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Marjorie Melnick

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Category: Western Massachusetts Birding

A collection of blog posts related to bird photography in Western Massachusetts.

Tree Swallows, fighting

Why can’t they just get along? I often see squabbles in the air. They seem to really mean business, whether it is about mating…

Continue reading Tree Swallows, fighting
Published April 22, 2023
Categorized as Western Massachusetts BirdingTagged bird photography, bird squabbles, Nature photography, swamp birds, Tree swallows
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Swamp birds, herons mostly

Herons fishing, hanging out, flying, generally just being If your patience is equal to that of the heron, standing motionless for even 45 minutes,…

Continue reading Swamp birds, herons mostly
Published April 22, 2023
Categorized as Western Massachusetts BirdingTagged bird photography, Great Blue Heron, herons, Nature photography, swamp birds
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Sand Hill Crane in Western MA

A single crane stopping through. When I arrived at the farm where they had been seen, the fields were empty so I drove around…

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Published April 18, 2023
Categorized as Western Massachusetts BirdingTagged bird photography, Large birds, Nature photography, Sand Hill Crane, Unusual bird sighting in western MA
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Fanny Stebbins 4/2

The Fanny Stebbins conservation area never disappoints. Greeted at the first pond by a couple of pairs of Wood Ducks, the afternoon was off…

Continue reading Fanny Stebbins 4/2
Published April 4, 2023
Categorized as Western Massachusetts BirdingTagged Bald Eagles, Cormorants, flickers, marsh birds, Nature photography, osprey, ring-necked ducks, Wood ducks
2 Comments on Fanny Stebbins 4/2

The little Hooded Mergansers

Two cute ducks hanging around our neighborhood pond. I’ve been watching these two little ducks this week. They make a very sweet pair, staying…

Continue reading The little Hooded Mergansers
Published February 21, 2023
Categorized as Ducks of Massachusetts, Western Massachusetts BirdingTagged bird photography, Ducks, Hooded merganser pair, Nature photography, pond ducks, water fowl
3 Comments on The little Hooded Mergansers

Raptors in the sky

Lots of birds flying yesterday, most of them raptors. I went out looking for the Kestrels in the early afternoon, assuming I wouldn’t find…

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Published October 20, 2022
Categorized as Western Massachusetts BirdingTagged bird photography, cooper's hawk, falcons, kingfisher, Nature photography, Raptors. hawks, re-tailed hawks, Wood ducks
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Big Birds Flying Free

Red-tailed Hawk, Osprey, Eagle, Heron, and Swans The day started off with a Red-tailed Hawk high in a tree. I was far enough in…

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Published October 16, 2022
Categorized as Western Massachusetts BirdingTagged big birds, bird photography, birds of prey, Eagles, herons, Nature photography, Ospreys, Swans
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Birds of Prey

Bird show with Tom Ricardi, rehabilitator and wildlife biologist from Conway, MA Tom is a wonderful presenter for adults and children alike. I loved…

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Published October 14, 2022
Categorized as Western Massachusetts BirdingTagged bird show, birds of prey, falcons, Golden eagles, great horned owls, hawks, Owls, Peregrine falcons, raptor show, raptors, red-tailed hawks, saw-whet owls, Tom Ricardi
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The busy female American Kestrel

Big appetite, lots of variety In the hour + I spent watching her, she ate a mouse, a mole, a grasshopper or Katydid, and…

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Published October 13, 2022
Categorized as Western Massachusetts BirdingTagged American Kestrel, bird eating mice, bird photography, bird watching, birds in flight, Nature photography
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The male Kestrel with his mate

Today they were hanging out together again. Here are some portraits of this beautiful bird. The lady flew in with a tasty morsel and…

Continue reading The male Kestrel with his mate
Published October 10, 2022
Categorized as Western Massachusetts BirdingTagged American Kestrel, bird photography, male and female pair, Nature photography, pair of Kestrels
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About the blog

Hello, and welcome. My name is Marjorie Melnick. I am a senior lecturer at UMass/Amherst and an avid nature photographer. This blog documents my humble photo adventures, and I warmly invite you to follow along!

Categories

  • beavers
  • Birds of Maine
  • Birds of the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
  • Bremen, Germany – birds
  • Bugs, all kinds
  • Costa Rica 2023
  • crustaceans
  • Ducks of Massachusetts
  • Eastern New England Birding
  • Macro
  • mammals of New England
  • Monteverde region, CR
  • Pictures just for fun
  • Tucson, AZ Nature Photography
  • Turtles
  • Visit to Maine: sky, water, and critters
  • Western Massachusetts Birding

Recent Comments

  1. Marjorie Melnick on Fanny Stebbins 4/2April 4, 2023

    Thanks!! Come visit again this spring!

  2. Katherine on Fanny Stebbins 4/2April 4, 2023

    Truly a lovely day. Exhilarating, I’d say!

  3. Katherine on The little Hooded MergansersFebruary 23, 2023

    There are a group of us who make merry with the run-on sentence, abuse, overuse and misuse the comma, and…

  4. Marjorie Melnick on The little Hooded MergansersFebruary 22, 2023

    I think you only have to leave your email so that I can reply if I so desire. I would…

  5. Katherine on The little Hooded MergansersFebruary 22, 2023

    That feedback loop between an artist, her subject, and the tools of the medium distills here moments of such pristine…

Recent Posts

  • Beavers, dam repairs
  • Tree Swallows, fighting
  • Swamp birds, herons mostly
  • Tucson, Arizona, 2023
  • Sand Hill Crane in Western MA
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