In winter of 2019, I spotted this huge bird sitting in a tree way back in the corner of a field today. It didn’t look like a bald eagle but was huge. I put up the camera with my 500mm lens and was I surprised ! A golden eagle !!
I’m just back from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and heres a neat eagle image I was lucky enough to make last week in St Anns Bay….
A bald eagle snatched up this fish that was thrown into the water from a boat that I was on yesterday in St. Anns Bay off of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. I had my 300mm lens on, thus the large image size. It was great fun…
That awkward moment when you may have to un-invite an unwanted guest who just decides to drop in at dinner time.... Cape Breton ...10/6/19
An adult bald eagle ate his breakfast of fish right behind my cottage on Cape Breton Island this morning. It was fun to watch. Crows kept him on his toes, err talons!
An adult bald eagle clutches a fish he just pulled out of Saint Anne's Bay on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia in June of 2015
Common at Quabbin year round with 12 to 14 pairs nesting annually.
I worked on the bald eagle reintroduction program at Quabbin in the 1980's. Over 7 years 42 young eagles were released at Quabbin.
This youngster and 2 of his honchos were flying around a small beaver pond in the north Quabbin area the day after the ice melted from it. Perhaps looking for a fish or duck breakfast. 4/14/15
In early March eagles at Quabbin start building, or rebuilding their nests. They are territorial and sometimes use the same nest year after year. The 2 eagles are in the upper left and the nest is in the lower right. One eagle nest weighed 2 tons when it came down.
Out of the fog came this adult bald eagle looking for breakfast for his chicks. Their eggs hatched a week ago. 4/22/15
These small helium filled balloons sold at grocery stores and florists should be banned. Here is an immature eagle with the ribbon from one such ballon wrapped around his leg. DO NOT BUY THESE BALLOONS ! Wildlife will thank you !
A bald eagle leaps from a small pine tree on a small island at Quabbin. These hot days they really don't like to fly I'll bet ! 7/29/15
A just fledged bald eagle sits along the shore below his nest on one of the Quabbins many large islands. 7/21/15
Nest mate of the last bald eagle at Quabbin…. 7/21/15
I saw four young bald eagles flying about a beach on Cape Breton. It took me a while to figure out someone dumped a pile of bones on the beach that still had some meat on them. 10/14/15
The first thing this morning I saw this eagle sitting on a hump overlooking the Aspy Bay. He watched me as I watched him. I took a couple of quick photos and he left. You can see he is not a full adult by the dirty look with his head feathers. 10/12/15
Here he is sitting on his ledge. This eagle seems quite small compared to the Aspy Bay and Money Point in the background. 10/12/15
This was taken in the Broad Cove campground on the Atlantic side of the Island. We used to camp there and it is a great place. 10/12/15
It was real windy today and there have been lots of rare birds appearing to be blown off course and ending up at Quabbin for a few days. I spent two hours at the Winsor Dam and didn't see much but eagles and a few local hawks blowing around. 11/14/15
As I was packing up to leave this morning after about 3 hours watching air this guy zipped right over me ! 1/9/16
Fresh fish for the family. This bald eagle hit the goldmine. Saint Ann's Bay, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. 6/16/17
Even this immature bald eagle was sitting in the shade at the Quabbin Reservoir this morning while we did the weekly loon survey.
December 26th, 2015 there were 5 bald eagles playing about the northern Quabbin. This is not a large image but has 4 of the 5 together. There were 3 adult birds and 2 juveniles. Here are 2 adults and 2 juveniles. It takes an eagle 5 years for the head and tail to turn white. 12/26/15
One of the bald eagles from the mating pair surveys their domain in the light snow in northern Quabbin today. 1/14/16
This adult bald eagle was eating the remains of a mouse in a snow storm that a northern harrier had caught about an hour earlier. This was a huge bald eagle !! Hadley MA 2/15/16
I was in Bartons Cove on the CT River this morning and this pair of eagles dropped in to say hi to me, at least thats what I thought. They then proceeded to do X rated things on the ice !! Eggs soon ! 3/2/16
Here is an adult bald eagle at the Quabbin Reservoir with a 6 week old chick right below its chest. Any day I see an eagle its a good day. (taken on a loon survey from a boat at 100 yards with 500mm lens cropped to 750mm)
These two eagles were discussing how many kids they wanted! Barton's Cove, Turners Fall on the Connecticut River. The male is on the left. As in all birds of prey the males are smaller than the females. 3/2/16
This bald eagle came in for a fish thrown from the boat I was on heading to Bird Island off the coast of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. 6/12/15
The same eagle as he hits the jackpot he was eyeing in the last photo. St. Ann's Bay, Cape Breton Island. 6/15/15
I forgot this with all thats going on in my life right now. This eagle flew over Lee and I in the loon survey boat on Quabbin on Thursday morning. Fish for breakfast !! 6/3/17
Saint Ann's Bay, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia…. bald eagle zeroing in on a fish from across the bay. 6/15/15
Anytime I see a bald eagle its a good day. Happy New Year everyone and stay tuned for something BIG coming in 2017 !
Another day, another juvenile bald eagle soaring over me..... 3/28/17
No coyotes on the ice today but the "eye in the sky" was on duty. (juvenile bald eagle)
I love windy days on the Quabbin and so do the eagles. They just love to soar and this guy kept flying right over me walking along the shore. Note the ragged feathers that will be replaced when the eagle molts. 4/13/17
Eagles have been flying over the Quabbin all week. There are 8 active eagle nests at Quabbin as of last Friday for the state nest count. 4/10/17
Very windy first thing this morning. And windy brings out the bald eagles. I had two juveniles soaring around me for over and hour off and on. It's always fun to watch them soar way up there in the high winds.
A trip to the coast today turned up this juvenile bald eagle playing with a piece of carrion. Where it came from I have no idea but he was having fun with it..... I wouldn't want those talons in my head!
One more of the young eagle today....
Any day I see a bald eagle is a good day .....This adult was soaring over me at Quabbin along the shore on March 30th, 2017. I had to take a picture :)
This adult bald eagle was watching us for about a mile before it flew as we approached in the loon survey boat today doing the survey on the Quabbin. Always fun to see the eagles there with their 7 foot wing span. 7/12/17
A mated pair of bald eagles sit together on Lone Tree Island in the Quabbin Reservoir, not far from their long time nest and ponder the coming winter and impending ice over that comes with it on the water.....
This juvenile bald eagle was soaring over Hunts Farm on RT 202 in Orange this morning about 8 AM……. Not far from the Quabbin and Lake Rohunta. By looking at the white feathers and green beak, you can tell this eagle is only about 5 to 6 months old.
This immature bald eagle shot right over my head this morning and made a U turn and came back. He was up in the rising sunlight and that gave him a gold color. If you look closely you can see the suns reflection in his eye.
Can you spot the immature bald eagle in this picture? I have seen them sit like this for hours on end, especially after a full meal on a big fish. This one sat for the full 2 hours I was in the area. 10/27/16
This juvenile bald eagle eagle went zipping right over me a few days ago. I just had enough time to get the camera up.
There is nothing like the first light of dawn......things like this are what gets me out of bed at 4:30 AM and makes my day.
Seven bald eagles catching some afternoon rays on a cold windy day and discussing the Philadelphia Eagles and the Super Bowl.
Any day I see and eagle is a good day. I wonder if any day an eagle sees me, he feels the same way?
“Free Fish Special” at the local Take Out Fish Market.
This osprey has been hanging around the beaver pond for a week now. This is todays picture (4/13/16). I suspect to see him gone on his way north any day now. Check out those wild eyes....
I spent 4 hours this morning watching for this guy to catch a fish so I could get a photo. He did, but it was behind some dead trees so I didn't see it. What he DID do was land in a tree 50 yards away from me after he caught it. It took him over an hour to eat the 15 inch or so pickerel he caught. 4/9/15
Here is the same osprey taking a break from eating his fish and catch some sun. 4/9/16
An osprey spreads all 63 inches of its wingspan to ride the warm thermals over Mt Wachusett today while migrating south. Some of them go as far south as central South America. 9/17/15
We had this beautiful osprey surprise us this morning during the loon survey at Quabbin. 5/19/16
This beautiful red shouldered hawk came right over me twice in 2 hours. It was a good day as I also saw an osprey catch a fish right in front of me but the camera was in my backpack! 4/7/16
A northern harrier sails over a couple of huge fields at Arcadia looking for mice and anything else for a dinner meal. I love watching these hawks fly over the fields. Males are gray and females are brown. 12/8/15
Occasionally found at Quabbin during migration. This female was searching the shore for mice or small rodents in the spring. 4/4/15
The same male harrier as before. Females are brown, males gray.
I went to the north shore this morning searching for snowy owls. I found none, but did have fun watching 3 or 4 harriers cruising the marshes. A pair of females take a rest in the sun.
A female harrier launches off after a mouse or small creature in the wetlands.
Female harriers are brown. Males are gray and called gray ghosts because they are so rare. This male flew by me at Salisbury State Park, along the coast north of Boston…
Lots of red tailed hawks live on the Quabbin watershed. Here one soars on the thermals in the early spring.
I found this beautiful red tailed hawk sitting on a post today in Massachusetts Audubons Acadia Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton MA.. He sat there and turned every way for me until a truck came by and he bid me farewell! 12/8/15
This great looking red tailed hawk was sitting in the sun this morning and preening away. When they finish they give a big shake to realign their feathers they have just preened 2/2/16
Once the preening was done it was after lunch ! Massachusetts Audubon's Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton MA 2/2/16
This beautiful hawk is a hybrid between a red tail hawk and a red shouldered hawk and is a male. It has mated with a female red tailed hawk for the last 3 or 4 years on the same territory in central Massachusetts. 3/8/16
Broad-winged hawks heading south over Mt Wachusett. Today a couple thousand were almost constantly flowing out of the northeast heading south in numerous large kettles riding the thermals. Always fun to watch. I look forward to it every year. 9/16/15
Here is another shot of a kettle of broad-winged hawks migrating south over Mt Wachusett. 9/16/15
Here's a red-tailed hawk soaring at Winsor Dam today at the Quabbin Reservoir. 11/14/15
This is our smallest falcon. I saw this little guy sitting on a fence pole and turned around to go back to get this shot in Amherst MA today. 2/4/16
Lots of young hawks buzzing about the Quabbin woods these days. here's a young red-tailed hawk hunting the shoreline of Quabbin for breakfast in the early morning. 8/13/16
As I was looking out over this beaver pond into some mist a merlin flew in and landed on the closest beaver lodge about 100 yards out. A nice surprise although the picture is a little fuzzy. 9/6/16
A juvenile red shouldered hawk landed right beside me in a dead tree in a swamp this morning. A few minutes later I saw him flying along with his breakfast in his talons. 8/12/16
A merlin drops in for breakfast with a flock of crows. Only a crow was what he planned on eating for breakfast. !! 8/23/16
A young coopers hawk and a kestrel are joined by a flicker. You can tell by the hawks look at the flicker he's going take him to lunch !! 9/14/16
The flicker got away !.......
This coopers hawk landed about 60 yards from me on a rock in the Quabbin. I set the camera up on him and a few seconds later he jumped off the rock and flew straight at me and coming to within 30 feet of my face and camera. A once in a lifetime experience I would say ! 9/13/16
A pair of kestrels (falcons) were zipping around the heron pond this morning when I arrived along with a merlin. 9/4/16
I saw this red tailed hawk hunting the meadows at Arcadia Sanctuary in Easthampton. It was having a hard time holding onto the wires it was hunting from with the gusty wind. It launched off the wire and flew right past me. 11/11/16
This adult red tailed hawk spent 5 minutes trying to perch on top of this corn stalk stub in a Northampton field. He finally did it !
A trip to Salisbury State Park this morning for owls turned up empty. I did get this juvenile red-tailed hawk take off and fly right over my head.
The red tailed hawk soaring over Arcadia Sanctuary meadows this morning in a stiff wind blowing right along the Connecticut River in Easthampton, MA. 11/11/16
Yesterday morning I watched this juvenile broad winged hawk spend 30 minutes preening in the sun after chasing a flock of crows around... I got him in a blink of his eye.....
A soggy red tailed hawk sits in a downpour while waiting for his soggy dinner to run through the field. 10/21/16
Barred owls are the most common owls in New England and seen at Quabbin quite often.
I spotted this barred owl hunting along the edge of a small swamp. I watched him hunt and took a few photos and left him to find his breakfast without disturbing him. Notice his head is almost 180 degrees around ! 10/29/16
I've only seen one other great gray owl in my life and that was 32 years ago. I may never see another one because they live in the northern boreal forest of Canada and Alaska. A sub-species can be found in northern California and north central US. I will NEVER forget the yellow eyes they have. 3/17/17.
The Newport NH great gray owl lifts off from a post. I was standing about 30 feet away when it decided to drop by for a visit. It sat there for about ten minutes and then said good-bye. Shot with a Nikon D810 and my Nikon 500mm f/4 lens. (notice it's talons) 3/17/16
The great gray owl watches a bald eagle soar way up overhead on the Sugar River in Newport NH. This bird gets the Olympic medal for being alert . 3/17/17
I took a ride north today to see if the great gray owl was still hanging in there. It is ! It's always fun to see it but today it was 25 feet up in a pine tree, 1/2 mile north of where he has been hanging out. 3/13/17
Incoming !! I drove back north to see the great gray owl again today, he did not disappoint !!
Today I drove 2 hours north to see this rare visitor from the great white north. A gray gray owl. These guys very rarely get out to these parts and when they do all of the bird watchers come from all over the place. I was lucky enough to find it early as when I left there were 30 people there !
Great gray owls are the larges owls in North America. They are not used to seeing people so they are ver approachable. I got as close as 60 yards away and he didnt even bat an eyelash ! Here's where a telephoto lens came in great!
I went back today to see the magical great gray owl ! To make me get up 4AM, drive 2 hours to watch him catch breakfast and freeze in weather like the arctic circle has to be magical ! here he is in a snow squall 3/9/17.......
I spent the morning with this great snowy owl on the coast of Rhode Island on a tip from a friend. It was awesome, at least I thought so, maybe the owl wasn’t so enthusiastic !
A snowy owl sitting on a bird house along the New Hampshire coast. These owls will be heading back north soon. 3/7/16
Im sad to report that this snowy owl is now is in a raptor rehab facility. The owl was not feeding ,was captured and has been hospitalized until she can be released again. She also had a foot injury and a sprained wing muscle. Lets hope within a couple weeks she is back out in the wild where she belongs. 11/16/17
WOW, a snowy owl, first of the year! 2 miles from my house !! 11/10/17
I found this juvenile broad-winged hawk hunting a chipmunk along the Quabbin shore yesterday early in the morning. After about 15 minutes with no luck it flew off up the shore and disappeared. 9/5/17
Looks like another snowy owl invasion is under way. I found this one today in the Connecticut River Valley... sitting in the freezing rain late this afternoon. I love these guys !
This is the house connected to Nubble Lighthouse in York Maine. We visited it last Monday. While we were there a snowy owl landed on top of the roof point ! Quite the surprise….. 4/23/18
Here is a longer shot of the snowy owl on the lighthouse….
“Whoooooos there ? I can see everything from up here on this rooftop”
The most common owl in New England. The barred owl.. ”who cooks for you alllll”..
Barred owl, or better known as a flying mouse trap !
This barred owl flew right by me while hunting the perimeter of a big field. Mice on the menu !
This barred owl was watching a vole for about 20 minutes before it decided to pounce….. it missed !
“I know I saw it, where is it? don’t tell me I missed ! ??
Another barred owl hunting in a snow storm this morning right in front of me! Right place, right time! Although I had been looking for 3 hours and was just about frozen stiff !
I don’t usually take pictures of birds flying away but this barred owl jumped so fast I kept following it until it was around the corner of the trees. I didn’t realize what I had on the camera until I saw this on the computer.
This great horned owl was hunting a small lakes shoreline in Cape Bretons Highlands National Park and landed about 50 yards up the shore from me.
It was giving the look….. and decided I was to large to swallow whole :)
I spent 5 hours today with a good friend of mine watching a family of 5 great horned owls in east central Massachusetts. The 3 chicks are just about ready to leave the nest and flying around where they are nesting in an abandoned heron rookery. Here are 2 of the older chicks waiting for lunch to be delivered. 5/4/16
I was lucky enough to spend about an hour with this gray phase screech owl at sundown yesterday in southern New Hampshire. What a cool little bird. He woke up and finally as it was so dark we could hardly see him, he flew !
A photo of a barred owl from last year when they were everywhere. One of 2,000 I took but did not post.
Short eared owls are spending some time down along the Massachusetts shore line this winter. They are Arctic Circle owls and like snowy owls they sometimes show up here. I saw 2 today north of Boston and here is one of them.
I watched this great horned owl hunt along the shoreline of a local swamp. After about 90 minutes it landed a large Norway rat and was only about 30 yards from me when he caught it.
After the owl caught the Norway rat. It flew up and sat on a dead tree and a peregrine falcon decided to pay a visit and maybe steal the rat.
After the falcon left, the great horned owl beat it for the woods with its prize as it had 2 chicks hidden in the woods waiting for breakfast.
This wonderful barred owl flew up in front of me this morning giving me a surprise. It was better than having the black bear, upcoming in these pictures, jump in front of me.!!
A snowy owl sits in the glow of the sun set at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge in Newburyport, MA in late February. Also there this winter are 4 short eared owls, one is next on this page.
This is a picture I took in Hadley, MA in winter of 1984 of a great gray owl. Little did I know I wouldn't see another one until 2016. This was a slide I scanned of the 1984 owl with the Nikon ES-2 slide digitizer…. what a great invention by Nikon !
A seven foot wingspan landed about 50 yards from me with this immature bald eagle. It was early and foggy and he sat there for 9 minutes before taking off. 500mm lenses are great to own !
This juvenile bald eagle, plus 5 other eagles were sailing over the Turners Falls power canal this morning looking for breakfast.
We cruised right by this immature bald eagle on Quabbbn Reservoir during the weekly loon survey. I knew he was going to jump out of the tree and I was ready for him to go.
Owls, Owls, Owls ! I was photographing this barred owl Saturday when I got a phone call telling me about the next owl you will see in the next image!
I caught this male harrier, some call them gray ghosts at Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary this morning. Males are gray and females brown. Note the large white rump patch, which its a dead give away that its a harrier.
We have a family of barred owls around our house. They wake us up at all hours of the night hooting to each other, This one was sitting out by the corner of our house late this afternoon.
Snowy owl, Salisbury State Park, 3/8/21. Probably one of the last to leave for home up north of the Arctic Circle. This one was sunning itself and hunting at the same time! An awesome find for me.
What a nice surprise ! and appropriate bird for November 7th. A snowy owl at Quabbin !! These owls nest above the Arctic circle and live on lemmings. When their food source gets low they head south.
A pair of young great horned owls watch for a parent to bring breakfast while catching some sun in a large beaver pond in the early morning sun.
Yesterday morning the power canal in Turners Falls was emptied for repairs. It was easy breakfast pickings for the local eagle population!
After being cooped up for 3 weeks after going thru back surgery I am finally sprung from the house and can drive. Todays adventure was seeing this juvenile bald eagle pull a fish out of the water in Turners Falls, MA….. its onward and upward for me now!
I stumbled upon this barred owl hunting in a small roadside bog this morning, an hour and 150 images later I left and it was still hunting!
Getting ready for the surprise attack!
I found this banded bald eagle soaring over the Millers River in the breeze this morning in South Royalston, Ma this morning. Its always great to see eagles…..
Seems the only time to make images of these magnificent raptors in western Massachusetts is in the winter months as they hunt the big fields along the CT River. They do not nest here. Northern Harrier, female….the males are gray.
This barred owl flew across the road right in front of me. He was looking for breakfast. I made a few images out the car window with the bean bag on the glass and away I went not disturbing his hunt.
This barred owl has adopted our yard. He hunts from our house roof, my car roof, hummingbird feeder poles and over our small frog pond. He has no fear of me and my cameras. What a great owl he is !
I spotted this guy this morning sitting along the CT. River in East Deerfield. Any day I see an eagle, its a good day. :)
The nesting pair of bald eagles nesting in a great blue heron rookery at Massachusetts Arcadia Audubon Sanctuary were both sitting on top of high tension power lines this morning when I was there.
An adult bald eagle soaring over the empty power canal looking for a quick meal.
I found another barred owl this morning. This time he was snoozing in the sunlight…..
One of the many barred owls that are hunting the woods and fields this year in the North Quabbin area. Always fun to watch and photograph.
This barred owl has taken a liking to our yard. At least today he is not hunting from the roof rack on my Toyota Rav 4…
This osprey took to this pole behind me to fish from. Unfortunately he had no luck and moved off to the CT River from the power canal.
The same eagle as the last image here, but in a different tree with more obstructions to hide behind !
Seems to me whenever a great chance for a great photo presents itself, there is always a stick in the way!
This eagle flew right over me as I watched from about 150 yards away while it was picking up sticks for the nest. The next image is also this same eagle in a different view.
“Honey ! There’s a sale on nesting material down on the corner, it’s FREE “
A bad hair day ….err feather day ! :)
A 3 year old bald eagle was soaring over the power canal in Millers Falls, MA this morning. The water was being drained down for repairs and all the fish were bunching up in small ponds for easy picking.
I can never have to many barred owl photos ! I found this one hunting along the edge of an old apple orchard a few days ago.
Here’s our back yard barred owl buddy. It lives around our house and we see it quite often. One morning it was hunting our lawn from the roof of my car!
It was a very good year for red tail hawks. They seem to be everywhere.
The eye in the sky ! This immature bald eagle was soaring over the loons at Quabbin and they were calling so loud you could hear them all over the north Quabbin !
I tried my new toy on this beautiful Coopers Hawk hunting along the edge of a stream in a thicket. My toy is a new Nikon Z 9 camera… and I love it !
A young great horned owl flashes his wings to a sibling sitting lower down in the neighboring trees.
Three hours of watching this female harrier hunt all over the meadows at Massachusetts Arcadia Sanctuary ended with some decent images. Here is one of them….