Local Wildlife Part 1

Hi everyone,
It’s Bill, the graphics guy over here at NEMO. Beyond creating graphics and shooting photos for NEMO, my passion and hobby for many years has been wildlife photography and art. I love to learn about all of the creatures around me. Constantly observing wildlife, I often find myself dragging my tired body out of bed before sunrise, grabbing the camera and heading for the forest in the off-chance that 'today is the day' that the perfect photo will be captured. I figured with so many amazing animals and birds around the NEMO headquarters, it would be fun to share with you the images and scenes that the casual observer might miss in the hurried pace of modern life.

Recently I have met a few local wildlife enthusiasts that have shared some local knowledge on bird migrations. Last week I found myself standing on Runnels Bridge in Hollis, NH at about 6:30pm waiting. Kevin Klasman, my new friend and fellow photographer was certain " they would come". We waited about 15 minutes and he said, "There! Here they come!" Sure enough, one after another, a small bird known as a Common Nighthawk darted it’s way overhead (destination, South America). I learned that Nighthawks follow rivers when they migrate. Starting a bit before sunset they fly catching insects in loose intermittent groups.

Since Nighthawks are rarely seen in the wild because of the way they tend to 'lay' on a branch or fence rail, this was a really cool experience. Many bird groups track and count the sightings of these birds in an effort to get a sense of it’s population. From what I can tell, it seems like they are doing really well.

Thanks for reading!

Until next time,
Bill