It’s been a while since I got out the birding camera. I have a Nikon Coolpix P900. It gets the job done; enough to make an I.D. and perfect for hiking and climbing without having to lug around a ginormous camera lens. This was my second time at Leaser Lake. I went once before in November of 2021. I’ve since come to learn that this is a birding hotspot. There’s a trail that runs all around the lake that’s about 4 miles total. It’s mostly flat and passes through several diverse habitats; woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. This time of year red-winged blackbirds are numerous and there are these space-aged looking nesting structures built specifically for Purple Martins. Right now it’s nesting season for the Purple Martins and the structure was filled. A few free-loading House Sparrows were also trying to take up residence in the structure. The meadows and woodlands that surround the lake also have nest boxes for other types of birds. I was impressed with the care taken to host our avian friends. We hiked around the lake once then stopped back at the car to get warmed up and have some coffee which I’d brought along. It wasn’t that cold, but the wind made it feel chilly. After I warmed up we hiked the lake again in the opposite direction. We ended up spending the whole day just walking and birdwatching. I refamiliarized myself with the eBird and Merlin apps. I’d forgotten how difficult it can be to photograph birds. It was a fun day and I was excited to add some new east coast birds to my life list.

Brown Thrasher