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From My Window

Photographs taken with a compact camera journaling everyday life in Central Massachusetts and beyond.

audubon

Friends of Mass Audubon Wachusett Meadow

Just a few of the “friends” I’ve had the pleasure to see these past months at the Audubon Sanctuary in Princeton, MA.

Barred Owl
Red Squirrel
Phoebe
Sheep
Bobolink
Red-tailed Hawk
American Turkey
Black Bear
Red Fox
White-tailed Deer
Juvenile Raccoon
Great Blue Heron
Painted Turtles
Mallard Duck
Canada Goose
Black-capped Chickadee
Monarch Caterpillar and Butterfly

Beaver Wetlands

Wachusett Meadow Audubon Sanctuary in Princeton, MA is home to an eighty-five acre beaver wetland–one of the largest in Massachusetts. A sign along the trails reminds visitors that:

• Beavers are a keystone species, providing habitat for many other animals and plants.

• Beaver wetlands are highly advantageous to wildlife, providing wetlands in various stages from open water to wet meadows.

•These wetlands provide habitat for moose, great blue heron, wood duck, dragonflies, amphibians and aquatic plants.

One of several beaver lodges partially covered with snow.
Last Summer, this beaver could be seen munching on plants most evenings.
Boardwalk at the edge of the wetlands with the snow just melting.
The long expanse of reeds. Benches give visitors a chance to immerse themselves in the landscape.
A wood duck box. I was fortunate to view this shy species of duck last summer.
The wind-blown reeds close-up.
A Great Blue Heron visits the main pond most Summer afternoons.
Where you find beavers, you are also likely to find river otters like this one who frequented the ponds last Summer.

Winter Wolf Tree

This singular tree overlooking the wetlands at Wachusett Meadow Audubon Sanctuary in Princeton, MA is delightful in any season, but especially distinctive in Winter, when the details of its shape and the complex structure of its branches are on full display. I’m pleased that this photo was chosen as the current cover photo for Wachusett Meadow Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/MassAudubonWachusettMeadow/

A New Year In New England

December brought snow, ice and temperature fluctuations, lending itself to a variety of seasonal photo opportunities.
Happy New Year from New England!

Wachusett Meadow Audubon, Princeton, MA
Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston, MA
Tower Hill Botanic Garden, Boylston, MA
Old Sturbridge Village, MA
Tower Hill Botanic Garden
Wachusett Meadow Audubon, Princeton, MA

Turtle Time

Painted Turtles, the most widespread turtle of North America, bask in the warm Spring Sun at Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Pond.

On the Lookout

The Northern Mockingbird, House Sparrow and Red-Winged Blackbird keep a watchful eye over the barn area at Wachusett Meadow Audubon.

Step and Stretch

As yet, only one pair of Canada Geese have settled in for the season at Wachusett Meadow. Those feet are made for walking, not just swimming! No upper body yoga class needed for them, either.

Springtime Pond and Meadow

Along with the arrival of the stately Canada Geese each Spring at Wachusett Meadow, I look forward to the quiet presence of the brilliantly iridescent male Mallard and the subtly colored female Mallard with her surprising blue spot. I especially enjoy the spunky Hooded Mergansers, the male flaunting his bold stripes, and both male and female sporting their punk hairdos.

Apartments and Condos For Rent

Wachusett Meadow’s Wildlife Pond is home to beavers year-round, as well as an array of seasonal guests such as Wood Ducks that roost in boxes above the water. Great Blue Herons nest in the tops of dead trees, and Canada Geese cruise both the waterway and the land. Let the Summer rentals begin!

Sheep Shearing Season

Each April, the Wachusett Meadow Audubon holds a Sheep and Wool Festival Day.
Sheep wool at this time of year is luxurious, with a variety of colors, textures and patterns. Included here are my color and black and white photos, taken before the shearing, which seek to emphasize the beautiful natural material of these engaging creatures.

Grackle Greetings

The grackles have returned just in time for the Spring Equinox sunlight to make their feathers glow with multi-colors. In contrast, when in the shade, they can look as dark as a crow.

Daylight Savings

There are many early indicators of a seasonal shift from Winter to Spring at Wachusett Meadow Farm in New England — an increase in snowshoe travel, strong shadows and patterns, running streams, melting snow patches on stone walls, diminishing icicles, sheep wool thick enough for shearing and diverse creatures sunbathing and feeding.

The Lowering Sky

The clouds accumulating before last week’s Winter storm felt ominous, yet were mesmerizing. In relationship to the landscape, they provided an experience of dramatic movement during a shift in atmospheric pressure.

“Watercolors”

The meadow may be snowy (and more snow is on the way), but I am imagining the transformation from Winter to Spring and finally to a hot Summer’s day.

February Arrival

In Massachusetts, the return of the red-winged blackbird is a welcome sign of Spring. Luckily, this one doesn’t seem to mind the snow.

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