Searching For Lazy Summer Birds

Now that the hot weather has arrived, I'm taking a much more casual approach to birding. Instead of putting in a lot of effort to finding birds, I'm content with the birds that seem to find me. The Turkey Vulture in the photo was stretching his wings early one morning near aircraft road in Middletown. They do this to regulate body temperature, dry their wings, and to bake off little critters. They probably think they look cool doing it too.

I spent too much time trying to get a decent photo of a Prairie Warbler up at the power lines in Portland. I finally managed to catch one out in the open, although it wasn't very close. As I was concentrating on taking this photo, two Ruffed Grouse crossed the path right in front of me!

  During a recent early-morning visit to the Maromas area of Middletown, I found a young family of Wood Ducks playing follow the leader.

There was no need to track the deer as the deer were on the tracks.

I've come to like snakes since I started using a camera because snakes stay still when you're taking there picture. I think this is a water snake.

The Great Blue Herons start leaving their nests in our area during July.There are more of them around and they seem easier to approach. I found this one near Wethersfield Cove.

This was one of about 20 hanging around the Portland Fairgrounds early one morning.

I've also been making short trips out to local areas during the evening. The Helen Carlson Bog in Portland is a great place to find Green Herons this time of the year.

This Cedar Waxwing seems to be yawning as it must be close to bedtime.

    I'm sure I'll become more adventurous before the summer ends t but for now, I'm satisfied with sitting by a pond watching the Mallards stare back at me.