When New Englanders see temperatures starting to break the 30s and 40s with the sun out, they think it’s time to get out and enjoy the weather.  So that is what I did recently at Horn Pond, in Woburn, MA.  The last time I was at Horn Pond, I was on a photo walk with a Hunt’s Photo Education group in February.  It was chilly with icy trails every where, but absolutely fabulous for the song birds, ducks and swans which were taking advantage of some open water running out of the Pond into a brook.  More recently, Horn Pond is a different place altogether.  It’s more Spring-like, people are everywhere getting out and enjoying the day early, walking the now muddy trails with their families and friends, and exchanging pleasantries with one another for probably the first time in months of being cooped up inside for not only the weather, but also the affects of the pandemic.

In my case, a new lens has brought new excitement to practice some new techniques and work toward getting birds in flight by using my camera’s capabilities I haven’t used that much in the past. So this visit, I practiced capturing birds in flight using Olympus’s “Pro-Capture” settings, along with my usual multiple exposure settings.  The ones I am most happy with on this trip are the Bluejay in the tree, readying to take flight and in flight.  In addition, I found a brook running into the Pond, where there were some Cardinals and Robins swimming in the water giving their feathers a well-needed, Spring bath.

By taking some time to slow down, dressing for the day’s temperatures, and getting out on some local trails, I was able to capture some unexpected images this trip.  So I recommend taking the the time to get out to some new place, look up, look down, and see what you can find. There’s really a lot going on before your eyes to enjoy and there are certainly plenty of locations to visit and enjoy right near you.