With several near misses so far, it's becoming very apparent to me that getting close enough is a bit of a challenge, as the hawks can see everything. And when they can see a human from hundreds of yards away, stumbling over tree stumps and splashing in mucky swamp muck, pointing a big round lens up at them, they take no chances, and get the heck out of there.
Getting closer though...one of these days I'll get that shot I've been looking for....
Getting out of work relatively early on Friday and determined to squeeze every last ounce out of the coming warm weekend, we went for a quick outing before the sun set. The plan was to scout nearby Mt. Holyoke College for a potential addition to our list of dog walk routes. I've never explored the campus before, but I was sure there are walking paths and trails around the area. We parked just at sunset and walked up a back hill, then down another hill and we found ourselves at the college's Equestrian center.
A little too late though, all the horses had been taken in for the night except for this guy.
We'll have to arrive a little earlier next time which should be easier now, with Daylight Savings coming back this weekend (Yes!.....Yesss!!!!...YESSS!!!!)...
We walked back following a path along the side of one of the main ponds which had a neat little waterfall and stone bridge over one end.
Then back towards the campus center where I got my first good look at the 19th century Talcott Greenhouse. They're going to be having their annual Spring Flower Show here from March 7 through March 22. It sounds like a picture taking opportunity, so we'll be back...
From what I could tell in the dark, it looked like it was packed with plant life in there...The greenhouse is surrounded on three sides by what appeared to be out of season gardens and a path through a small tree-landscaped area...I imagine it looks pretty nice in the growing seasons.
Right next to all that, is another interesting looking spot we'll be back to check out, the Mt. Holyoke Art Museum.
Right now they've got an exhibit going on about women's contributions to the workplace and fashion in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. Kelly should enjoy that, and I'm down with it...
It was getting good and dark now, and we began our meander back to the car.
Passing the campus pond, there was a big flock of ducks that had chosen to roost for the night on the icy edges. When I stopped to take some pictures from up above on the embankment, the ducks suddenly became a little agitated and began to waddle around and jump back in the water. Hmm, I thought maybe I had gotten too close and should leave them alone; but then I saw that it wasn't me creating the commotion at all, it was in fact a little masked invader:
We got back to the car and I grabbed the tripod from the back and returned to the embankment for one more steady shoot of the ducks before we left.
A curious passerby pulled up in a minivan and asked what I was taking pictures of in the dark, and what kind of camera I was using. It turned out the guy, who's name was Che (hope I spelled that correctly), has a camera of the same brand, though a much more top-end model. I came over and showed him my pictures and we talked 'shop' for a few minutes, discussing some good picture-taking spots in the area and sharing tips...
It's a fun little hobby, this photography thing...
2 comments:
Maybe we'll see you and Kelly at one of the bulb shows.
For the past several years there have been a nesting pair of red tail hawks in the huge pine tree on the side of MassMutual on State Street. In the spring, I have been entertained from my view on the fourth floor Insurance Road of the nesting activity. In early summer, my early morning entrances are greeted by the screeches of the young one on the roof during his flying lessons (my favorite time of the year). For the rest of the summer my coworkers and I have been astounded by the hunting birds, parked on our cars. One such photographically inclined coworker caught the hawk feasting on his squirrel lunch on the car of one very surprised worker.
Want hawks? Hang out with me at work! :)
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