Fruitlands - Outdoors and Museums, Harvard, MA

Greetings,
Fruitlands, Harvard MA has been a museum and preserve for 100 years!  There are 2.5 miles of hiking along preserved open space, meadows and woods. 

You can learn about Fruitlands transcendental beginnings, history and more at www.fruitlands.org.

Looking through the field to the Shaker Museum.

Thanks to the glacier, a lake used to be on the grounds 8,000 years ago and Native Americans lived there 10,000 years ago!  There were farmers in the 1700s, a brick maker in the 1800s and a dairy farm for a good part of the 1900s.

This a small portion of the foundation of a building that housed workers for the brick making business. 

Since nature is my specialty, next are wildflower photos, and a butterfly. 

This is a male Perly Crescentspot butterfly.  I'm no expert - but I do have a butterfly book!  You can see a damselfly perched in the background too, with a pearly blue end on its body.

Now for an amazing ringed flower on a tree!

This is a highbush cranberry.  Cherrie Corey informed me these were ornamental trees likely planted long ago.  There may not be very many left in the area.

Tiny and lovely New England Aster

Japanese Honeysuckle

Woodland sunflowers - very tiny...

This is the Yellow Hawkweed.

Wild Geranium - Look at the details - and star in the middle. 

Boardwalk surrounded by wildflowers...

Thank you for walking with me!  Be sure and visit Fruitlands soon!

(Walking anywhere in the woods, protect against mosquitoes and ticks, etc.)

Early April Surprises

...yes, snow in April!  
On April 3rd I went to Great Meadows in Concord to try to capture the snow highlighting Spring buds.

There were also plenty of other surprises - a mallard seeming to decide to sleep through the rude April snow, a song sparrow singing his heart out, a heron taking flight and the swallows' acrobatic flying!
(Click on the photos to see them in more detail and click the X in upper right to return here.)

Snow and ice on green buds against the beautiful sky

Glowing ice over crimson buds

Song Sparrow singing his heart out!  It must be courtship time - "I'm here - come listen to my love song and see how handsome I am!!"

 I was thrilled to watch a heron walking and then take a short scoot to what I can only imagine was a better fishing spot. 

This heron was walking from right to left into deeper and deeper water....

Then he or she started to take off...

...and took a short flight to a better spot...

Right here looks good....

Perfect!  He puffed out his feathers after landing which was interesting.

I spotted a male mallard in the reeds next to some snow and he moved, but amazingly did not fly away from me.  He tucked his head in his feathers as if to say "April snow!  You've got to be kidding - I'm going to sleep until it melts!"

I'm sleeping until it's warmer!

 The tree swallows were back at Great Meadows.  How do you tell if there are hundreds or thousands?  They were everywhere.  They fly like fighter jets - or fighter jets want to fly like these birds. 

This is the best photo I got - he's going SO fast!

So aerodynamic - just perfect in flight!

Zooming up up up before turning! I saw one turn, fly upside down and then right itself.

 Thank you for visiting.  Send this link to whoever you think might enjoy it.

Snow, Ice and Nature in Sunset Glow

Finally the snow came!  (I never thought I'd say that after 2015!)  Saturday I ventured to Great Meadows in Concord for late afternoon and sunset. 

What a beautiful iridescence in the clouds that kept changing.

Great blue heron, moving to tuck his foot under his feathers.

A series:  First the squawking then...

running - trying to get lift...

... and, up up and away! 

The sun was melting the snow off the branches, leaving these frozen ice popsicles.  The sound of the snow falling into the river was a pleasant "plunk".  :)

First photo is of the snow mounds over fallen reeds and second is the hoar frost, making the surface look fuzzy.

The geese were gathering!  There had to be at least 300 by the time they were gathered! 

Nothing special - but just deep gold on ice and water.

Just as the sun dipped below the trees, some geese decided to leave the part.

An evening primrose sporting ice and hoar frost.

Thank you for visiting! If you have a minute tell me your favorite(s) - that helps me a lot, thanks.

Rockport - Ducks, Waves and the Town

Last weekend (Jan 16, 2016) I ventured to Rockport. 

Do you know that a duck is not just a duck?  They could be harlequins, teals, scoters, coots, and so many more! 

Common Eiders were plentiful!  There are photos below of them as they swim and dive among the waves and swells.

After my FREEZING time at Andrew's Point I went into Rockport and have included a few photos below - be sure and catch the Artful Duck.  Great to share with you!

(Especially with these photos, click on it to see the detail!  Click on the X in upper right to return here.)

Eiders cruising and diving in the swells. Four-year-old males are white and black, younger males have some white, females are a deep copper and brown. (click on photo to see detail)

One of my favorite photos of the day - a beautiful wave - you can see how windy it is!  No wonder this is "Rock"port!  See below for the wave progression as it crashes!  Wish I could recreate the sound for you - they were very loud!

#2 of wave crashing

#3 of wave crashing - bah BOOM!

Now - to Rockport - I posted a similar picture in the summer, and this is still so inviting in winter - Bearskin Neck.

I was standing on the pier in the harbor.  Behind me is Motif #1, boats, lobster traps and the town.  There is this A-shaped item on the pier that I am sure has some purpose.  Looking through it, you see some folks walking in the COLD along the jetty at the port's entrance.

Every trip to Rockport I check out this tiny boat ramp lodged between 2 stores on the main street.  Today this duck was seeming to admire Motif #1!  (red building - one of the most photographed places in the country)

Thank you for visiting!  If you have a minute let me know your reaction and favorites.

Last Day - New Day

On New Year's Eve morning, we were treated to a beautiful scene at work.
Over the pond, the sun was rising, and the fog was lifting.  The water was sparkling, yet the scene was veiled in soft light.

About 20 minutes later, all was clear - the sky and water were blue and shadows deep.

Just a few photos below to share with you...

(As usual to see more detail, click on a photo and you will see it larger.  Click the X in the upper right to return here.)

New Year's Eve morning at the pond.

Another view with a beautiful stone wall.

Sparkly and bright again...