Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!  May your day (and you) be full of turkey!

Gray Day at Breakneck Hill

It's the calm before the storm.   The sky is heavy with gray clouds, but it is relatively warm.  I walked at Breakneck Hill at lunch and enjoyed a small selection of birds.

The bluebirds were particularly chattery today and were flying through the Town Woods which abut Breakneck Hill.  I'm not sure why they were so noisy, but it was the first time I've heard them making these sounds, and I have seen them quite a few times.

Eastern Bluebird

Golden Crowned Kinglet

(had to adjust the lighting on the computer for the bird to show up)

Northern Mockingbird

I just love capturing the bird mid-mouthful.  This is my favorite shot of the outing!

Also seen:  

Black-Capped Chickadee

Blue Jay

Dark-Eyed Junco (often being chased by the Eastern Bluebirds)

Downy Woodpecker

Mallard (fly by)

Northern Flicker

Tufted Titmouse

White Breasted Nuthatch

Morning Visit to Tower Hill Botanic Garden

Twenties and high winds today.  Not a good day to spend outdoors when you are hosting visitors from Georgia, so my brother and I stayed inside at Tower Hill Botanic Garden.  Much of Tower Hill's "Holly Days" decorations were already up, and are based on the theme "woodland creatures".

We also enjoyed walking through The Limonaia and The Orangerie.  

Day Trip to Boston

My brother and niece are in town and wanted to see the sights.  It was a gorgeous late November day, with beautiful blue sky and temps in the 40s.  We walked from Boston Common up to the State House, down Beacon Hill, through the Public Gardens, up Newbury Street to the Prudential and back, hit the North End for lunch at Lucia's and then walked to Faneuil Hall and through Quincy Market.  We were so lucky to have good weather!

This was definitely a tourist day.  Skip this post if you are looking for nature photos!

State House

Lavenders

One of my favorite things to show to visitors to Boston is the purple glass windows on Beacon Hill.  The color is the result of too much manganese oxide in the glass manufacturing process (dating to the early 1800s).  Over time, the glass reacted to sunlight and changed color.  

What bird would you expect to see in a major city?  

Yes, that's right:  pigeons.

Rock Pigeons

There were also plenty of mallards and Canada geese at the duck ponds in the gardens.  I didn't bother taking any photos of them!

Looking back at the Public Gardens

(yes, this statue has a Red Sox t-shirt on)

Newbury Street

Loved this Singer collection!

Newbury Street "wildlife" sighting

Newbury Street "wildlife" sighting #2

The view from The Prudential

Trinity Church, Copley Square

Old North Church/Paul Revere

Faneuil Hall

Quincy Market and Custom House

Quincy Market....all ready for Christmas