Photographs by Frank

31 January 2014

Conowingo Dam

Filed under: Birds,Winter — Tags: , , , — Frank @ 7:00 PM

This past Monday morning, Joan and I pointed the car south and headed to Maryland. Photographically, our destination was the Conowingo Dam. We also visited Katrina (our daughter) in Baltimore as well as my sister and her family and my parents, all of whom live in suburban Washington. We arrived back home early yesterday evening.

The Conowingo Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Susquehanna River just north of where the river enters the Chesapeake Bay at Havre de Grace. The dam is ‘famous’ for the birds, especially bald eagles, which hang out there in the winter. The Harford Bird Club maintains the Conowingo Dam Site Guide with much useful information about the site.

We intended to arrive at the dam early enough on Monday afternoon to get in some photography then. However, complications of the dental kind conspired against us and we did not arrive until dusk. We spent a short while reconnoitering the dam and its environs before before heading off in search of dinner and a motel.

We were back at the dam a bit before 9 on Tuesday morning. The temperature was about 10 degrees and there was an intermittent breeze blowing… so much for heading south! Dressed appropriately things were not bad as long as the wind was not blowing. Conditions were good for photography with a light overcast diffusing the sunlight. We arrived at the tail end of a release of water from the dam and the concomitant flurry of activity.

Although we stayed until after 1 PM, we did not see another release. Thus, although there were plenty of birds around the action was somewhat subdued.

Here are the results:

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12 January 2014

Late One Foggy, Rainy, January Afternoon

Filed under: Uncategorized — Tags: — Frank @ 1:00 PM

“Our Town”… Peterborough, NH.

Joan went to see a concert in Peterborough late yesterday afternoon. We intended to head to another concert in Brattleboro, VT in the evening. Rather than Joan having to drive back home to pick me up after the first concert, I figured that I would find enough to entertain myself while she was listening to Lithuanian music. Thus, I went along with her to Peterborough.

The first concert began at 4. After dropping Joan off, I headed to the Toadstool’s, the bookstore. Three books and $15 later (I shopped the bargain bin!), I was off  with my reading material, to Harlow’s Pub for a beer. By the time I finished my beer, it was good and dark, raining lightly and foggy… perfect conditions for some photography!

Thus, with camera in hand, I made a couple of circuits around downtown Peterborough. By 6:10 we were in the car headed towards Brattleboro.

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5 January 2014

The Usual Suspects

Filed under: Birds,Monadnock Region,Winter — Tags: — Frank @ 10:00 PM

Today was the first day above freezing in about a week. I took advantage of the tropical conditions to head out the back door and, again, photograph the birds attracted to the feeder. It was so warm and sunny that, a one point, I headed into the house to doff a layer, as I was over-dressed.

In the past couple of days, we observed a flicker and a red-breasted woodpecker at the suet feeder. Thus I was hoping that they would make an appearance while I was out. Alas, only the usual suspects appeared… chickadees in abundance, smaller numbers of titmice and nuthatches and a couple of downys.

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