Manomet Visit

We visited Patrick over at Manomet this morning where he's interning as a bird bander for the fall season. Though it has been fairly slow recently, we lucked out with some great birds today, including a couple of life birds for me. It was great to have caught more than a few birds while there because it was our sister's and his girlfriend's first time seeing a banding operation and it's always disappointing to have visitors, but no birds!

Black-and-white Warbler


Brown Thrasher


Chestnut-sided and Blue-winged Warbler


Blue-winged Warlber. Check out that massive bill!


Patrick, performing under pressure.


Chestnut-sided release

Katahdin (4)

Knife's Edge and Pamola Peak. There were no pictures going down, lots of hopping, leaving us both with very sore right legs only, and raw hands from the rough rockage. DO IT.

Dark or Light

Last weekend I went out to watch Patrick and others play at club sectionals with a mostly Amherst alum team. Bird photography is tough, and guess what? So is sports photography. So here are a few pictures, not great quality, not great plays, but of people I like at least!

Pjo, Patrick, Sully


Looks like Patrick gets it


Everyone really just wants to hit him in the face


Smooth, Brent


Not a travel


Trevor, looking like a badass, cause he is one, played out of his mind this weekend


Old coach Woody on the ground there. Never seen someone so scared on a frisbee field

Katahdin (3)

At the top of Baxter Peak:












Behind Patrick to the left is the Knife's Edge, leading to Pamola Peak.

Katahdin (2)

Katahdin (1)

Last Wednesday Patrick and I found ourselves up in the middle of Maine at Baxter State Park. This park hosts Mount Katahdin, with Baxter Peak being the Northern most end of the Appalachian Trail. On the way up we took Cathedral Trail to Baxter Peak, then across Knife's Edge to Pamola Peak and down Helon Taylor to the bottom. It was an incredibly beautiful hike, with really great weather, taking us a little under 8 hours, with a good amount of stoppage time. I highly suggest it.

Influenced by CK, I took a bunch of videos on the way up, so I'll be posting those, only with some photos for the next couple of days to show what it was like up there.

Manomet

This fall Patrick has been volunteering at the Manomet banding station in Eastern Mass., so this past Monday and Tuesday I went with him to check the place out and had a great time, with some great birds.  Just like the Palomarin station, they have a sweet set up with many great ocean views and awesome on-site housing for interns.  Unlike Palo, they run 50 nets.  While a lot of the birds we caught in the two days I was there are not too uncommon, many were firsts for me, especially in hand.  For the most part we had catbirds and tufted titmice but also a few robins, a couple of red-eyed vireos, some blackpolls, a Connecticut warbler, a mourning warbler, a downy, a flicker, and most excitingly, a worm-eating warbler!  Cool birds, and what seems like a really awesome place to work and learn.  Thanks Patrick (and Manomet banders)!


Patrick weighing a bird


A crazy sea worm we found on the beach, any ideas on what it is?



Yellow-shafted flicker


Mourning warbler


Connecticut warbler


Worm-eating warbler


Red-eyed vireo


Blackpoll

From DC, NYC, Boston and Shutesbury

Over the weekend I had some visitors. It was fun. Ben, Lizzie, Maya, Carson and Peter all made it out to Leverett for some hiking around Mt. Toby, outdoor games, settling of Catan, and great great food from my dear mother. My dad also got them to move a huge rock.

Pondering the flip
Trying to flip
Flip!
Thanks mom!


Ben, furiously arguing the rules of SPUD


Carson, in fact, still has it


We found this little wren on a walk, looked like it was hit by a car, but could still make it?


Up at the Peace Pagoda



Just got back from Maine. Katahdin and banding at Manomet pictures to come.

DAR-Ash Bog-Bear Swamp-Sugarloaf

Lawn party

Montague Plains

Went banding today in Montague with my bro.


We caught around 20 birds, including: common yellow throat, chestnut-sided warbler, prairie warbler, black-throated green warbler, black-throated blue warbler, ovenbird, gray catbird, eastern towhee, black-capped chickadee and wilson's warbler.

Chestnut-sided warbler


Black-throated green warbler


Black-throated blue warbler