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By BILL DANIELSON

Anyone who has ever dabbled in the art of photography will understand that you find yourself at the mercy of your environment. Of course, I am speaking of outdoor photography in this case. Studio photography is an entirely different organism because in that particular endeavor the art lies in manufacturing an environment. If you are outdoors, however, you have to find ways to make due with what you’ve got on any particular day.

By BILL DANIELSON

Anyone who makes a regular habit of watching birds will recognize that there is a predictable rhythm to the seasons. Winter is the harshest time of year and as a result there are fewer species to look for. At my house, in the month of January, I have managed to see a maximum of 31 different species. Different people living in different places will probably see a smaller number than that, but there may be the occasional yard that has more species to offer.

By BILL DANIELSON

The final week of 2024 was particularly calm and delightful for me. After the hustle and bustle of hosting a family gathering, my wife and I were able to nestle down into the “holiday bunker” and enjoy some much-needed R&R. For one solid week we were...

By BILL DANIELSON

Happy New Year everybody! I was delighted to have a snowy celebration for this iconic winter holiday and I hope that you are sitting happily with your feet up and a warm beverage in your hand. I am just finishing an hour of bird watching at my kitchen...

By BILL DANIELSON

It was just another morning at the kitchen window. During the school year I am a prisoner of “teacher time,” which means that I wake up at 4:30 a.m. every morning, whether I want to or not. Weekends, holidays, you name it, I’m up. So, rather than...

By BILL DANIELSON

My last visit to the Thinking Chair occurred on Sunday, Oct. 20. It was a bright, sunny day and there had been a frost during the night and this produced some interesting effects on the remaining leaves down in the meadow. The following Saturday was...

By BILL DANIELSON

It was the morning of Thanksgiving Day and I was up early. Guests were still asleep and I was done with the morning chores. A pot of fresh coffee had been brewed, a fire was crackling happily in the wood stove (front doors open so the fire was...

By BILL DANIELSON

Thanksgiving is here and I couldn’t be happier. 2024 has been an “interesting” year and I, for one, just need a break. Even the hustle and bustle of the holiday (the shopping, cooking, traveling, or hosting) can be a delightful distraction from the...

By BILL DANIELSON

It was Veteran’s Day and I was sitting at my kitchen window. I had a delicious mug of freshly brewed coffee, a comfortable seat to sit in and freshly washed windows to look through. The feeders had been stocked and I was all ready for a session of...

By BILL DANIELSON

September and October are months of farewell and I spend a lot of time trying to squeeze in a last visit with each species of bird before the they finally decide to pack it in and head south. Great friends that have spent the entire summer with me...

By BILL DANIELSON

I realize that I wrote a column on the yellow-rumped warbler just last week, but I had an encounter with this species that was as wonderful as it was unexpected. I very rarely feature a particular species in consecutive columns, but this was an...

By BILL DANIELSON

The month of September was one of the most beautiful stretches of solid gorgeous weather that I can remember. There was very little rain last month and whatever rain there was seemed to fall on weekdays. As a result, there was ample time to get out...

By BILL DANIELSON

On Sept. 22 we observed the official change in the seasons from summer to autumn. This was the Autumnal Equinox, the day when we technically saw 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. With each passing day we will now see less and less of the sun...

By BILL DANIELSON

Long-time readers of mine will be familiar with my tales of the Photo Gods. These are those supernatural beings that look over me during my photographic endeavors and either smile down on me benevolently, or take issue with something that I have done...

By BILL DANIELSON

One of the most remarkable things about birding in September is the number of strangers that you see. Having spent so much time observing the birds during the summer months, I have a very clear roster in my head of who the “regulars” are. Not only...

By BILL DANIELSON

About a mile to the east of my house, sitting at the side of the quiet country road upon which I live, there is a small man-made pond that is typical of the kind that one might find near a farm. There are actually several of these ponds along this...

By BILL DANIELSON

For the final week of my summer vacation I decided to make a bold move and pay a visit to one of the wonderful coastal areas that we have in the state of Massachusetts. Earlier in the summer I went to First Encounter Beach, in Eastham, and to round...

By BILL DANIELSON

My second visit to First Encounter Beach came on a Monday. The hustle and bustle of moving day was a thing of the past, but I am generally immune to routine traffic issues because of the early hours that I keep. There was no one on the road at 5:45...

By BILL DANIELSON

It was a Saturday morning on Cape Cod, which is usually a problematic day because it is moving day. All of the weekly renters start heading off the Cape to make room for the next wave of renters and traffic can be a bear. However, I had the advantage...

By BILL DANIELSON

Sometime back in the 1980s, in response to increased urbanization and technological development, the government of Japan decided that it was a good idea for people to turn off their electronics and get back to nature. Thus it was that the concept of...