With Jeanine out of town, I am sending a kiss from her daughter. 

I can only hope that this scene of Maya being chased by all the boys is not a preview of things to come. After the game, which her team won by a wide margin, I gave Maya her second driving lesson. I operate the pedals and she steers while sitting on my lap. She really enjoyed herself and did a very respectable job. Kyle’s team suffered a one-point loss and Nico’s a one-point win. My day was largely composed of taxi service (three soccer games, one swim lesson, two play dates, one birthday party, and a partridge in a pair tree). 

I had breakfast on the new screened in porch this morning. The sound of the birds was almost deafening. I captured this Blue Jay just outside the window. 

I made it home in time to do a little gardening. Mostly I spilt and moved hastas around but paused to take a photo of some of the flowers blooming in the front yard. Jeanine has been in Indiana since yesterday visiting her family and to celebrate Erica’s graduation from college. The fact that all three children have made arrangements, on their own, to have dinner with friends, might be construed by some as a statement about my cooking skills. I will be dining alone and looking forward to an hour or two of peace and quiet at the end of a very hectic week. 

Maya sporting a new spring dress which matches her favorite sneakers. 

I have been trying for some time to get a really good picture of a Great Blue Herron in flight. Today on the way into work I lucked upon this very cooperative subject. I just love my commute. I apologize for all the recent bird photos. There is a very brief window of time each spring before the trees leaf out and while the birds are distracted by thoughts of love when really good photos are possible. In a week or two I will be back to the incessant stream of soccer photos of the kids. 

My favorite shot of the day and perhaps my favorite photo so far this year. I was in the right place, at the right time, with the right lens, and nice lighting. 

Neither Jeanine or I could identify this little guy. Extra credit for anyone who can. 

I am fairly sure, but not positive, that this is a Least Flycatcher. 

A nicely backlit Greater Yellowlegs. Click on any of the photos for a more detailed view. 

Most of the beach is roped off so that the endangered Piping Plovers can nest undisturbed. I was able to photograph two of them, but the photos are not very good due to the extreme distance. 

This morning I played soccer down in Foxboro against the currently top ranked team in Division 1. We played very well but were only able to manage a 0-0 tie. I had one of my better games but missed a nice header opportunity that would have secured the win. With Jeanine on her retreat, Kyle at his game in the middle of the state, Nico at his friend’s house and Maya at the circus, I decided to drive out to Plum Island for a little nature photography. Here is a nice shot of a Snowy Egret. 

Finally, this is a male Common Carp thrashing around the surface water as part of their spawning behavior. 

Red-Wing Blackbirds are everywhere.