Great Meadows National Wildlife Refuge - Concord, MA

Today I walked a couple miles at Great Meadows, hoping to see the Bald Eagle that has been sighted there in recent days.  No luck w/ the eagle, but I did see a nice Marsh Hawk (aka Harrier).

Cold winds and earlier start time made for fewer hikers.

 I spoke w/ a couple other photographers that were on the causeway.  These guys were hopeful of seeing the eagle too.  However, they took photography a little more seriously.  They were dressed head-to-toe in camouflage, had camouflage cameras and had heavy camera equipment and tripods which they had to lug around everywhere.  One showed me his photos of the hawk, and identified it for me as a Harrier.  He also pointed out that it had a piece of reed sticking out of its back, which I hadn't noticed when I saw it.  Easy enough to see now that I am home and checking out my photos!  I wonder how that reed got there....and what does a hawk have to do to get it out?

I also had a nice closeup of a beaver, the first I have seen in my life!  It made such a loud splash!