July 2024 – Page 2

Iceland – Reykjavik and Golden Circle

Our week in Iceland began with a tour of some classic sights.

Our extended family loves to travel. We sought an interesting destination to celebrate a graduation and two birthdays, and settled on Iceland. So eleven of us met up in Reykjavik for a busy week of touring this beautiful country. Iceland’s northernmost point just grazes the Arctic Circle, but even at Reykjavik (on the southwest coast) and on our dates (three weeks after solstics) the days were still very long: sunrise at 0342 and sunset at 2325; it was never dark! Although Iceland is a small island, a one-week visit is really only enough to scratch the surface – we focused on the area around the capital of Reykjavik (and the crowded “Golden Circle” of nearby sights) and the remote Westfjords peninsula. This post focuses on the Reykjavik area; see the combined gallery or the location-specific galleries below. Read on!

Groundhog days

Seven groundhog pups!

Far in the back of our backyard is a pile of sticks – woody debris we’ve piled up for over 25 years as we trim trees and clear brush. With time, the pile has decomposed and compressed into a thick, firm dome-shaped structure. Last fall I discovered that some critter had burrowed under the pile. This spring I placed one of my wildlife cameras a few feet from the entrance and, in early June, I started capturing video of a big fat groundhog (woodchuck) emerging from the burrow. Then one day, I saw tiny faces appear deep in the burrow. Within a day, seven groundhog pups were exploring the burrow’s “front yard.” Wow, do these little pups have energy! Mama would come and go, presumably to feed (and perhaps to catch a little ‘me’ time), and sometimes to bring back a mouthful of dried leaves to freshen up the interior of their home. Meanwhile, the pups would play, wrestle, climb, and explore. I collected hundreds of minutes of video capturing some fascinating behaviors; here, I edited it down to an eight-minute compendium of my favorite clips. Settle in for eight minutes, and enjoy the video!

Wildflowers in foggy meadow

An hour wading among wildflowers on a summer morning.

A meadow near our home has been planted with wildflowers, bringing smiles to everyone who rides or drives by. One foggy morning I spent a happy hour collecting photographs as the sun rose and started to burn off the fog. Check out the full photo gallery!

Many thanks to the Upper Valley Land Trust (UVLT) for conserving this former farm field, and to the landowners for planting beautiful wildflowers!

All images shot with Canon R5 with the RF 100-500 lens.

Back scratcher

A black bear finds a new use for my wildlife camera.

Earlier this month one of my busiest camera locations encountered a black bear who had an itch to scratch. See the video, up close and personal!

Mount Cabot and The Horn

Bagging another two peaks – one NH48 and one 52WAV.

After bagging some of the more prominent New Hampshire peaks three days ago – in the Pemigewasset Wilderness, at the heart of White Mountain National Forest – I was still itching for another hike on this long holiday weekend. So early today my son and I headed back north, through the fog lining the Connecticut River Valley. We passed through the Sunday-morning quiet in small towns like Groveton and tiny towns like Stark, ending up on a remote gravel road leading to the New Hampshire Fish Hatchery near York Pond. As the sun struggled to beat back the morning fog, we dove into the damp, green forests below Mount Cabot. Our goal was an 11.5-mile triangular loop over Cabot and another less prominent – but more promising – bump called The Horn. Read on!

View from the summit of The Horn back toward Mount Cabot (at center) and The Bulge (at right).

Galehead and South Twin

Two more 4000-footers, on July 4th!

The July 4th holiday provided me an opportunity to get back to the White Mountains, to revisit some peaks I had visited on my first days as a college student in 1982. The weather forecast looked good, and although a brief sprinkle spritzed my car as I approached the trailhead, spirits were high as I met up with two friends and their two dogs. Our goal was to climb two of New Hampshire’s 48 four-thousand-foot peaks: South Twin, and Galehead. We succeeded and had some fantastic views along the way. Read on!

The Gale River, along the Gale River Trail to Galehead hut.

Lyme wildlife: June 2024

New surprises!

My wildlife cameras have been busy this month! With the return of spring, I placed a camera back down by the riverside… and started capturing the daily visits of a couple of Canada Geese and their brood of little goslings. As the weeks wore by, the goslings grew bigger… and fewer. (We started with four, then three, then two.) They were fun to watch, but the really cool stuff came later. Read on!