Morning at Hopkinton State Park

I planned to stop on Rafferty Road and try to get some foliage shots around the water at Hopkinton State Park.  It drives me crazy that the park doesn't open til 8AM, when I already have to be at work.  I don't know what their old hours were, but I was always able to get in there after 6:00AM, and that early morning light used to provide some beautiful views at the park.  As I drove past the entrance on my way to Rafferty Road this morning, I noticed the gates were open, so I quickly turned around, tires squealing (just kidding) and went in.

I parked in the lot by the boat house and found the trees were swarming with migrating birds.  I think for the most part (and I struggle with warblers) they were Yellow-Rumped Warblers and Ruby-Crowned Kinglets.  Now Ruby-Crowned Kinglets are small birds that move constantly and are challenging to photograph.  I came home with lots of photos of them, which just proves how many there were available to shoot.

That 45 minutes at the park zoomed by so fast, and I really had trouble breaking away to go to work.  It was one of those magical mornings and that little voice in my head was saying, "Should I take the day off?"

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

This one (above) was foraging amid the leaf litter on the ground.  If you click on the photo to enlarge it, I think you will see the caterpillar it found.

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

It's just not right that they don't open the park until 8, and we can't start our days with beautiful scenery like this!

I think this one's a Pine Warbler (and this was taken back at home)