Based on information from a fellow photographer, I was able to locate a local Osprey nest this morning. It appears to be under construction but did serve as a staging platform for this Osprey who stopped in for a quick breakfast snack. Click on the images for a higher resolution look at this magnificent bird.
Maya is sharing a house in Medford with several Olin students. Many of them graduated today and they were joined by their parents for a party at the house afterward. Everyone has been vaccinated and this is the first event where we all felt safe not wearing masks. Maya will graduate next year and has accepted a summer internship with electric truck maker, Rivian. Jeanine did the heavy lifting on food preparation for the event which included chicken and vegetarian enchiladas. I was on guac and photography duty but had to leave the celebration early to complete our income tax filings which were complicated by the sale of our home last year. Earlier in the day, I returned to action on the pitch and played a good 50 minutes. I kept my sprints to 90% speed just to make sure I did not reinjure my calf muscle. We dropped a goal in the first 2 minutes but fought back to secure a 3-1 win.
This morning Jeanine joined me for an early excursion to visit the owls and we were treated to our first glimpse of an owlet (locals report that two have been sighted in the nest). Sadly, it may be our last. About 30 minutes after this picture was taken, the mother was observed eating a large meal. It is possible that she had some food stashed away, perhaps another mouse like the one she caught yesterday. However, if so, why would she have waited so long to start eating it and why would she not share it with her babies. Based on our observations, it is very possible that she was eating one of the owlets. Owls have been known to do this when there is an inadequate food supply or if an offspring is not thriving for some reason. Below is the photograph that led us to this conclusion. The feathers in her beak seem very consistent with those of the owlet. I hope our suspicions are proved wrong and plan to visit the nest several more times to see how the story plays out.
I arrived at our favorite owl’s nest at the crack of dawn and only had to wait for half an hour before mom showed up with breakfast. She posed on the perch for a few seconds before going inside to feed her owlet(s). As soon as I got the shot, it was back to the house for a 9 am rendezvous with the team that is preparing our stormwater management plan. A large excavator was used to dig ten-foot deep test holes to determine the viability and location of dry wells that will capture rainwater and release it slowly (after filtering through the ground) back to the river. After two such holes, it became apparent the soil would not support proper drainage in either location. The alternative we are now considering is called a rain garden, a large depression (bowl) in the ground that can hold water temporarily on the surface. Having rented the excavator for half a day and only spent an hour digging holes, I had the operator remove three large stumps to give us a head start on the garden.
It has been over three years since I last photographed this temple and I decided to revisit it from a different angle. It is called the Boston Massachusetts Temple and serves the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Located just a few minutes off my normal commute route, it took less than five minutes to complete a fly-over including a close-up of the figure atop the spire.
Maya (center) is pictured here with her robotics class teammates and their class project winning “Mars Rover” robot. Other teams used sonar and a wall following algorithm for navigation between target stations. Maya’s team opted to use down-facing computer vision (analyzing the herringbone brick pattern), which proved to be a more robust and efficient approach. Because she is living off-campus, this was the first time that she was able to meet with her team in person due to the Olin Covid safety protocol. For this reason, Maya was responsible for the robot’s software.
Generally, my noontime walks near work are photographically uninspiring. Not so today. Last night’s rain left a standing puddle in which freshly fallen petals had collected. The wind drove them to one side where they amassed in near a most pleasing arrangement.
Meet Devinne, one of the most promising engineers I have ever worked with. I have little doubt that she will one day be running her own engineering department or more likely, her own company. Today, I began providing headshots for employees who wanted one. I like to shoot half-body portraits which can be used as-is or cropped down to just head and shoulders if needed. Our Apollo 3 printer provides the background and I shot with an 85mm prime lens.
In celebration of Mother’s Day, the kids joined us for brunch consisting of quiche, kale salad, and fresh berries with whipped cream provided by Maya. Afterward, we visited the Concord Museum, where Jeanine was featured in an exhibit on the Women of Concord & The Quest for Equality which opened on Friday. It was the perfect setting to honor Jeanine for all she has done for our family and our community.
Our cause for celebration also included news that Nicolai had satisfied all the requirements of his Master’s Degree program. He will officially graduate in June at which time you can expect a post covering the family celebration.
Although my calf injury from last week prevented me from playing soccer this morning, I did enjoy watching my teammates soundly defeat Medfield 2-0. This is the same team that beat us last week ending our 51 game undefeated streak.
Jeanine and I were up at the crack of dawn to visit our favorite owl’s nest. There we found a female who we believe is sitting on eggs. She only popped her head up a few times and we were unable to locate her mate anywhere. As we were leaving, we ran into a gentleman who told us about another nest on the opposite side of the park. It was something of a treasure hunt to locate the second nest based on the clues he gave us but we managed to do it. Unfortunately, the nest does not appear to be occupied this season. We will no doubt check it again several more times before standing on that conclusion. Afterward, we enjoyed breakfast at the Blackbird Cafe, something we have not done since the start of the pandemic. We had to order takeout and eat in the car but it was still a treat.
Effective today, I am, in theory, immune from Covid 19. Jeanine, Nicolai, and Maya have already reached this milestone with Kyle just two weeks behind me. The feeling of liberation is wonderful and I feel as free as the various birds flitting about in our backyard.
This afternoon, I enjoyed my (healthy) lunch at Horn Pond which is just a few miles from work. After eating my chickpea fritter pita sandwich, I put my drone up for an ariel view of the pond and surroundings.
One of the perks of living in the Conantum community is that we share several common spaces. One of those is a community garden. Jeanine is pictured here tending to our section of the garden which she plans to use primarily for herbs. The garden is a short walk from our house and is also an excellent birding destination.
The hawk pictured here was perched on the opposite side of the river when I returned from an evening stroll with Jeanine. It was considerate enough to remain there until I could get my telephoto lens and camera set up. No sooner than I captured the regal pose above, it took off down the river. Unexpectedly, a swallow entered the frame as I was following the hawk in flight. Neither appeared to be chasing the other, just sharing the air space.
Today my soccer team lost 2-1, ending a 51 match undefeated streak in our Over-55 league. We picked up a first-half lead with a beautiful long-distance rocket of a goal but were unable to keep Medfield from scoring twice in the second half. It would be easy to blame our injury-impaired roster, which now includes me, but the fact is our opponent played a better match and deserved the win. I pulled my left calf muscle just below the knee early in the second half and had to watch our unfolding defeat from the sidelines. From prior experience, it will take several weeks for this type of injury to heal and may represent the end of the season for me. It is said that all good things must come to an end and now that is true of the Concord United Veterans 51 game undefeated streak. The sting of the loss is lessened by the knowledge that this league record will probably stand forever.
On the recommendation of a friend, Jeanine and I went for a hike in the Twin Pond Lincoln Conservation Land. Located less than five miles from our house, the 54-acre tract includes five ponds connected by Stony Brook. It was absolutely lovely and teeming with birds and turtles (ten on just one log).
I finally managed to photograph a King Fisher, a pair, in fact. One shows up almost every morning but every time I step outside for a better shot, it is off to the other side of the river. I think that the pair were more interested in each other than me which allowed me to get close enough to capture a half-decent image. Click on the images to reveal more detail.
The boating speed limit on the Sudbury River is 10 mph. Sadly, there are a few people who choose to ignore the rules. Given a 10 to 1 ratio of kayakers to power boaters, it is just a matter of time before this guy causes a problem. I photographed his boat ID and if I see him speeding in the area again, I will file a complaint with the appropriate authorities.
Located close to my office, the Vine Brook Wellfield is a well-hidden natural landscape in the midst of much commercial development. I have previously photographed this scene in winter and can definitely say that spring offers a more photogenic result. My recent post featuring a photograph of painted turtles was taken where the water from this marsh empties into Vine Brook.
Open Table and Jeanine were recognized by Food Bank News for their innovative approach to food distribution in the face of the Covid pandemic. The article features three US food relief organizations that have embraced digital technology to enable online ordering. The section featuring Open Table is appended below (click on it for an easier-to-read view).
This photo does little to convey the beauty of the full moon’s reflection on the river as was the scene this evening. It is made even more mesmerizing by the ever-changing patterns of light on the wind-whipped water.
Maya was sporting a new haircut when the entire family got together for dinner at Kyle’s place. The glasses belong to Nicolai but we all thought they looked good on her. The kids had a lot of news to share this week. Kyle is poised to make an offer on a house in Medford. Nicolai has accepted a full-time teaching position at Concord Middle School. Maya has been offered a summer internship with Rivian, the electric truck maker. I have already asked her if she can get me an employee discount. Jeanine is adjusting to reentry after a week of blissful vacation. I had my second Moderna vaccination yesterday and feel like shit (achy and fatigued). Neither the shot nor the cold rainy conditions kept me from showing up for my soccer game. I played for the first half which we finished with 5-1 lead. It was clear that I was suffering on the pitch so the manager pulled me from the lineup for the second half for which I was grateful.
I am happy to report that the owl’s nest Jeanine and I discovered last year is still occupied. It is not yet clear if we will have owlets again this season but I plan to make frequent visits for the next month to see what develops. I invited our new friends, Dave and Sara as well as his visiting grandson to join me for the outing. Later in the morning, I got my second vaccination shot and took it easy for the balance of the day. Jeanine returned from her week-long vacation in Provincetown and shared stories of her adventures with me.
Jeanine reports from Cape Cod that she is getting tons of exercise, eating well, and sleeping like a baby. A well-deserved vacation and break from what has been an incredibly stressful year at Open Table, I am happy that she is getting a chance to recharge her batteries. Not only has the pandemic dramatically increased the number of people dealing with food insecurity, but it has also forced the organization to re-engineer the way it delivers food.
It has been quite some time since I have done any aerial photography. Despite very high winds, I decided to make a quick flight down the river this evening. I was less focused on photography than I was in brushing the rust off my flying skills. I am hoping to make extensive use of my drone when I visit the Faroe Islands later this summer and it is almost always windy there. Not quite the same as riding a bicycle, it took a while before I felt comfortable in the pilot’s seat again. A few more practice sessions and I will be ready to tackle the North Atlantic winds.
The female red-winged blackbird displays neither of the attributes contained in its name. It makes one wonder, how differently birds would be named if the female was the headliner. I photographed the one pictured here at Great Meadows this morning.
The painted turtle is the most widespread native turtle of North America. It lives in slow-moving fresh waters, from southern Canada to northern Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. I found these ones in a small stream near work during my lunch break. Fossils show that the painted turtle existed 15 million years ago and to look closely at one (the claws, for example) it is not hard to imagine. Reliant on warmth from its surroundings, the painted turtle is active only during the day when it basks for hours on logs or rocks. During winter, the turtle hibernates, usually in the mud at the bottom of water bodies. Adults in the wild can live for more than 55 years.
Jeanine is spending the week in Provincetown taking a well-deserved vacation. I am banking my vacation time to compete in a soccer tournament being held in Denmark later this summer. She sent me a number of photos she took yesterday. This one is my favorite and as good as any I have ever taken. She is really becoming an excellent photographer.
By the time I got home from work, there was not much light left but did manage to capture this mallard in front of the house.
One of the things that differentiate Concord United, my soccer club, from other teams, is that we get together to socialize after most games. We call these gatherings an après. I volunteered to host today in combination with my beer duty assessment from last weeks’ match for roughing up the opposing goalie, a matter of some considerable disagreement. Given that most of our furniture is in storage, I had to ask folks to bring their own chairs. I provided a crockpot full of Tenessee Whisky infused pulled pork, sesame seed buns, a fruit salad, and chips with salsa in addition to the beer. Teammates added a freshly baked loaf of bread and guacamole for a spread that Jeanine might even consider respectable. The mood was great having just defeated arch-rivals, Juventus, by a score of 2-0. I managed to strip their star midfielder of the ball which set up our first goal making the game very satisfying for me on a personal level as well.
Nicolai is rock climbing in Kentucky’s Red River Gorge with high school buddies Oliver and Raz. Did he send us this photo? No. We got a hold of it through Oliver’s mom.
After a few weeks of spring-like weather, it felt odd to have snow again. In Concord, we received about two inches but it was here and gone within 2 days.
