Height Of Emotion

New England is a gorgeous place to bird.  I found myself drawn towards the borders of New Hampshire and Maine. The mountains and heavily forested areas were rather magical.  So we decided to take a trip into the Rangely District where we would explore several areas. 

We stopped at several hotspots which included rest stops, campgrounds and the infamous Boy Scout's road.  But before we began our walks into the wooded areas, we stopped at this amazing overlook.  Talk about breathtaking!

As the day went on, we had some amazing views of vireos and warblers. The humidity increased and a storm was brewing. 

Blue-headed Vireo

It would be great if someone could invent a light air conditioning outfit that would keep us cool on our hikes:) When we explore new areas(or old), we become wrapped up in all the wonderful discoveries forgetting about the bugs biting or terrible heat beating us slowly down.  But there comes a point when it doesn't matter how many bottles of water you drink or what sun hat you wear......

There comes a point when someone (or everyone) breaks down and says enough is enough.  Yet the bird song keeps us from using our common sense.  What's that?  Who's making that call? Just a couple meters here.  Pangs of hunger. Thirst. Itch. Damn mosquito!  Itch. Blood. Itch! A tick!?! How long has that been there?!  Just a few more minutes. Northern Parula!  Awesome!  And the time flies.  The dearest of friends become grouchy. The bug bites become too much.  And....

Northern Parula

SHAZAM!!!  Like that storm building on the horizon, words become thunder and lightning.

Red-breasted Nuthatch

Wait!  A Blackburnian Warbler!?!  Life bird!!!  And then the storm hits:)

Blackburnian Warbler

I look back at this day and really enjoyed our visit to this region.  The views were beautiful but I remember everyone suffering from humidity and heat exhaustion.  At one point Kathie and I were grouchy with each other and dare I say it.....sounding like a bunch of old farts. Looking back at it, I have a good chuckle. Recently I witnessed another birder duo go at it and realized it's a natural part of any friendship/relationship.....especially when birds are involved. I had a smile. 

It rained hard later that day. A welcome relief from the unrelenting heat. We sat inside of a cute and cozy restaurant watching the thunderstorm take hold. 

I ate my warm chowder and noticed a couple Killdeer running around in the parking lot. On the way home, we spotted yet another porcupine for the year!  I have gone years without seeing them in the wild and within this year alone, I've had 7 different sightings in Arizona, Maine and New Mexico!

Locals know where to go for some relief from the humidity!

I think of all the incredible places we visited in New England, and I have to say that this area and the Lost Pond were my favorites.   Stay tuned for more!

Broad-winged Hawk

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