Up close and personal with not 1, but 2 magnificent moose!!!

If you haven't figured it out by now I have quite the obsession with New Hampshire's famous wild friend, the moose. These beautiful girl's were by far the best moose we have yet to observe.

Three weeks ago while we were camping in Franconia Notch State Forest, we decided to hit the roads around dust in hopes of finding a moose grazing in moose muck. We have been successful with this dozens of times but never have we had the opportunity to observe these marvelous creatures for more than a few minutes. Most of the time we catch a glimpse and maybe a few minutes of observing before the animal disappeared into the great thickets of forest. On this occasion however we lucked out and found a pair of moose that were willing to hang out in the open and dismiss our presence.

We had driven up to Whitefield to get a pizza for dinner and decided to take Route 116 South back towards where we were staying. It was along this route that we spotted these fabulous ladies. As we drove by them they were emerging from the woods and headed towards some moose muck that was along the side of the road. We happened to pull over right across the street from where they were headed and couldn't have gotten a better front row seat had we paid a zoo to get us up close and personal with a captive moose. I sat outside the window of our jeep and took dozens of photographs of them. We ended up sitting there for about a half an hour, just eating our pizza and watching the moose that was about 35 feet away from us. I was amazed at how she just kept eating away and would occasionally glance up at us to make sure we weren't up to any funny business. This truly was the most tolerant moose I have yet to come across and I felt blessed to have been able to watch her for as long as I did. We probably could have sat and watched her till darkness set in and they disappeared into the shadows of the night. I will never forget feeling the immensity of her size and taking in her natural behavior. It truly is quite the sight to see such magnificent wild animals going about their natural business in their intended environment.

Moose Falls Flowage

Three weeks ago while my husband and I were camping at Deer Mountain Campground, located in Pittsburg, we discovered this wonderful little pond. Hidden away behind the campground was Moose Falls Flowage and personally the name could not be more appropriate. This remote pond which is part of the Connecticut River, offers wildlife viewers a supreme location to sit back and observe nature in its purist form. As we stood and took in the surrounding area I couldn't help feeling a sense of peace and tranquility. The area was so quite, untouched, and peaceful it forced us to sit back and relax. Although we did not actually see a moose grazing in the shallows, I truly believe that a patient enough observer could be graced by the presence of New Hampshire's most popular wild animal. We plan on visiting the area again and would really like to launch our kayaks into the pond and see if we can't find a grazing moose for ourselves.

Moose Falls Flowage is a place of beauty and the perfect spot to kayak or picnic. Hiking trails are also assessable from this area, however I could not tell you where they lead to. The pond is easily accessible by following a foot trail that begins at the campground. The links that I have provided will also offer you information about additional access trails that I am not familiar with.

Ideal Mirrored Image...

As I was going through all of my photographs of New Hampshire when I first started this blog, I found this amazing shot that offers a great mirrored image effect. I honestly cannot fully remember exactly where I captured this landscape but I do know it was located somewhere around Errol, possibly on Route 16 towards Rangeley Maine. I have chosen to post this shot simply because I think it is so cool and really depicts how a natural wonder can transform into a marvelous backdrop. I never anticipated such a great photograph and in reality I never really do, however I saw something here and captured the landscape at a pristine, calm, and artistically valued moment. I love how the clouds are reflected off the lake and the slightest touch of fall can be seen with some colorful foliage peeping through the lush green leaves. New Hampshire truly does have marvelous hidden natural wonders around every twist and turn, you just need to open your eyes and embrace the beauty that can be found. 

Oh what a night, Sky that is!!!

 

Three weeks ago my husband and I decided to take a few days off and visit Pittsburg and I'm sure glad we did because I don't think I'll capture a shot like this one ever again. We had been driving up and down Moose Alley (Route 3) looking for you guessed it moose, and as the sun sank lower and lower amazing colors of pinks and oranges painted the sky. At one point we had pulled over for several minutes near a promising moose hangout spot and I lost track of the changing sky. When I came back to reality and looked up I could hardly believe the magnificent purples that were transforming the sky to darkness. Since purple happens to be my favorite color I was memorized by the gorgeous colors and amazed that the sunset had created such a breathtaking night. While I was taking the photographs of the sky I was really only trying to capture the colors themselves. At the time I was uninterested in what else was in the shot, I only wanted that purple sky. It was after I came home and downloaded my photos onto my laptop that I realized how awesome the silhouetted trees look as well. I really must say this is one of my favorite photographs and was by far the prettiest colors I have ever seen emerge from a sunset. 

The Iconic Loon

Oh what a Loon! I often catch glimpses of Common Loons floating down river's while driving up Route 16 from Dummer towards Errol. This stretch of highway runs along the Androscoggin River which provide the perfect habitat for these ancient marvels. Lucky for us we were able to stop and observe this gracious creature floating amidst the river right from the side of the road. I often have a very hard time capturing decent photographs of these native beauties since I always seem to find them in an area where it is nearly impossible to pull over and jump out of the car. This particular Common Loon was right in the open and actually close enough to the river bank to zoom in and capture a great photograph. It was amazing to watch this threatened species wade amongst the current and float so effortlessly and peacefully. What I wouldn't give to have their ability to just chilli out and let the current float me along. I watched this lovely bird for several minutes and admired how lucky I was to be watching a species, who's numbers have been dwindling for decades, thrive in it's natural ecosystem. With conservation actions in full effect I hope to one day see Common Loons in abundance like I see Canada Geese in such high numbers all over Rhode Island.

Common Loons can be found throughout most of the state and in fact are the only species of Loons that breed in this area. They are amazing creatures that have become fully adapted to life on the water and are rarely ever found on land. If your looking to observe a Common Loon for yourself grab a pair of binoculars and head out to any area that contains some sort of water body. You can also be certain there are Loons around by listening for their very distinct calls.