons per minute to fight fires.

She’s named as a tribute to the passengers and crew of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175—the two planes that departed from Logan Airport on September 11, 2001, and struck the World Trade Center. The vessel includes a memorial piece of steel from one of the towers inscribed “Never Forget!”

Both of the fireboats spraying. Knowing several firefighters, I was a bit surprised they refrained from soaking each other.

The American United adding some patriotic colors to her spray.

As the Constitution entered the Channel and was at her closest to the crowd, the tugs backed off to let the crowd get a good look at her.

The next tall ship to sail into the Harbor was US Coast Guard Cutter Eagle.

The Eagle is a Coast Guard training ship, serving as a seagoing classroom for cadets. In addition to training cadets, she serves as a goodwill ambassador, calling in foreign ports.

The Eagle was built in Germany as the Horst Wessel in 1936, to serve as a training ship for the German Navy. She was decommissioned by the Germans in 1939, just before the start of WWII. In 1942, she was recommissioned. The Germans added anti-aircraft guns to her and pressed her into service. She survived the war and was taken by the United States as war reparations.

In April 1945, she fled Germany with a group of refugees aboard. She made it to the port of Flensburg in the German State of Schleswig-Holstein, which was under British control. She surrendered to the British there.

After the War, she moved to the German port of Bremerhaven, tied to a pier and had much of her equipment stripped. The Allies drew lots to determine who would take each of the remaining German ships.

The ship the Russians won was stripped of her sails, masts and other equipment to repair the Eagle. She was commissioned into the Coast Guard as the Eagle on May 15, 1946. She sailed for America in June 1946 with a Coast Guard crew assisted by the German Kapitänleutnant Schnibbe and some of the German crew. She had an eventful voyage, weathering a hurricane before arriving in Orangeburg, NY.

She’s 295 feet long, her tallest mast is about 150 feet tall – about as high as a 15-story building. She has 23 sails with a total area of 22,227 square feet that require six miles of rope for her rigging. She can make about 17 knots (20 mph) under sail. And she’s beautiful.

That’s the Ernestina-Morrissey alongside the Eagle.

Next up was the Mayflower II.

The Mayflower II is a full-scale, historic reproduction of the 17th-century merchant ship that carried the Pilgrims to America in 1620.

She was built in 1955 and 1956 using traditional materials and methods by English shipbuilders at the Upham Shipyard in Brixham, England. She sailed across the Atlantic in 1957 and was given as a gift to the U.S. She’s now owned by Plimoth Patuxet Museums in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Her home berth is the State Pier near Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, MA.

She seems far too small to be sailing about in the Atlantic. She’s only about 25 feet wide and 106 feet long.

Following Mayflower II was the Ernestina-Morrissey.

Ernestina-Morrissey was built in 1894 at the James and Tarr Shipyard in Essex, MA. Originally named Effie M. Morrissey, she was a hardworking Gloucester fishing boat fishing for cod and halibut from the North Atlantic until 1924.

In 1924, she was purchased by famed Arctic explorer Captain Robert Bartlett. She made dozens of expeditions to the far North for institutions like the American Museum of Natural History and the National Geographic Society and even surveyed the Arctic for the U.S. government during WWII. She got as close as 600 miles to the North Pole.

In 1947, she was sold to Cape Verdean Captain Henrique Mendes, she was renamed Ernestina and spent decades plying the transatlantic waters, carrying goods, supplies, and immigrants between Cape Verde and New England.

In 1982, the Republic of Cape Verde gifted the vessel to the people of the United States. She was brought home to be restored and was named the official State Ship of Massachusetts. She was renamed to Ernestina-Morrissey in 2014.

She’s now managed by the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. Her home berth is the New Bedford State Pier in Massachusetts. She serves as a sail training and educational ship for the Academy.

The Tug Independence is a powerful, high-tech offshore terminal support tugboat operated by the Boston Towing and Transportation Company.

She was built in 2009 by the Derecktor Shipyards in Bridgeport, CT. She’s powered by two 16-cylinder Rolls-Royce MTU diesel engines delivering 5,400 HP.

She usually works handling ships in the Harbor or towing along the coast. She’s also equipped to handle salvage work and is a Class-1 fire-fighting boat capable of pumping 5,200 gallons per minute. She seems to be what we land-lubbers call ‘a big sucker.’

Coming in next was the Chilean Navy’s Esmeralda.

The Esmeralda is a 371-foot, steel-hulled four-masted barquentine that serves as a sail training vessel for the Chilean Navy. Affectionately known as the “White Lady,” she is the third-tallest sailing ship in the world and carries a crew of nearly 400 people.

She’s 371’ long, with a beam of 43’ and a draft of 23’. She displaces 3,673 tons. She has 21 sails, covering 30,892 square feet.

Construction began on her in Cádiz, Spain, in 1946. She was initially designed to serve as Spain’s national training ship, Juan de Austria. Tragedy struck in 1947 when a massive explosion devastated the Cádiz shipyard. The explosion severely damaged her hull and left the construction company on the verge of bankruptcy.

In 1950, Spain offered the unfinished ship to Chile as part of a debt settlement from the Spanish Civil War. Work on her restarted under the new owners and she was launched on May 12, 1953, in Cádiz, Spain. She sailed to her homeport of Valparaíso, arriving in September 1954.

Following the coup by General Augusto Pinochet on September 11, 1973, the Chilean Navy joined the military junta. The Esmeralda was put to use as a prison. Over 5,000 political prisoners were detained onboard.
After Pinochet stepped down, she transitioned back into her training role. She has visited over 300 ports in more than 60 countries. She set world speed records for her class, averaging 16 knots over a 24-hour run.

The original Virginia was built in 1608 by settlers at the short-lived Popham Colony, located at the mouth of the Kennebec River in present-day Maine. The Colony lasted only about one year. (Apparently the colony consisted of only men and boys. Is it any wonder it was short-lived?)

A former London shipwright, Mr. Digby, built the Virginia. She was originally designed as a fishing boat. But when the Colony was abandoned, she returned some of the colonists to England. She was then sold to the Jamestown Colony and recrossed the Atlantic.

A group of volunteers built the replica Virginia in Bath, ME, launching her on June 4, 2022. She’s 51’ long – which seems much too small to be crossing oceans if you ask me.

**When and If** is a yacht commissioned by then Colonel George S. Patton. Designed by John Alden and built by boatbuilder F.F. Pendleton in Wiscasset, Maine in 1939.

The story goes that Patton intended to sail the schooner around the world with his wife “when and if I return from the war.”

When and If remained in the harbor at Manchester-by-the-Sea in Massachusetts and was passed down through Patton’s family. Frederick Ayer Jr. donated it to the Landmark School in Beverly, MA in 1972, where she was used for sail training programs for children with dyslexia.

Due to the School’s financial difficulties, arrangements were made to share ownership with Jim and Gina Mairs. However, in 1990 she broke loose in a gale and was wrecked. Originally assessed as a total loss, she was successfully salvaged and towed to the Gannon & Benjamin shipyard in Martha’s Vineyard. After a three-year rebuilding process, she was re-launched in 1994.

Purchased by Captain Seth Salzmann in 2015, she has been a part of Tall Ships Festivals in both 2015 and 2016, and in 2017 *When and If* sailed with Sail Training International to Bermuda, Boston and on to all corners of the Canadian Maritimes. Her home port in the winter is now Key West.

Dar Młodzieży (“Gift of the Youth“) is a three-masted full-rigged ship based out of the Gdynia, Poland, Maritime University.

Built in 1982, she serves as a training ship for Polish sailors. She’s the first tall ship built in a Polish shipyard. She serves as a sail training ship.

She was launched in November 1981 at the Gdańsk, Poland, Shipyard and commissioned for service in July 1982 at her home port of Gdynia, Poland.

She’s 311’ long and 205’ tall. She has a sail area of 32,000 square feet.

In 1987-88, the ship was invited to take part in a great rally for the 200-year anniversary of the settlement of Europeans on the Australian continent. It was decided that the ship would extend its journey to a complete circumnavigation of the globe. Over 274 days, the ship sailed a total of 36,352 nautical miles. In 2018-19 she again circumnavigated the globe to commemorate Poland’s 100th anniversary of independence.

The Schooner Thomas E. Lannon was built in 1997 in Essex, MA, and is named for owner Tom Ellis’ maternal grandfather, who fished out of Gloucester from 1901–1943. Berthed at historic Seven Seas Wharf at the Gloucester House Restaurant, the Lannon offers public sails, private charters, and group trips from mid-May through mid-October. The Lannon was designed by Capt. Harold A. Burnham, whose family has been building boats in Essex since 1650. The Thomas E. Lannon’s lines are based on those of the Gloucester fishing schooner Nokomis, designed by Capt. George Melville McClain in 1903.

The three masted topsail schooner Oosterschelde is the last remaining representative of the large fleet of schooners that sailed under the Dutch flag at the beginning of the 20th century. As the largest restored Dutch sailing ship, the Oosterschelde is a monument for Dutch shipbuilding and maritime navigation under sail.

The American Eagle has had a varied life since her launch in 1930; first as an auxiliary schooner, then an eastern-rig dragger, and now as a windjammer. One of the last original Gloucester fishing schooners, American Eagle blends the function of a period yacht while keeping the charm of the western Atlantic’s working vessels. She was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991.

She’s 123’ long and her home port is Rockland, ME.

The ARC Gloria is a Colombian Navy flagship and training vessel ported in Cartagena. Built in 1968 with a steel hull, the Class A barque measures 212 feet 3 inches in length, with a beam of 34 feet 9 inches and a draft of 21 feet 8 inches. Operated by the ARC (Armada Nacional de la República de Colombia), the ship began sailing after the Colombian government authorized the National Navy to establish a naval training vessel. The name “Gloria” comes from the line “Oh gloria inmarcesible” in the Colombian national anthem, which is traditionally sung upon boarding the ship. Today, the ARC Gloria serves as a training platform for Colombian naval cadets as well as a symbol of national pride.

Apparently, the Gloria sorts the spare sailors by color and stores them vertically on the mast. Either that, or they were putting on a display for the crowd. Your guess is as good as mine.

Getting much, much closer to my budget, the Lewis H. Story was out and about.

In 1998, the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum commissioned Essex shipwright Harold Burnham to construct a Chebacco boat to serve as the museum’s flagship. It measures 30 feet on deck and its hull, deck arrangement, and rig are typical of post-Revolutionary War inshore fishermen. The Story is named in honor of Essex shipwright, carver, designer, modeler, researcher and the town’s foremost maritime historian, Lewis H. Story, 1873–1948.

Ardelle was designed and built by owner and captain, NEA National Heritage Fellow and Master Shipwright, Harold Burnham and his family. Named for Harold’s grandmother, Ardelle is a Pinky Schooner—a type of fishing vessel that developed in Essex from the smaller Chebacco boats in the early nineteenth century. At forty tons, the Ardelle would have been about an average sized Pinky. While smaller than the later types of vessels used in the Gloucester fisheries, Pinkies were known for being well built, extremely seaworthy, and safe.

Kalmar Nyckel, the tall ship of Delaware, is a recreation of a 17th-century Dutch Pinnace which served as an armed merchant ship, a Swedish naval vessel, and as the colonial ship that founded New Sweden in present day Wilmington, Delaware. She delivers education programs based on a variety of curricula to students from fourth grade through high school during the school year as part of the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation’s educational mission. In the summer, she sails the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, providing public sails, festival tours, summer camp programming and private charters. A collaboration with the Vasa Museum in Sweden uses the ship as a research platform to better understand how 17th-century ships were sailed. With the exception of her officers, the crew of the Kalmar Nyckel are volunteers who come from all over the world to participate in her crew training programs and sail the ship.

The Tabor Boy is a 115-foot, gaff-rigged, two-masted schooner that has been a part of Tabor Academy’s School by the Sea since 1954. SSV stands for “Sailing School Vessel” and is the U.S. Coast Guard’s designation for the schooner. She is one of two Coast Guard inspected vessels in her class that operate in the northeastern United States. Tabor Boy is inspected and constructed as suitable for off-shore, open ocean passage making.

The BAE Guayas was launched in 1976, Ecuador’s sail training vessel Guayas is a three masted barque built in Spain. The ship serves as an international ambassador for Ecuador, while training naval cadets during extended voyages throughout the world. It is a regular participant in tall ship events and has sailed throughout North and South America, Asia, and Australia.

There were more ships to come, but it was time we headed home. We had a fun day and hope to go back in 2076 for the Tricentennial.

I’ve been out to check on all three loon families and the heron rookery. I’ll have another post up in the next couple days with the news.

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Checking in With The Gang

On July 1, 2026 - Herons, Loons, Moose, Wildlife Photography

It’s been a busy couple of weeks since my last post. I’ve managed to visit the Eastons and Westons twice each, the Middletons once and the heron rookery once.

The trailer is all packed for an early morning departure to the Berkshires Arts Festival at Ski Butternut in Great Barrington, MA. We’ll be there Friday, Saturday & Sunday. I’d love to meet more of you, please stop by booth 212 in the air conditioned Upper Lodge.

I’ll have lots of shots of the loons, along with lots of other critters and even a few of my steam locomotive images with me.

On the 16th, I had time for a quick call on the Westons to see how the chicks were doing. They were seven and eight days old when I visited. There was an intruder on the pond. Mom and Dad went to deal with the intruder. Young chicks’ only protection is to flatten on the water and hope not to be seen. This is very effective when the water is ruffed by the wind. Much less so on a calm day. The intruder was dealt with and the parents returned to collect the chicks. Other than the brief kerfuffle, it was a quiet morning and I headed home early.

Leaving the Westons’ pond, I found a kaleidoscope of Canadian tiger swallowtail butterflies puddling in the road. Puddling is when the butterflies find something on the ground with nutrients they need. Often it is animal poop or urine. The butterflies gather to lick up the nutrients. And kaleidoscope is a great collective noun.

It took until the 24th for my schedule and a nice morning to coincide again. When I’d last visited the Middletons, they appeared to be looking for a new nest site after abandoning their first nest. It looked like they’d made their choice of spots and were tossing vegetation around to build a nest.

When I checked the spot they’d been building, I found an empty nest and no loons.

The great blue heron was foraging nearby, but he wasn’t helpful about giving me an update on the Middletons. Here he’s spotted a tasty meal far down the buffet and is slowly creeping closer before striking. He came up empty. Served him right for not telling me about the Middletons.

I went looking for the Middletons and found the other heron. This one was more talkative, but still no word about the Middletons.

Elvis the Kingbird wasn’t gossiping about the Middletons either. Dragonflies and damselflies are finally plentiful on the ponds. The kingbirds started sitting on their eggs just about the time the dragonflies started showing up.

Turt Reynolds was just out for the sun. I kept looking for the Middletons.

The Middletons decided to reuse the nest site the male has used for the last several years. We lost his mate last year and this will be the first time the new Mrs. Middleton tries the site. Mr. M had come in to see how Mrs. was doing and if it was time for a shift change. She was content to keep sitting. I put out the Loon Preservation Committee’s sign and headed home.

I got an early start on the 25th and headed east to visit the Eastons. It was a beautiful calm morning on the pond. I’d intended to drift down past the nest to see how they were doing. But this bull moose showed up to browse along the water’s edge. I got to watch him dine for about 40 minutes. Just as the sun was creeping towards the pond, he decided it was time to head back up the hill.

Heading back up the pond, I found one loon foraging and the other on the nest. One of them is banded, but I don’t know which one yet. I’ve reported the band to the Loon Preservation Committee. When their intern has time, he’ll let me know which of the pair is banded. Here’s the unbanded bird comfortable on the nest.

I had chores waiting and started to head in. Hank was watching over the boat launch. I stopped to watch him preen for a bit. Herons must have great balance and strong feet to twist and turn enough to preen in a tree. Hank has finished his ablutions and is looking fine.

I heard from another Weston Family watcher. She’d paddled the pond and couldn’t find the family. I headed up on the 28th to see what was up.

I found the family foraging peacefully at the far end of the pond. Sadly, I found only one chick. The chick spent some time swimming in close formation with Dad.

The kingbirds were hunting dragonflies close to the water. They often hovered for a time while looking for the next meal. This one has caught something, you can barely see it in his bill. There are several kingbird nests I’ve spotted nearby. All the builders were very talented about building where there was a branch blocking my view.

As I headed back to the boat launch, I found these guys. They told me parking had gone up to two bucks.

The next morning I was up and going at 0300 to drive down to the heron rookery. I arrived just after the sun lit the nests. And just in time to see a parent arrive with a meal. The chicks are getting big. And they’re insistent on being fed when the adult arrives. The chicks squawk and grab the parent’s bill. Both adults tend the chicks and people can’t tell them apart.

The chicks are not at all gentle about grabbing their parent’s bill. The parent looks like he’s bracing for it…

The chick is politely requesting the parent pay attention and feed him.

All three chicks were dancing and grabbing at the parent. I’m not sure if the parent is stretching to get away from the chicks or if stretching helps regurgitate the food.

The parent is bending down to cough up the food into the nest. One of the chicks makes a last grab at the parent’s bill to see if he can claim the meal. I think the parent coughed up two perch or sunfish. No idea which chick grabbed them.

Having delivered the meal, the parent headed back out to forage some more. Or just to find some peace and quiet. The chicks all settled down and watched their world.

The chicks in another of the nests appeared to spend the morning judging me.

Back in the nest that had breakfast delivered, one of the chicks tried working his wings. He spent a few minutes flapping. I suspect this helps build up the muscles the chick will need when his feathers finish growing in.

Flapping finished, the chicks struck up a Cerberus pose.

The nests are in direct sun most of the day. It was rapidly warming, it must have been approaching 75° degrees by this time. Herons pant like dogs. They hold their mouth open and breath rapidly to cool themselves.

Back with the judgmental chicks, they started stirring in the nest.

A parent returns to the nest that had the meal earlier. The chicks start acting up on arrival. The parent is the one facing away from the camera.

The meal delivered and snarfed, the chicks start dancing and squawking – apparently heron speak for “please, sir I want some more.” The sun was getting high and there were things to be done so I headed home.

Yesterday I headed up to feed the black and deer flies on the Eastons’ pond. I was successful.

I checked the Eastons’ nest. There was an eggshell in the bottom of the nest, but no one was home. I went looking for them.

Before I found them, I found Hank out strutting his stuff looking for breakfast.

Hank found a school of fingerlings and made a meal of them. Herons swallow fish head first. Hank is rearranging one of the fish to go down properly.

After breakfast he preened for a bit to get him looking sharp for the day. Back to looking for the Eastons.

Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! I found the loons with two hungry chicks. Both parents were busy foraging for them.

Loon chicks are competitors and there’s no cooperation between them. If one chick is strong enough, it will drive the weaker chick away from the family. This pair spent a fair bit of the morning squabbling.

Another shot of them squabbling. Even with an 800mm lens, this is an enormous crop.

One of the parents delivering a crayfish. The loons that held the territory the last several years seemed partial to crayfish. All loons eat them, but on this pond it often seemed the most common meal. I’m curious if that was because they were abundant or if the loons just preferred them. We have at least one new loon in this year’s pair. The male that held the pond since 2019 did not return this year (he is banded). I suspect we have a new female too. The female that has been on the pond the last several years was a bit of a ditz. She wasn’t a particularly attentive parent, spending much of the time on her own while Dad tended the chicks. Both of this year’s loons were tending the chicks. I’m curious to see if crayfish is still the staple.

After several meals, the chicks climbed aboard one of the parents. The other took time to preen before foraging some more. The chick seemed ambivalent about the fish being offered.

Until the parent offering it turned away. The chick leapt into action to get the meal. The chicks soon settled in for a nap on a parent’s back.

The other parent took the chance to find some breakfast for himself before preening and stretching. I had to head in.

It will be late next week before I have a chance to get out again. I’ll let you know how all the chicks are doing.

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birds, herons, loon chicks, loons, moose, vermont wildlife

We Have Loon Chicks, Heron Chicks Getting Big

On June 14, 2026 - Herons, Loons, Wildlife Photography

Another busy week visiting all three loon families and the heron rookery. The Westons’ chicks have hatched, the Eastons are sitting on their nest, the Middletons continue to look for a new spot. And the heron chicks are getting big. Very big.

The Berkshires Art Festival is coming up in Great Barrington, MA on July 3, 4 and 5. I’ll have note cards and prints large and small for sale. I’ll be in booth 212 in the Upper Lodge. Please come by and have a look. My 2027 Wildlife Calendar went to the printer. If all goes well, I’ll have them at the show.

The Westons laid their eggs sometime during a week I couldn’t visit. I’d expected the eggs to hatch last weekend. Monday morning I headed out early and found the pond in thick fog. I paddled up the pond and back down before running into Mr. Weston on his own. Mrs. Weston was still on the nest. And squirming regularly. (Dad is banded in this pair. When I can see a leg, I can tell who is who.)

I parked the boat and waited. After a bit, Mrs. Weston stood up to see what was going on downstairs. The chick has broken the end of the egg off and his? head is exposed. Mrs. W seemed satisfied with the chick’s progress and sat back down.

Every spring, I get questions about my camera gear. I’m using a Canon EOS R5 with an 800mm f5.6 lens. 800mm lets me sit well back from the loons – and most of the images in my posts are cropped.

About two and a half hours later, Mom stood up again to see what was happening. I could see the chick’s head, but he was behind the brush. Mom collected the empty eggshell and tossed it overboard. It fell just in front of the nest and she hooted at it a few times, but it refused to go away.

About four hours after the first picture, Mom took the chick into the water and found him several small meals. Mom climbed back up onto the nest and the chick followed. Mr. W was still on on the main part of the pond, enjoying his last morning of peace for the season.

Mom turned the remaining egg as the chick looked on.

Mom herded the chick back into the nest.

And went back to sitting. I hadn’t expected to be on the pond very long that morning. I left a couple hours after my butt went completely numb from the kayak seat and with a nice sunburn.

I went back Tuesday morning to see if I could meet the second chick. The fog was thicker than the day before.

It was foggy enough that I couldn’t see the chicks without getting too close. I tried to make the best of the time waiting for the fog to lift and amused my self shooting foggy morning shots.

By about 0600, the fog had lifted a bit and I went to check on the nest. Mom was sitting, Dad was feeding the chick by the nest.

The little guy caught on fast. Dad found several small fish and a crayfish for the chick before returning him to the nest.

The Westons have always pretty much ignored me until about time for the chicks to hatch. Then, everyone has to go. They’ll wail at people, beavers, any large bird flying over and even lots of small birds in the brush along the pond.

After tucking the chick back into the nest, Dad grabbed the eggshell Mom tossed overboard the day before and took out the trash.

After Dad fed the chick, he started back to the pond. As he passed, he stopped and displayed his wings at me. I took the hint and gave up my spot. I left the cove with the nest. Dad circled the cove a couple times wailing at the red-winged black birds, grackles and kingbirds.

As I was heading in, I passed an eastern kingbird sitting along the water. When the kingbird lowered his head, I could see the ‘crown’ – a patch of red feathers. They use the crown to attract mates and as a warning to predators.

As I left the pond, I had to encourage a snapping turtle to get out of the road. Female turtles are out of their ponds looking for nesting sites.

Wednesday morning I headed to visit the Middletons. On my last visit, I discovered they’d abandoned their first nest and were looking for a site to try again.

After a bit of searching, I found the Middletons testing out a possible nesting site. Mr. M was tossing vegetation up on the bank as Mrs. M looked on.

After a bit, he gave up and went to find a snack. Mrs. M tossed some vegetation herself before deciding a snack sounded good.

After finishing the snack, the pair checked another possible site. And found Hank the great blue heron at the breakfast buffet.

That site wasn’t what they wanted. They continued looking around the cove. Mrs. M tried to promote this stump as a good place to build. Mr. M wasn’t buying it. They kept looking, I stayed with Hank.

Hank stood pondside, waiting for breakfast to appear.

Oh! What’s this? Could this be breakfast over here? Hank crept into the water and dove at something behind the weeds.

He caught a sunfish when he dove. The caught it broadside to his mouth. Herons swallow fish head first. Hank was smart enough to walk back up on the beaver lodge away from the water before flipping the fish into position.

Hank went back to find more food. He dredged up what looks like a root of some kind. He waived this around a few times before tossing it back. He broke off a smaller piece and waived that around before tossing that back. Herons don’t eat plants, I’m not sure what he was doing.

I went to check to see what the Middletons were up to.

They’d gone back to the first possible nesting site I’d found them on. This time, they were both dredging up vegetation and tossing it.

They gave up after a time and headed out into the main part of the pond. Mr. M gave a nice stretch. I went back to check on Hank.

Hank had moved down the shore to a sunny spot. His camouflage seems to work pretty well. He’s in the brush about a third of the way in from the left side of the photo.

There he is. Watching herons fish can often be very boring. This was one of those mornings. I didn’t see Hank catch anything else before I had to go.

Yesterday morning I called on the Eastons. On my last visit there appeared to be a pair of loons defending a nesting spot with a banded loon challenging one of them for the territory. The Mr. Easton we’ve been following since 2019 wasn’t to be found. Mrs. Easton isn’t banded, she may be back.

Saturday morning found a pair of loons with a nest. The banded loon I’d seen the last time has taken over the territory. There was at least one challenger on the pond. After a brief skirmish, the challenger departed.

Hank, or his cousin, was looking over the pond.

I followed the banded loon for a time, trying to get a good look at both his legs. He was happy to wave his left leg. I only needed to see it once to see the tags. He must have waved the left leg 10 times before breaking down and showing me the bands on his right leg. I reported the band info, we may get to learn about the bird’s history.

There was a good breeze and the water was fairly choppy. The banded bird stretched while I was waiting to see the right leg.

The intruder returned and drew both of the home team to the far end of the pond. I snuck a look at the nest with my binoculars and they’ve got two eggs.

The intruder promptly left the pond.

One of the home team returned to sit on the nest. I headed home.

I expect to dodge wildlife on the road in the early hours. This past week, I’ve seen bears, foxes, a racoon and an opossum along with deer, more deer and even more deer. To change things up this morning, I met a horse trotting west as I was going east.

The chicks have grown remarkably since my last visit. These three chicks seem to be the biggest – and probably oldest – in the rookery. They live in what I’ve taken to calling Nest One. It is the furthest on the left and I need some way to keep them straight. They were up and acting up most of the morning. They’re very vocal and called most of the morning.

Nest One is getting small for them. Getting photos where we can see all three faces was a challenge all morning. Most of the time there’s usually at least one butt pointed in my direction.

Personal space is not really a thing in a heron nest.

The chicks in Nest Two – the second from the left – were tucked in for a nap.

In Nest Three – stay with me here, the third from the left – found these two were sitting up waiting for breakfast. There’s a third with his? head just barely visible.

Nest Four found two chicks preening and one doing whatever it is the guy on the right is doing.

One of the parents returns to Nest Two with breakfast. Both heron parents tend the chicks and we can’t tell them apart by looking.

When the chicks are young, the parents feed them by regurgitating food into their mouths. As the chicks get bigger, the parents bring food back and regurgitate it into the nest and let the chicks grab it. Looks like this chick isn’t ready to give up being fed.

And neither are the siblings. They’re all grabbing the parents bill. It looks like this is counter productive. The parent can’t bend over to regurgitate the food while the chicks are holding his bill.

After several false starts, the parent was able to bend over and is regurgitating what looks to be a perch into the nest. That’s a crazy crop, I was probably 130 feet from the nest.

The chick in the middle was able to grab the fish.

And the chick that nabbed the fish sure seemed to do an in-your-face-dance for the siblings.

A parent arrived back in Nest One. The chicks here also tried to grab the parent’s bill. This shot looks like the parent is putting food directly into the chick’s mouth. The parent had food for all three chicks. After dropping the rest of the food, the parent hopped to a branch about 10 feet from the nest.

The chicks started throwing a tantrum, trying to convince the parent they were starving. The parent ignored them. The chicks acted up for several minutes.

Mom! Mom! Mom! Look! Mom! Look at us! We’re starving! Mom! Mom! Mom!

The other parent has arrived back at Nest Two. Only to have the chicks all go for his bill.

The parent drops what looks like another perch into the nest where a chick immediately grabs it and swallows it.

After the parent left Nest Two, the chicks posed nicely. The chicks in Nest One were still putting on a show….

Last week, it looked like a wren had taken over the bluebird box where they raised a family earlier this year. In the last couple days, the bluebirds have reappeared. Ownership of the box appears undecided. I’m kinda rooting for the bluebirds. The wren’s song was cute the first couple days, but she over does it.

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great blue heron, heron rookery, herons, loon chicks, loons

News from the Eastons and Middletons

On June 7, 2026 - Herons, Loons, Wildlife Photography

The road to the Easton’s pond is again more or less passable and I got out to visit them and I made a call on the Middletons a couple days later. Let’s see what they’ve been up to.

And I’ve been printing and framing new images for the Berkshires Art Festival in Great Barrington, MA on July 3, 4 and 5. I’ll have note cards and prints large and small for sale. Please come by and have a look.

Local folks, I’m doing a calendar fundraiser for Oscar’s Memorial Dog Park – the park behind the Newbury Veterinary Clinic. I’m looking for volunteer dogs to photograph. I need about half an hour in the park with you and your dog. You get to have fun playing with your dog while I take some photos. I’ll send you printable jpgs of the best shots and your dog may make it into the calendar. Let me know if you’re interested.

Tuesday morning well before dawn, I headed out to visit the Eastons. I’d stopped by the pond the last time I went past. The dirt road is passable, but grading would be a big help.

On my way to the pond, I passed a bear and her cub enjoying a meal from a curbside trash can. I’m not sure curbside trash pickup and bears are a good mix. The story won’t end well for the bears if they get used to finding breakfast in the trash.

There were three loons on the pond when I paddled out. Two were defending a territory on one of the islands, the intruder was holding back a bit. There were skirmishes throughout the morning.

One of the pair defending a good looking nesting site.

The loons were doing a lot of aggressive diving. Aggressive diving is a challenge to the other loon(s). Someone asked once how you could tell when the dive is aggressive. The best answer I can come up with is you can tell the same way you judge your wife’s mood by the way she closes a door.

There was also a fair bit of wing rowing – another challenge.

After I got a good look at all three loons I saw that last year’s Mr. Easton wasn’t on the pond. He’d been challenged regularly late last season. He may have been driven off the pond or something may have happened to him over the winter. He may yet reappear on his pond, or another pond. He’s banded so it is possible we can find out if he’s spotted. This is one of the pair defending the territory coming over to check me out. He? decided I could stay.

The dispute moved down the pond. Each loon was displaying how big and tough they are – certainly not loons you’d want to mess with.

You don’t mess with me pal! The dispute was unresolved when I had to head in.

While the loons were skirmishing, Hank the great blue heron and his friend Charlize T. Heron flew in. Hank got a good spot to look over the pond. He moved on after a time, I suspect he discovered the fishing wasn’t very good from there.

Charlize T. Heron claimed a spot in the sun on an island. I headed home.

Sometimes I get lucky and have a critter make photos easy. Wednesday, my dogs were out back and started making noise. That’s not surprising, they’re huskies and feel the need to talk about almost everything. I let them in and happened to look out the window.

Quill Smith the porcupine was sauntering across the lawn. He checked out the blackberry bushes and wandered off.

Thursday morning I was on the Middleton’s pond before sunup. On my last visit, they’d been sitting on their nest. A friend on the pond had messaged saying she was seeing both loons together for long periods on the pond. When I arrived, I discovered they’ve abandoned their first nest. The water level has dropped several inches since my last visit. They probably don’t have enough water to come and go from the nest underwater and decided to give up on it.

Mrs. Merganser was just getting up and around for the day when I passed.

The Middletons seem intent on trying again. They were scouting new nest locations. This is Mr. M, promoting the spot he’s used for the last few years.

Mrs. M considered the spot, going so far as to dredge up some nesting material and toss it sort of near the nest. Loons aren’t great builders. They often dig up material to build up the nest and just toss it. Sometimes on the nest. Sometimes into the water in the same ZIP code.

Mrs. M wasn’t sold on the spot and they moved on to check out other possibilities.

Mrs. M climbed out on this small island to check things out.

She wanted to see what the spot looked like with a few improvements.

That spot wasn’t selected either. Mrs. M came off the island and stretched.

They moved along and discussed a few spots in the reeds.

After a few minutes exploring the reeds, Mr. M tossed up his wings. In frustration? He wouldn’t say.

It didn’t look like they settled on a new spot. They headed out for breakfast, a quick preening and a stretch before settling in for a nap. I headed home.

The Weston’s chicks should have hatched this weekend. I’ll be off to visit as soon as we get a nice morning.

Our bluebirds are around the yard, keeping busy feeding the fledglings. A wren is working in their box this morning.

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birds, herons, loons, new hampshire wildlife, vermont wildlife

A Visit to the Westons and Heron Chicks

On May 31, 2026 - Beavers, Herons, Loons, Photography, Turtles, Wildlife Photography

A slower week this past week. I had a chance to visit the Weston loon family on a foggy morning and visited the great blue heron rookery.

I’ll be at the Berkshires Arts Festival at Ski Butternut in Great Barrington, MA on July 3, 4, 5. I’ll be in booth 212 lots of prints and note cards. Stop by and have a look.

Tuesday morning found blue skies over the hill in West Newbury and the Weston’s pond in deep fog.

The Westons weren’t to be found on the main part of the pond. I continued on to the cove where they nest. The off duty loon was promoting a shift change. You can see the loon on the nest at the far right hidden in the brush. I never did see their legs; without seeing the bands – or lack of them – I couldn’t tell who was who.

They did the nest exchange after a few minutes and the loon coming off duty stretched.

And then set out to find some breakfast. Looks like he? came up empty this time.

An outsider loon flew over and called which set the Westons to tremoloing. The outsider flew on and the pond quieted. Very quiet. I paddled around looking for photos. Seems most of the critters had taken the morning off.

After a time, I found a red-winged blackbird out and about.

He alternated foraging with calling out to announce his presence.

As the fog lifted, painted turtles started climbing out of the water to bask.

The outsider loon returned and landed well up the pond. All three loons started calling. The loon on the nest left the nest to join the other home team loon on the main part of the pond. They were well separated from the intruder. I snuck back into the cove with their nest to see if I could see how many eggs they have. I took a quick look to find two and turned around to leave the cove.

Only to find Slappy Gilmore the beaver entering the cove. He? circled the entrance to the cove, slapping regularly. If he’d gotten out of the way, I’d have left……

Here’s his tail making contact for the slap.

And each slap pushes his butt up out of the water. You can see his webbed feet clearly here.

The loons mostly called at each other before a brief skirmish with some wing rowing before the intruder departed.

Thursday morning, I was up early and headed to see the great blue heron rookery. I’ve been inundated with requests for the location of the rookery. I think I’ve answered everyone. I’m reluctant to share locations with folks I don’t know. Most are likely to be responsible, but the internet has more than a few bad apples.

On three of the four nests with herons, an adult was standing on the edge of the nest. The fourth had a heron still sitting.

After watching for a time, chicks started stirring. The three nests with adults standing guard all have at least three chicks. The chicks are still small enough that they can’t be seen when crouched down in the nest. They appear, then disappear fairly quickly, keeping me on my toes.

The chicks are funny-looking gawky birds whose body parts all seem to come from birds of different sizes. I suspect they were designed by Jim Henson.

Here’s a shift change on the first nest. Both herons will birdsit the chicks and bring food. When one returns to the nest, they go through a ceremony where they stretch and bob their necks to each other.

The returning parent brought back a sunfish which would seem to be much too large. The chick in back put it away without effort.

Back at the second nest, the chicks were getting restless…

This guy seems to be thinking that if breakfast isn’t delivered promptly, he’ll have to go get it on his own.

Poking their parent, and pulling feathers, didn’t speed things up.

The mate returned. The parents swallow the chick’s food and regurgitate it for the chicks when they return. As the chicks get bigger, the parents will bring in larger food that they haven’t swallowed.

The parent that had been on duty wasted no time heading off.

The chicks have been fed, time for everyone to settle back in.

And a returning parent feeding the chicks in the third nest.

The fourth and fifth nests had parents return, but I didn’t see any chicks. Guess I’ll have to go back.

And we’ve hosted bluebirds in one of the boxes on our deck again this year. I haven’t been posting, it seems like many people have cameras in their bird houses now. And, something is amiss with mine, the video quality has degraded. But, here’s a clip of the chick’s final few minutes as our guests before they fledge.

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birds, great blue herons, heron rookery, herons, loons, new hampshire wildlife, vermont wildlife

A Busy Week for the Critters

On May 24, 2026 - Foxes, Game Birds, Herons, Loons, Raptors, Shorebirds, Wildlife Photography

With a week with mostly nice weather, I was able to get out and visit both the Middletons and Westons as well as the heron rookery and a couple fox dens.

This week, you’ve got two chances to see my slideshow, Travels with Ian 2025, with some of my favorite images from last year. We’ll see lots of wildlife around New England and lots of brown bears from Alaska – including Brown Bear no. 925 who made ursine history last year. There are even images of a steam locomotive working in the incredible scenery along the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway.

The first show will be at the Bugbee Center in White River Jct. Wednesday May 27 at 1:30 pm. The second presentation will be at the Blake Memorial Library in Corinth, VT Friday May 29 at 6 pm. The Library would appreciate an RSVP sent to khotellingbml@gmail.com. Both are free and open to the public.

And I’ll be exhibiting at the Berkshires Art Festival in Great Barrington, MA on July 3, 4 and 5. I’ll have note cards and prints large and small for sale. Please come by and have a look.

A week ago Saturday, I called on the Westons. One was feeding at the south end of the pond, the other turned out to already be sitting on the nest towards the north end of the pond. I wandered off to see who else might be around.

About the only excitement – if cormorants can be exciting – was this double-crested cormorant who finished breakfast and departed.

Both loon parents share sitting on the eggs. Our off-duty loon finished at the buffet and headed towards the nest for a shift change. This turned out to be Mom. Dad is banded and I could ID him when he came off the nest.
Dad is hidden in the brush. His head is the dark spot in the brush above mom’s head.

Mr. Weston came off the nest and stretched as Mrs. Weston settled in on the nest.

A friend tipped me off to a fox den, I headed down Monday morning to see if I could find it. There are supposed to be seven kits. Mom has been busy. So far I’ve found five of her holes. Without knowing where anyone was, I sat and watched the wrong hole for a time. This guy popped out of one of the holes down the field, and I gave up on what may have been an empty hole.

This sibling joined the first kit and both stretched out to enjoy the sun – after moving far enough back in the brush to keep me from getting more photos.

Tuesday morning, I was on the road early to visit the heron rookery. I missed when they started sitting on the nests. I was hoping for chicks. No such luck, the latest they should hatch is early this week.

It was a warm morning and most of the herons on nest duty were standing up in the nests. Both heron parents take turns sitting on the nest. The last time I visited, the bird on duty at dawn was still on duty when I left about 9:00.

This morning, all of the off-duty birds returned early to relieve their partners. The shift change comes with a “nest relief ceremony.” The partners stretch their necks and/or raise the plumes on their crest. They may preen each other and sometimes exchange sticks. But, the bird that’s just been relieved doesn’t stick around long.

This heron’s mate has just returned to the rookery and is perched in a tree to the left of the nest. The birds stretched and clapped their bills at a distance before a quick exchange at the nest.

The birds reporting for duty all spent several minutes tidying the nest.

When the nests are in order, the birds settle in and catch up with their neighbors.

On the way home, I stopped to visit the foxes again. They weren’t to be found.

The next morning I headed out to see what the Middletons were up to. They’re sitting on their nest. They’ve moved from where the nest has been for several years. They’ve found a new spot on a hummock deep in the brush and are well hidden. I didn’t see the nest until Mrs. Middleton relieved Mr. Middleton.

As Mr. Middleton left his cove, a pair of Canada geese flew into the pond and landed not too far from the loon’s nest. That pair of geese was rapidly challenged by another pair of geese that flew across the pond to object to the newcomers.

The newcomers objected right back and went after the second pair of geese.

It was a serious fight, with geese biting and striking with their elbows – the joint in the wing.

In the midst of the fight, Hank Herron flew in right where the geese were fighting and staked out his position.

One of the geese chased Hank off his log into the brush nearby. Then appeared to go over and converse…..

Mr. Middleton returned, keeping low in the stalking pose. He’s checking the battlefield – notice Hank in the back right.

Mr. Middleton went over to see what Hank was up to. One of the pair of geese got out of the water and stood on the log near where the whole shebang started. Mr. Middleton dove…..

I’m not sure if Mr. M actually goosed the goose, but he made it clear that the goose had to go.

Hank seemed unfazed by the hullabaloo and went off to see what was for breakfast.

There didn’t seem to be anything appetizing nearby, so Hank waded off.

After some more skirmishing, one pair of geese convinced the other to go away. Quiet returned to the cove. Mr. M headed back out to get busy with his day.

And Hank took up position waiting for a meal to swim by. I headed home.

A chilly Friday found me paddling down the Waits River before dawn.

Where I met Mrs. Mallard and her brood paddling upstream.

I had to make way for ducklings as she lead her brood past.

A large flock of sandpipers – called a fling, a bind, a cluster, or a contradiction of sandpipers – was spread along the banks and islands. Most of them were least sandpipers with others mixed in.

Sandpipers eat insects and their larvae, small crustaceans and other invertebrates like snails. They forage in and near the river, happily poking their bills into the muck to find the tastiest snacks.

They forage with rapid movements. And often seem to think the menu is better somewhere ‘over there.’

Here I found a few least sandpipers – the bird on the right – foraging alongside a spotted sandpiper.

One of the least sandpipers heading to the next bit of mud to check out what’s on the menu there.

An osprey circled overhead a few times before looking like he’d spotted his meal below.

A male red winged-blackbird didn’t like the osprey in the area and flew up to challenge him. The osprey spent a few minutes dodging the blackbird before the blackbird gave up. I’m a little surprised that the red wings challenge the osprey. Osprey eat almost exclusively fish (I have seen a video of one grabbing a snake from the water.) Birds usually know who is a threat and who isn’t. Loons can tell the difference between eagles and osprey at a considerable distance. They alert and call at the eagles and ignore the osprey. I wonder why red-wings object.

A common grackle joined the sandpipers looking for breakfast. I can’t identify what the grackle caught. But it wasn’t to his liking. He carried it up on the bank and abandoned it.

As I was heading back to the boat launch, I caught up with the mallard family again. Mrs. Mallard had the ducklings out of the water to preen. Dad was paddling nearby.

The ducklings finished preening and settled in for a nap.

Mom kept an eye on them as they huddled – she seems to think the little guy on the right is up to something….

An eagle appeared flying downstream. Mom gave a sharp call and the ducklings took cover under a nearby log. They hid for several minutes before remerging to huddle for their nap. I headed home.

Yesterday I headed back to check on the fox kits.

I quickly found one resting directly on top of the den’s hole.

Something caught his attention and he stood to look things over.

A false alarm! He settled back to nap in the sun.

A ways up the field, another kit was lounging near another of their holes.

This guy was laying in the brush at the edge of the woods.

Another kit was snacking on something near yet another of their holes. He’s finished and is off the the next item on the agenda. The parents will bring food to the den and if the kits aren’t out, the parent drops the food and leaves.

The clouds were moving in rapidly and the light was fading, I headed home.

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fox kits, geese, great blue herons, herons, loons

Birds of May

On May 15, 2026 - Loons, Shorebirds, Warblers, Wildlife Photography

A quick post with some of the birds I’ve found out and about in May.

I’ll be giving my slideshow, Travels with Ian 2025, of my favorite shots from 2025 twice before the end of the month. There’s lots of wildlife from around New England and shots from my trip to Alaska to see brown bears and the steam locomotive on the White Pass & Yukon Route Railway. Both are free and open to the public. The first show will be at the Bugbee Center in White River Jct. Wednesday May 27 at 1:30 pm. The second presentation will be at the Blake Memorial Library in Corinth, VT Friday May 29 at 6 pm. The Library would appreciate an RSVP sent to khotellingbml@gmail.com.

And I’ll be exhibiting at the Berkshires Art Festival in Great Barrington, MA on July 3, 4 and 5. All the details here: https://americanartmarketing.com/blogs/news/berkshires-arts-festi-val-2025. I’ll have note cards and prints large and small with me. Stop by and take a look.

Back on May 8, I went out to visit the Westons and their neighbors. The Westons slept in and I went looking to see who else might be around.

Warblers are back and there was a good-sized flock foraging along the shore. Most were too high in the trees for good shots, but this common yellowthroat was working just about water level.

This purple finch (Harold, he says my number came up) was eating tamarack seeds.

The Westons finally stirred and one gave a nice stretch before heading off to the far end of the pond for breakfast.

I went back to visit them again the next day.

They were up before the dawn and checking out the real estate looking for a nesting site. They discussed the spot where the nest has been for the last several years but didn’t seem to come to a conclusion. The literature says the male picks the nesting site. But, watching it seems to be a joint decision. Much like how I decided on the colors to paint the kitchen.

One of the birds stretched a leg and showed he was banded. Last year, the female disappeared from the pond in early August and wasn’t seen again. I suspect that wasn’t good news, that’s early for her to have left voluntarily. The male stayed on the pond and faced off against a challenger every time I visited. My first thought was we had a new female on the pond. I reported the banded bird to the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, Vermont’s loon researchers. They told me that the banded bird was a male that had landed in someone’s driveway. The Center sent someone to rescue the bird. They banded him and released him in a pond without a nesting pair of loons. We’ll never know if it was Mr. Weston or the challenger that was chased off the pond. I’m hoping this is the same bird that I’ve likely been watching for years.

Mr. Weston gave me a nice stretch. Or he was throwing his wings up in frustration….

Mrs. Weston answered with her own stretch.

Then they resumed the search for a nest site.

It didn’t look like they came to a decision on where to nest. Mr. Weston stretched again and they headed out for breakfast.

The Westons’ pond has a good population of snapping turtles. I’ve had three great looks at turtles in shallow water so far this year. All three turtles were large, but nowhere near the size people claim they’ve seen. They actually top out with a carapace – the upper part of the shell – about 20″. This turtle appears to be basking. Snappers like to stay in the water rather than climb out to bask. They’ll float along with their head and top of their shell exposed.

The tree swallows and barn swallows were back on their favorite perch, waiting for the insects to get out and about.

Eastern kingbirds (Elvis, the King) are back and paired up. They seem to prefer dragonflies for their diet. Dragonflies are scarce in the early spring, kingbirds feed on smaller insects until the dragonflies return or emerge. Some dragonflies migrate, in other species the adults die out in the fall leaving larvae to survive overwinter.

I spent some more time trying for the warblers. This chestnut-sided warbler teased me for several minutes before pausing in the open for his photo.

One of the Westons gave a stretch as I head out for the morning.

On May 11, I put the boat in the Waits River in Bradford, VT to see who might be around.

There were a couple dozen sandpipers around, this least sandpiper was foraging for breakfast in the reeds along the shore.

There were several solitary sandpipers foraging as well.

Another least sandpiper. Least sandpipers are allegedly the world’s smallest shorebirds. They’re often called ‘peeps’ for their size and call.

As I floated by, I checked to see how our northern flickers were doing. Only to be surprised to see a tree swallow in the nest the flickers had been working on. There were flickers calling in the area, but I don’t know where the couple from the last post settled.

I beached the boat and watched this solitary sandpiper foraging for some time.

I’m watching the weather, looks like we’re going to have a nice weekend, I’ll be back out early.

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loons, shorebirds, warblers

Rounding Up the Usual Suspects

On April 30, 2026 - Beavers, Herons, Loons, Warblers, Wildlife Photography

The run of nice mornings let me get out several times since my last post. I’ve called on the Middletons and the Westons, visited the falcons and the heron rookery as well as paddled in the Connecticut. This is a roundup of what I saw.

I’m still looking for fox, coyote and bobcat dens. And other mammals bigger than a squirrel. If you’ve got them hanging around where I won’t be in the way photographing them, I’d love to know.

I’ll be giving my slideshow An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon at the Rockingham, Vermont, Library this Saturday May 2, at 11 am. Free and everyone welcome. And I have prints of some of my favorite loon photos hanging in the Library now. Stop in and have a look. Later in the month, I’ll be doing my slideshow of my favorite shots from 2025 at the Bugbee Center in White River Jct. at 1:30 pm on Wednesday May 27 and again at the Blake Memorial Library in Corinth, VT at 6:00 pm on Friday May 27. On to the critters…

I’ve managed to visit the herons twice. The first visit found some herons sitting on their eggs and the others putting the finishing touches on their nests.

They take great care in how they place the sticks. I suppose if you know you’re going to be sitting on them for a few weeks, you want to make sure all the pointy bits are well tucked away.

Finishing up the details on the nest. There’s a heron sitting on the nest to the upper left.

The mate showed up as the first bird was finishing up. You can’t tell him from her by looking, and both birds are involved in building the nest and incubating the eggs.

The member of the pair that flew in as the work was finishing up stretched in a courtship display.

Another heron sat just outside the rookery and provided commentary.

One of the males with a nest in the rookery arrived with the very stick they needed for the nest. The males gather the sticks and deliver them to the nest. The females will nod if they find the stick worthy of being added to the nest.

The female of the pair wasn’t around, so the male stashed the stick near the nest.

He took a few minutes to preen, which seems a challenge standing on a small branch.

The next trip had me visiting the Middletons. There were two loons on the pond. Somewhat embarrassingly, I caught up with them before they finished their ablutions. Mr. Middleton waved his leg, letting me see his bands telling me he was who he claimed to be.

Mr. Middleton greeted me with open wings.

And this appears to be the new Mrs. Middleton. The previous Mrs. Middleton died shortly after being driven from the pond by a female challenging her for the territory. Neither the challenger nor this bird were banded, so we can’t tell for sure, but it is likely this is the challenger from last year.

I typed too soon in the last post when I said there didn’t seem to be many Canada geese around. They’re back in force.

The Middletons finished breakfast and tucked in for a nap. You can see Mr. M’s bands on his leg.

The next couple outings took me to the Weston’s pond. The Westons are often not in the mood for visitors and keep their distance. I try to respect their moods and keep my distance when they want to be left alone. There was a pair of loons on the pond. Mrs. Weston disappeared in early August last year and wasn’t seen again. We probably have Mr. Weston back with a new mate.

There was a flock of about 35 swallows – mostly tree swallows with a couple barn swallows for color. They were using this tree for a perch. They’d – more or less – settle for a bit before something got them going and they’d depart en masse. They’d fly out a ways before promptly returning to the tree. I couldn’t spot what got them going but suspect that one had spotted a tasty looking insect and went to nab it – with everyone following along.

Flocks of birds never completely settle. Someone is always looking for a better spot.

And there were at least a couple of couples intent on making little swallows in the mix.

Mr. Mallard had some place elsewhere he needed to be.

Warblers are back. Here’s the first yellow-rumped warbler (aka butter butt) of the season.

And what appears to be a disapproving palm warbler.

The next trip out was to visit the Middleton’s pond again.

One of the Middletons was up and ready to get going at dawn. They were covering lots of ground while foraging for breakfast. I wandered off to see who else might be out and about.

One of the resident beavers was as busy as himself and was making a quick improvement to the roof of his lodge. He dragged this stick to the lodge and pulled it out of the water.

Carefully adjusting it for the proper pitch and angle.

With his chores done, he stopped for some breakfast. Beavers eat the bark off of branches and trees. That’s why I’ve named this guy – wait for it – Chewbarka.

One of the Middletons gave a good stretch as I was heading out.

The next morning found me checking in on the falcons.

They’re sitting on their eggs, so there wasn’t much going on to photograph. The on nest duty bird did peer out above the lip of the shelf with the nest.

The mate sat in a tree above the nest, mostly preening and snoozing.

There is a brave pair of eastern phoebes nesting on the cliff about 20 feet below the falcon’s nest. I’m surprised at the number of song birds in the area. Steering clear of where falcons frequent would seem to be a good idea. The smaller birds in the area must know the falcons are there. The small birds seem to keep low and close to the cliff – making it impossible for the falcon to stop before hitting the ground if it went after them. I thought of J.R.R. Tolkien’s advice, “It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near one.”

And the next morning found me back at the rookery.

All the nests had birds sitting on their eggs. Again not an exciting morning watching birds just sitting. This heron did pop up several times to adjust the sticks in the nest.

Sticks back in their proper place, the bird settled back in.

Someone’s mate came back from his favorite watering hole and stood guard at the edge of the nursery.

The Waits and Connecticut Rivers have been too high for me to be comfortable paddling. Earlier this week, it had dropped enough for me to venture out. When I got out Wednesday morning, the water had dropped to the point where navigating anywhere but the deepest part of the Waits was difficult.

There were several killdeer out foraging along the mud at the water’s edge. There were lots of grackles and red-winged blackbirds and a few ducks around. A murder of crows mobbed a red-tailed hawk every time he dared fly over. With the low water, I saw several large snapping turtles foraging.

A pair of northern flickers were cleaning up a nesting hole. Tree swallows looked like they were going to move in downstairs in the same tree.

The flickers took a break to make little flickers and share a moment afterwards.

There was a bit of a close call when rounding a curve in the river, I surprised a croc basking on the riverbank.

The killdeer were creating a ruckus calling and flying around. After a time, I found four of them in a kerfuffle. I couldn’t figure out the cast. There was at least one female that presented repeatedly. There were at least two that would charge her when she did. Often one or both would take a short flight, often with an attack while in air. Sometimes it appeared the kerfuffle was two on two and sometimes three on one.

Three of the killdeer disagreeing on something.

Someone has just charged the flying bird causing it to take flight. The bird in the back right seems to be presenting.

The midair skirmishes seemed to be mostly threatening, without any actual contact.

The kerfuffle came to some conclusion I couldn’t figure out. The lady that had been presenting throughout took time for a bath and all the birds wandered off.

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heron rookery, herons, loons

Spring Brings Everyone Back to the Upper Valley

On April 18, 2026 - Herons, Loons, Turtles, Wildlife Photography

I’ve managed to get out a couple of times this spring, finding mixed success. Let’s see who’s out and about.

It is that time of year again where I ask for help finding critters. I’m always looking for mammals bigger than squirrels. I’m still looking for a fox den and would love to find coyote or bobcat dens. If you get a bear showing up daily when they get fully up and around, I’d love to know. Owls and a woodpecker nest are on my list too. If you’ve any of them showing up regularly where I can come and go without disturbing them or you, I’d love to know.

I’ll be giving my slideshow An Uncommon Look at the Common Loon at the Rockingham, Vermont, Library Saturday May 2, at 11 am. Free and everyone welcome. And I have prints of some of my favorite loon photos hanging in the Library now. Stop in and have a look.

Regular readers will know that I’ve been trying to get a good shot of the long-eared owls down on the coast. There have been three of them wintering there for the last several years. They hang out in what can’t be more than half an acre of trees. I’ve made several trips down to try to catch them where they can be seen. To make things worse, every photographer east of the Mississippi seems to have a nice shot of all three posing nicely together in the clear – and they all stop by to show you their shot on their phone….. I tried again in March.

Success again eludes me… One owl was visible through a tiny gap in the trees. The queue of photographers were actually polite about sharing the one spot where you could see the owl. I waited for him to open his eyes…. no luck.

One of the projects I’d like to try is to follow a family of swans through the season. Yes, yes, I know they’re invasive. And aggressive. But they’re here. We either have to live with them or hunt them all down.

I went searching for a likely couple. I ventured down to the Fannie Stebbins Memorial Wildlife Refuge. They’ve hosted families the last few years. There were two swans to be found – and apparently not a couple.

The first swan I found was looking for handouts and wouldn’t back up far enough to get a photo of all of him?

The other swan spent the afternoon swimming slowly around his pond, doing swan things.

Fannie Stebbins may not be where I find the family, I’ve got some other spots to check out.

There was a good-sized flock of ring-necked ducks relaxing on the pond.

The male wood ducks were out paddling their stuff to impress the ladies.

And there were several hooded mergansers, mostly swimming in pairs – but too far apart to get both in a shot.

On the way home, I found two loons on the Connecticut River, a hopeful sign.

My next outing was to check on our local peregrine falcons. They spent most of their time away from the nest on my first visit.

The next time I had a chance to visit, there was a falcon sitting on the nest. And one supervising.

This gives a good idea of where falcons like to nest. Can I name this guy Cliff?

The bolts in the rocks are rock bolts drilled into the cliff to keep rocks from falling.

My next outing was to visit a great blue heron rookery. It is on the small side for a great blue heron rookery – only seven nests. The good news is they’re relatively low for heron nests, we should be able to see the chicks from the ground when the time comes.

The nests are all in dead trees over a small pond.

Most of the herons spent their morning standing in the trees near the nests.

Sometimes they seemed to be chatting with the neighbors.

The heron on the right has just returned to the nest. The herons did some head bobbing and weaving in a quick courtship display.

One bird found time to make some nest improvements.

While the mate sat nearby pretending to be busy.

I’ve been checking on the Middleton’s pond – usually the first to ice out in the spring. Last Saturday afternoon there was a loon snoozing on the pond. I went home and got the boat ready to go.

Dawn on Sunday found me on the pond. But no loon. It was probably on a scouting mission to see if his pond was open and he’d just stopped off to rest a bit. Other pond residents were out and about.

The morning started off foggy, but pleasantly warm for an April paddle – 28° when I launched. A wood duck posed as I headed down the pond.

I did find several ring-necked ducks promenading on the pond.

There was a pair of eagles that sat watching the pond. I suspect they were thinking that duck would make a good breakfast.

A loon showed up again on the Middleton’s pond on Wednesday. I made it out this morning.

I soon found a lone loon on the pond. I think I saw a flash of color from his bands, but never got a really clear look at his legs. My guess is Mr. Middleton is back.

Hank the great blue heron was working the reeds for breakfast.

There seem to be fewer Canada geese on the pond this year. But the ones that were around were happy to make noise and fly around.

The red-winged black birds seem fewer also. There were several males and the first female I’ve seen this year out foraging.

And as the fog lifted, painted turtles started appearing on every handy log along the shore.

Back on the home front, Charles, our resident whistle pig has reported for pillaging duty.

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heron, loon, swan, turtles, woodchuck