Reptilian fascination

 One of my favorite birds is the Pileated woodpecker. Several were working this section of ridgetop at Mt Tom.

 While walking around a small lake and I noticed some aquatic mammals. Beavers, I imagined, but I noticed one going under and popping up frequently so I moved closer to investigate and noticed there was both an otter and a beaver in the area. I also saw some ducks in the area

  The swift river in MA has some of the clearest water you'll find in the state.  Hiking and fishing are popular activities.  The trout can be seen from the shore.

 Thinking of a Maine vacation? Downeast Maine has lobsters, birds, reptiles, and beautiful coastline and forests. Coming from the South, Acadia National Park is one of the first stops you'll hit. While it's a bit more crowded than other locations we'll mention, it is well worth a stop. You can camp inside the park (recommended) or stay at a nearby hotel. Views can be had from the roadside before you even make it to the park. It's Maine, so of course there is a charming lighthouse to see. Hike or drive up to Cadillac Mountain Stop by a lake and enjoy mountain views while and enjoy a strawberry popover at Jordan Pond restaurant. Walk or take a hose ride on the carriage roads Look for birds like red breasted nuthatch or white winged crossbills

 Here are some random birds of prey photos I've taken over the years. Please keep in mind some of these are quite old and were taken back in the "digiscoping" days when people held cheap cameras up to telescopes (perhaps some still do?). My setup combined a cheap scope, flimsy tripod, and a cheap camera for the trifecta of cheap! Let's start with some owls. Here is a snowy owl at a beach in New England. A great horned owl at a cavity nest in MO.  Some barred owls from MO and New England. How about some red tailed hawks? Red Shouldered Hawks from New England and Florida Coopers Hawk from a nest in MO Here's a couple of hawks I found nesting in MO but the pic is not very good and I never tried to identify it. If someone is good with hawks, let me know what it is! And another unidentified hawk, this one from New England And finally, the fishing birds Osprey and Eagles

 While recently hiking I heard some great horned owls calling. I began to follow the calls when I made a very strange discovery. As I looked up I soon noticed a Great Horned Owl on nest Not the best photos but I think it's more important to minimize disturbance to the birds, so I will wait a while before I visit them again and continue to keep my distance from the nest

 It was a beautiful early spring day in Massachusetts to be out hiking. First let's take a look at some roadside hawks. I've always been a huge fan of birds of prey. While looking for turtles I saw some hooded mergansers  This turkey googled at me after he crossed the road I saw my first snake of the season, a Northern Watersnake And the day ended with a spotted turtle but unfortunately the angle of the sun made for a very bad photo.