This post is a combination of my last couple of mornings in Lenox at the Pleasant Valley MA Audubon property. I never saw the heron again after the first morning. I am so thrilled that so many of you enjoyed the Heron and Full Moon post - thanks so much for your posts, texts, VMs and emails - I sincerely appreciate them.The second morning I went around the Audubon property in the exact order that I had done it during the first morning - another picture perfect September morning. No humidity, 50 degrees and no wind. As I was going around on the trail I heard a pair of Barred Owls

WOW!!! What a morning I had…I am in Lenox for a few days exploring the nature preserves out here. I drove out Monday and went to the three different preserves that day to do my scouting. I can’t stop thinking about yesterday morning because it was so incredible. I booked these three nights so that I would be out here with the full moon setting in the mornings.

I arrived very early at the Pleasant Valley MA Audubon property yesterday morning- no surprise.:) I had spent quite a bit of time

I am finally ready to share this post with all of you. I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time for two mornings in a row on 8/30 and 8/31 at Bullitt. Fall warbler migration was in full swing both of those mornings. Once I found my spot I set up and honestly I could not keep up because there were so many warblers zipping around right where I was! I thought I would number the photos I need help with …so if Dan or Allan or anyone else wants to respond with their input as to the identifications of the various birds I would really appreciate it - thank you! I have tried through Merlin

This is not the order that I had planned to share with you from my Labor Day Weekend outings… but I have changed my mind and will start with this morning and share Saturday and Sunday morning another time. I want to first start by thanking Dan and Allan for helping me with the identifications of birds that I either don’t know or get mixed up - thank you both very much. When I do post my sightings from Saturday and Sunday Dan and Allan will have their work cut out for them - I was in the right place at the right time to see and photograph so many warblers - and so many that I can’t

On the mornings that I am able to go out I continue to head to Bullitt. The sounds, colors and feel of a new season making its way in are absolutely everywhere. Lately the mornings have been around 50 degrees with no wind - absolutely spectacular. I thought I would start this post with a video of a glorious sunrise last Tuesday. For this post I am combining shots from a few mornings - all at Bullitt.

Before I begin and forget again I was asked what kind of equipment

I am thrilled that so many of you enjoyed the last post - that was a special morning. Speaking of special mornings - I had another one this morning - back at Bullitt.

Here goes -

I left the house earlier enough to see the spectacular full moon setting - always a special way to start an outing. I arrived at Bullitt - no wind and 57 degrees - beautiful. As soon as I get out of the car I

You all certainly know by now that early morning is my favorite time of the entire day. One of my absolute favorite parts of the early morning is when the sun makes it first appearance and its rays cast bright brilliant low light across the land or water. It is the kind of light that if you look directly at it you feel like it will blind you. When this light occurs I know that I am going to see colors as rich as anything I will ever see throughout the rest of the day. I try to position myself to take the best advantage possible of where the light will hit.

My last sighting of the adorable Fogo fox family was in the dying light of yet another incredible day for me on Fogo. I decided I would go after dinner and see if I had any luck seeing the family - did I ever - I saw them instantly! I had two challenges - the dying light and where to set up. I finally picked my spot and as soon as I did I lost sight of them - the three kits were running around like crazy! I was looking directly into the sun, away from the sun, and all around for them.

I need to start by making a correction - Bullitt Reservation in Ashfield, MA is owned and managed by The Trustees of Reservations (TTOR). Hilltown Land Trust is an affiliate of TTOR. This is a longer post than most but I thought it was best to share this incredible morning from start to finish. Sit back and relax - it is now time to come alone with me…

I was back at Bullitt - an absolutely beautiful morning - no wind and 50 degrees - just stunning. I knew that I wanted to spend all of my

I’ll be jumping back and forth with various posts as I will always be behind sharing my posts with you. I have very good intentions but…

I knew that I wanted another very early morning at Tilting Harbor so my wonderful guide picked me up again around 4:15 and off we went. My dear guide - you know who you are - thank you again! Tilting is on the eastern side of Fogo Island- an incredible place to catch a sunrise. An incredible place any time of the day…

Picking up where we left off with yesterday morning’s outing at Bullitt…. The lighting continued to get better and better and the parade of impressive birds continued. One of the many reasons that I love Bullitt so much is that there are great opportunities for me to set up with the sun behind me while looking into the woods along the upper field. I so love the sunlight breaking through into the woods creating intense splashes of light.

My luck continued… next I spotted a Black Throated Green warbler!

I will share much more from Fogo another day… I am thrilled that you are enjoying the Fogo posts as much as I am enjoying sharing them with you! I see that some of the wonderful people that I meant on my Fogo trip have signed up for my blog - thank you so very much - I miss all of you. For you newcomers… Bullitt Reservation is part of the non-profit Hilltown Land Trust in Ashfield, MA. I spend countless mornings there - I absolutely love it.

I am very excited to share this morning’s outing -

All of the puffin shots, and there will be countless puffin shots in my posts, are dedicated to Captain Tony and his First Mate, Aidan. Without these two incredible men I would not have had the experience of a lifetime and I would not have seen a single puffin while on Fogo Island. Not only was I in the safest of hands but I sincerely thank them for their patience while I took countless, and I mean countless, shots!

I would also like to say to everyone that I had the good fortune to meet on Fogo Island that you all touched my deeply.

My list of reasons for wanting to visit Fogo Island was quite a long list… at the top of the list - Atlantic Puffins! This is the time of year that massive amounts of puffins make their way to Newfoundland in order to breed. When they are not breeding they spend their lives bobbing out in the ocean feeding on small fish. On Tuesday I went out on a fishing boat about 4.5 miles off the shore of Fogo Island with an incredible Captain and First Mate to go see the puffins!

This post is a combination of parts of Wednesday and Thursday morning. Of course you know that I had to check on the kits… On Wednesday morning I was only able to grab two quick photos before they took off scrambling over the rocks and out of my vision!

The first Irish settlers of the town of Tilting on Fogo Island arrived in the mid-1800’s. I asked my wonderful guide to take me Tuesday morning to Tilting to see my first sunrise there for two reasons - 1) because the Irish settled here and, 2) it is on the east cost of the Fogo and a great place to try and see a sunrise. He arrived at 4:15 and off we went! We parked along a trail and then headed to a beautiful knoll to set up and watch the sunrise over Pigeon Island.

I am writing this to you from Fogo Island in Newfoundland. Fogo Island is in the northeast corner of Newfoundland. It is so far east that it has its own time zone - 30 minutes ahead of Atlantic time which means it is 90 minutes ahead of Eastern time zone. I booked this trip last December after a friend recommended that I check this special place out. I arrived at 4pm on Monday and already I do not have the words to describe the sense of place that finds its way deep inside of you here. The warm and kind people,

Let me start by saying that I just couldn’t share you with you the angst I felt after I left the crane family on the morning of Episode 7. There is too much going on in this country and in the world that is creating way too much anxiety for all of us - the last thing that I want to do is to add to anyone’s anxiety. What I didn’t share with you was this… After the family left the swamp and made their way through the woods to that neighboring field I made my way back through the woods as well. to follow the cranes into that field. It took me about 30 minutes walking as quickly as I could…

Between a lot of bad weather and my schedule I didn’t get back to the nest until exactly 2 weeks after the first little one was born - it seemed like forever!. I could only imagine how much they had grown since I had last seen them - I was very excited to be headed back to the nest. The morning was very, very foggy with nice cool temperatures.

Because of the fog I was fighting with my camera trying to get my first shots at the nest -

This episode picks up 24 hrs after Episode 5…. Needless to say I was worn out, but exhilarated, after all of my time at the nest the previous days. I knew that I would kick myself if I didn’t get up and get back to the nest to see what was happening… So away I went again before sunrise. It was a slightly foggy misty morning.

I arrived at my spot, set up, and immediately zoomed in on the nesting site… and was instantly happy that I had made the trip! Right next to the resting crane on the nest…