Tag Archives: birds

Audubon Education Center, Bristol RI

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I finally took the time to try to find the Audubon Education Center again. Last time I tried to find it was back  in the spring and I never did locate it. Got some great pictures of swans but didn’t find the center. So Today was a beautiful day, low humidity, a nice breeze, sunny, 80+…what more could you ask for on a summer afternoon? A good day to get lost…correction, go sight-seeing.

According to mapquest, and anyone who has ever used mapquest know that’s not the most reliable source, but anyway, according to mapquest the Center is about 30 minutes from my home. Perfect. So after lunch at about 1:30 I hopped in the car and headed off. Everything was fine until I got to the intersection of RT 103 & 136. There was supposed to be a RT 114 but there wasn’t any. I know where 114 is near the MT. Hope bridge so I drove down there.

I even crossed the bridge but there was no Hope St. I turned around in the parking lot for  Mount Hope Animal Hospital so I decided to stop in there and ask.

It was back over the bridge but just past Roger Williams University I took a left fork. That was RT 114 North. It’s a beautiful road. In fact the sign called it Scenic RT 114. It is also Hope St! Yeah, making progress, sort of. I was on the wrong end. The house numbers were in the 200’s. I was looking for 1401. Got a ways to go. Good thing it’s Scenic. 🙂

I made one stop because I spotted a great white egret in a pond by the side of the road. It was wading around and catching fish. It was getting a very good lunch. I sat on a stone wall and took pictures for a while.

It reminded me of my last trip to Florida. Finally I  figured it was time to move on or I wouldn’t get to the Center today either.

The road follows the coastline and then turns inland a little to pass through a section of little shops.

Leaving the “village” behind I eventually spotted the sign for the Audubon Center.

 It’s a beautiful new building with class rooms and a gift shop. Adult admission is only $6.00 and if you have AAA you get $1.00 off that. After I paid my admission I talked with a volunteer for a bit. Turns out that I didn’t have to pay the admission if I only wanted to walk the trail. That’s free. The admission is for the exhibits.

I didn’t mind paying it this time as I wanted to check everything out. The first exhibit was really cool. I could see kids getting a big kick out of it. Behind a darkened glass is a diorama of a cornfield. There are 3 lighted buttons. When you press them a section of the cornfield lights up. There’s skunk, an owl and a 3rd animal. Then there is the meadow exhibit and a Woodchuck Den that you can walk into and look around. There’s a salt marsh

 and a tidal pool.

They have raptors like hawks

and owls.

There’s a sculpture of the seals

that make their home in the bay and a huge Right Whale. The fish exhibits are live fish.

Leaving the center you follow the path to the trail and travel through all of the different habitats.

They have a butterfly garden too.

You enter through a hedge tunnel and find little benches where you can sit surrounded by flowers and watch the butterflies and bees. I saw loads of Monarch butterflies and even one yellow Swallowtail butterfly.

Growing up I collected  butterflies and I would have loved to see a Swallow Tail alive like that.

I wandered down past the meadow

and as I approached the woods that led to the marsh I spotted a large bird over the tree tops. I wasn’t sure if it was a hawk or an ospry but it was clearly a predator. I suspected a hawk because I think it was too far inland for the osprey but I could be wrong. It was out of sight very quickly so I turned my attention to the path entering the woods.

I liked the boardwalk over the marsh. It’s the longest part of the trail. It ends at Narragansett Bay. The grasses are taller than I am. There were wildflowers sprinkled through the cattail and sea grass.

The trail is about 7/10 of a mile so it isn’t long or hard, perfect for a leisurely stroll.

 I watched some boat traffic on the bay and then turned around to retrace my steps.

As I looked at the green algae-covered marsh I wondered if anything was alive in there with the water so low. As if in answer a little head poked up and there was a frog.

 I looked a bit more and spotted several other frogs. In the brush by the water I saw some kind of bird moving too.

As I left the forest to rejoin the meadow I spooked the same hawk again. This time it was a lot closer. It took off from the tall grass and brush right in front of the trees. I must have jumped a mile, I bobbled the camera and when I actually got it in my hands realized it wasn’t even turned on. Mr. Hawk wasn’t waiting around for me to get my act together so I missed a great shot.

I continued to trudge up the path as I mentally chastised myself for such a stupid mistake. Some wildlife photographer I’d make! Past experience has taught me to always be ready with the camera ON! See what happens when you break that basic rule?

Anyway a little farther up the path was a bench. I thought, I’ve seen him twice. He was clearly feeding  this time. If I sit quietly could I be lucky enough to see him a 3rd time? I decided to give him 1/2 hour to return. I got the camera ready and settled in to wait. It didn’t take 1/2 hour. It was only about 10 minutes when I spotted him winging back toward the brush. Unfortunately he was keeping the trees behind him and staying in shadow. No way to get a picture.

He flew into the trees and I just sat quietly waiting. Another 10 minutes went by. I was just about to give up when he shot out of the trees and up into the sky giving me a clear shot. Because of the angle of the sun it would have to be a silhouette but I’ll take what I can get.

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That was the last chance. He made a couple of passes over me and then took off behind the tree line.I could hear his “keee keee” call so I knew he was gone for now. It was almost 5 pm anyway and the Visitor Center hours end at 5 pm. Time to head home.

Going home I followed RT 114 north through East Providence until it crossed RT 44. I made a right on RT 44 and was homeward bound. Much easier  if a little longer than Mapquest’s directions.

The Audubon Educational Center is located at 1401 Hope St, Bristol, RI and is a great place to spend an afternoon.

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center

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Meanwhile back on shore I watched a couple more loons right near the docks as they fished and enjoyed lunch. I was wishing I had more time to watch and try to photograph them but the clock was ticking and I wanted to check out the actual Science Center before I finished my trek south.

The Center is only a couple of blocks from the lakefront so it was just a few minutes and I was back in their parking lot. I was able to head right in as I had a little sticker they had given me earlier. I was afraid it would be crowded as there were quite a few cars and several buses in the parking lot but it wasn’t too bad at all!

As you enter the grounds there’s an exhibit hall,  gift shop and restrooms and then the trail splits one side to the right and the nature trail and the other to the left to the animal exhibits.

I enjoyed the exhibits in the hall. The were set up to show local animals in their natural surroundings yet there was something very whimsical about the displays.

From there I took the right fork to the walking trails.

The trail led through a meadow, over a floating bridge that crossed a marsh and up to a little pond.

Along the way were signs and exhibits to explain what you were seeing and the importance of each type of habitat.

While I was wandering along the pond it started to sprinkle so I turned my steps back to the center. I really wanted to see the animals before the sky opened up.

The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center is not a zoo although is does enjoy  national accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). The mission of the center is “to advance understanding of ecology by exploring New Hampshire’s natural world. ” If that mission leads to the rescue and rehabilitation of the native wildlife, then that’s what they do.

The nature center has captive animals that are native to New Hampshire and are considered “animal ambassadors”.

There are strict guidelines in place to govern what animals are taken into the center. For example, the Science center has to first determine if they have a need. They also have to consider the cost of the care of the animal in question. Most of the animals at the center are rescues. For any number of reasons they cannot be released back into the wild as they would not survive. Any animal accepted must be an animal that does well in captivity. These are just a few of the  considerations that go into any decision to take in an animal. If there is more than one animal in an enclosure care is taken to neuter the male so there won’t be any “little” critters coming along. The Science Center is not equipped to run a breeding program.

Back where I began I turned down the left trail and ran into one of the volunteers. She had a little screech-owl on her arm.

 She was doing a casual presentation to anyone who wanted to stop. It appeared to be  pretty much unscripted with her fielding questions and just chatting with the visitors.

As I headed off I came to a bridge over a little brook. On the far side was another stage where a more formal presentation about various raptors was taking place. The little hawk the presenter was showing off was doing a great job of holding everyone’s attention.

The next exhibit along the trail was a moose exhibit. The  inhabitant was a beautiful bull moose facsimile…a statue but a very handsome statue. The exhibit was to show the type of habitat a moose would live in.

But now I was approaching the real animal exhibits. There were lynx and bobcat, foxes, bears, otters, mountain lions, deer and raptors.

The bird exhibit held the hawks and there was a bald eagle!

 Actually two of them, an adult with the white head and an adolescent with the splotchy brown and white coloring.

In the enclosure next to the eagles a small hawk has having lunch. The kids watching were both “grossed out” and fascinated as the little bird tore a mouse apart right in front of them. Nothing like a ringside seat to nature in action!

My time was running short so I made a quick swing through the gift shop and then out to the car to resume my homeward journey.

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 It would have been nice to stay longer and explore a little more in-depth but my little zoo was waiting at home. I knew my two cats would be ready for my return no matter how much the pet sitter spoiled them!

On Golden Pond

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I’m sure most of you have seen the movie On Golden Pond with Henry Fonda, Kathryn Hepburn, Jane Fonda , Dabney Colman and Doug McKeon. It was Henry Fonda’s last movie and he won an academy award for his performance. Kathryn Hepburn also won an Oscar

I remember the movie as a sentimental tear jerker but it had been years since I’d watched it. I didn’t know that my last stop on my New Hampshire Vacation was going to drop me right onto the Golden Pond of the movie.

Check out time was 11 am  at the Valley Inn and I was packed and out by 10:00. Even with a 3-4 hour drive I still had time for a detour if something caught my fancy. In the guide-book to New Hampshire was a coupon for The Nature Science Center at Squam Lake. It sounded like something I’d enjoy and it was on the way southbound.

I found the center without any problem. At the ticket booth they had a list of boat tours of the lake. At the attendant’s suggestion I took the boat tour before I went into the center.

The boat was a pontoon boat and there were just 3 of us on the tour. A bus tour had arrived and was taking up 2 other pontoon boats for a “private” charter. My 2 co-passengers and myself were thrilled with that turn of events.

One of the women said she wanted to see and hear a loon. She said she had come to the lake because of the movie On Golden Pond. She and her friend had just watched the movie again so the characters and events were fresh in their minds. Our guide was just as well versed on the movie along with a wealth of information about where certain scenes were shot and  what difficulties the film crew experienced  shooting some of the scenes.

He did caution us that we might not see the loons since it was early (11:00am) and usually the loons were most active at dusk.

As we cast off he pointed out the dock with the fuel tanks and said that was where Norman nearly ran into the dock in the movie. He said it had been more realistic than planned as Henry Fonda had really lost control of the boat. For that reason the scene was only shot once.

The pontoon boat was docked on Little Squam Lake so we passed under a bridge and into a short river to enter Big Squam Lake.

It was a gray overcast day and it was quite cool motoring around on the lake. The guide gave each of us a pair of binoculars. With only the 3 of us passengers we were able to change seats to see better when he pointed out an island or a multi million dollar home.

Much of the lake shore is protected so there won’t be any more development such are there is on Lake George where I grew up.

The tour reminded me of the lake tours that I’ve been on in Lake George and I settled in to enjoy the views. We weren’t too far out when the guide pointed out a loon. Of the 3 passengers, I was the only one who had seen one before. The other two ladies were really excited. That was the last time the guide was the first one to spot anything.

Looking for birds and wildlife is just my cup of tea so with the ice broken I put my mind to the task of pointing out loons, cormorant and 2 juvenile Bald eagles.  I was in my element and having a blast.

With me spotting the wildlife the guide concentrated on the history of the lake  and the spots from the movie. One of the ladies didn’t just want to see a loon, she wanted to hear one too. The guide was really good with that too and was able to offer a passable imitation.

As we came around an island with a private camp on it, a number of campers were putting canoes and kayaks in the water. I spotted a loon not too far from the campers. The guide was surprised to see a loon that close to people. As we passed the loon let out its laughing call. It wasn’t the mournful “wail” but it was still a loon call so my co-passenger was happy.

We entered an area where the guide said a loon had just hatched a brood a couple of weeks ago. He said if we were lucky we might see the babies and sure enough, there was an adult with a couple of baby loons.

 Our guide slowed the boat to reduce the wake while the little family headed toward the shore.

The 2 other ladies were thrilled with the loons but for me the high point was the eagles. I still haven’t gotten a great picture but these were a little better. Unfortunately the light was behind them so they are more in silhouette but I keep trying.

It’s a beautiful lake and now I have to watch On Golden Pond again to see if I recognize any of the places we saw.

I wouldn’t mind spending another day in the area to see if I could get some loon pictures too but that will have to keep for another time.

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It was back to the Science Center to see what that was all about.

Covered bridges, UFO’s and more

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Driving around the White Mountains I came across covered bridges time and again. It seems like they were everywhere.

 For some reason I usually think of Vermont when it comes to covered bridges and maple syrup but I was finding plenty of both here in New Hampshire.

Some observations or musings about covered bridges come to mind.

  • They provide shelter from New England weather which can certainly be harsh in the winter and hot in the summer.
  • Historically bridges were covered to protect the floorboards from exposure to the weather as the floorboards were the most expensive part of the bridge.
  • Sometime covered bridges are affectionately called “Kissing bridges”. That’s easy enough to understand. 🙂
  • At one time more than 10,000 covered bridges existed in the US.  Today only about 750 remain and are carefully protected and maintained . Over 50 of these exist in New Hampshire.
  • Some say that wagon teams are calmer being driven over a covered bridge than over an open bridge where the team can see the rushing waters below. What they can’t see can’t hurt them or so they think, like putting on blinders.

There are driving tours to visit the various bridges and these are very popular during the fall foliage season when covered bridges are especially picturesque.

Speaking of picturesque, The Mount Washington Hotel is gorgeous in brilliant white and red against the blue and green of the mountains behind it.

 Located in Bretton Woods at the base of Mount Washington, the Mount Washington Hotel was built during the era of the Grand Hotels and is one of the few remaining today. It opened in 1902 as one of the most luxurious, modern hotels of its time.

It is still operating today under the stewardship of the Omni Hotel Management. It has been featured on SYFI Channels Ghost Hunters when the TAPS team investigated it for paranormal activity.

In 1986 The Mount Washington Hotel, as one of the only Grand Hotels remaining in the White Mountains, was granted landmark status.

 An speaking of the paranormal, it’s just a short leap to discussing aliens and UFO’s. The White Mountains has some of that too . Maybe not an Area 51 but just as important to the UFO community is the alleged  abduction  of Betty and Barney Hill in 1961. Their story started the abduction phase in UFO investigations.

The Hill’s story has been told in books and movies but is certainly too long to post here in any detail. But This is the story in a nut shell.

The Hills were traveling home to Portsmouth on RT 3 around 10:30 pm.  Near Indian Head a UFO forced them to stop their car. They then reported a period of missing time.They reported the incident to the authorities and this has been widely investigated.

Today there is a State historical Marker near Indian Head  to identify the spot where the Hills were said to have been abducted. I will admit to getting chills when I saw the marker. I don’t know if they were abducted or not or if there’s anything such thing as aliens, but I do believe that something happened there that night that’s never been explained.

Back when I vacationed in South Dakota we found ourselves on a dirt road that I jokingly refer to as “the longest dirt road in the world”. As I chatted with the Moose Tour folks one of them told me I should use the short cut from Waterville Valley to Lincoln. He told me to take Triple E Rd and it would bring me out right near the Valley Inn where I was staying.

It wasn’t Triple E Rd it was Tripoli Rd and the sign said it was closed from November to May. Since this was July I wouldn’t have a problem, at least I hoped I wouldn’t. The first part of the road on either end, Lincoln or Waterville, was paved.

 It wasn’t in very good shape with many pot holes and crumbling  shoulders but it wasn’t long before that was past and I was on a dirt road through thick trees and forest. The dirt road was actually easier to drive on than the pavement.

It was well graded and maintained and packed enough that there wasn’t a great deal of dust. There were a few cars and some campsites along the way. I don’t think it saved me any time but it was shorter in distance and it soon became my favorite route between the two towns.

I saw a large rabbit and a big bird. I think the bird was an owl of some kind by the way it flew through the woods. I kept hoping that I’d see more wildlife but even though I didn’t, it was still a pretty drive.

My vacation is winding down. It won’t be long before I’ll be back to the “real world” but I still have a few more things to share with you including the pictures I intend to submit to the various photo contests. I have to check the web  site,  but if there’s a link for you to vote, I’ll post that too.

Mount Washington and other tidbits

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As I traveled around the White Mountains of New Hampshire I picked up a few tidbits about the Live Free or Die State.

  • New Hampshire received Statehood in 1778. It was the 9th State to join the Union.
  • The Capital of New Hampshire is CONCORD.
  • The state’s nickname is “the Granite State”
  • The State’s motto, as mentioned above, is “Live Free or Die”
  • The State Emblem is the Old Man of the Mountain. *
  • State Song: Old New Hampshire and New Hampshire, My New Hampshire
  • Flower: Purple Lilac
  • Wildflower: Pink Lady’s Slipper
  • Tree: White Birch
  • Gem: Smokey Quartz
  • Rock: Granite
  • Mineral: Beryl
  • Bird: Purple Finch
  • Animal: White Tail Deer
  • Insect: Lady Bug
  • Amphibian: Red Spotted Newt
  • Butterfly: Karner Blue
  • Saltwater Fish: Striped Bass
  • Freshwater Fish: Brook Trout
  • Area: 9,304 square miles
  • Greatest Width: 90 miles
  • Greatest Length: 180 miles
  • Coastline: 17.75 miles
  • Lakes and Ponds: 1,300
  • Miles of streams: 40,000
  • Mountain Peaks over 3,000 ft.: 82
  • Highest Peak: Mount Washington @ 6,288 ft.

*The old Man of the Mountain : Faces in stone are not uncommon around the world. New Hampshire also has the  Indian Head. The Old Man first gained it’s notoriety when Daniel Webster wrote:  “Men hang out their signs indicative of their respective trades; shoe makers hang out a gigantic shoe; jewelers a monster watch, and the dentist hangs out a gold tooth; but up in the Mountains of New Hampshire, God Almighty has hung out a sign to show that there He makes men.”

In 1945 The Old Man’s profile became the state emblem. It can be found on license plates, road signs and the State Quarter.

Since the 1920’s the granite outcropping that formed the face was showing signs of weathering. It would have failed long before its actual demise on May 3, 2003 if not for continual intervention by man over the years. Efforts to save the “Old Man” ranged from chains, to concrete, to steel rods and more but nothing could stop the slow erosion caused by weathering the seasons of freezing and thawing of Northern New England. Eventually that weathering, with gravity’s help, caused the famous icon to collapse. Today there is a marker and museum near the site.

Old Man of the Mountain vs Indian Head: When I was riding around on the Moose tour, the Guide pointed out the Indian Head formation.

According to the guide, the profile of the Indian is created as much by shadows as by actual stone. Because of this the Indian Head formation can appear quite different at different times of day and in different light. The Old Man was a true Stone Formation.

Mount Washington Wind speed record: As you know from the previous post about the cog railway, there is a sign at the summit of Mount Washington stating that the highest wind ever recorded by man was recorded on Mount Washington.

That record stood from 1934 to 1996 when a wind speed of 253 mph was recorded on Barrow Island, Australia during a cyclone. It took the World Meteorological Organization until 2010 to recognize the new record. An even greater wind of 316 mph was recorded in Moore, OK in 1999 during a F5 tornado but that was not recorded at ground level so was disqualified.

That’s more information than I have about my own state! It’s probably more than any of us wanted to know.

New Hampshire also seems to have tons of covered bridges. I haven’t found an actual count of them but they all seem to have a number assigned. So I saw one bridge that was #64 or #65 so I am guessing there are at least that many.