Maudslay State Park in January

Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, MA is generally known for its beauty during the warm summer months. It is home to hundreds of rhododendron bushes, overlooks the Merrimac River and was once the home of the Maudslay family's manicured gardens.

On a day in January I took a walk off the beaten path and came across some interesting artifacts. I enjoyed editing these photos with a darker atmosphere than one would normally associate with Maudslay State Park. 

Outdoors in November

I didn't take a whole lot of pictures this fall but managed to get out for a few short photo shoots. These first two photographs were taken in Maudslay State Park in Newburyport, MA.

On a cold November day we went for a walk in Maudslay State Park. I managed to get Mike to stop and take one photo with me on the condition that I wouldn't take any more pictures of him for the rest of the walk.

This photo was shot on the trail near the Maudslay homestead. Lucky for me the sun was setting over the Merrimac River.

On another quick walk to the Waterfront Park in Newburyport, I stopped to take a photo of the cormorants which adorn the docks. Across the bay are the buildings in Salisbury, MA. 

Just as we left my mother's house after our Thanksgiving visit we saw a band of wild turkeys crossing a neighbor's yard. Such a pleasant sight to see on Thanksgiving weekend. This was taken in Stoddard, NH. 

I continued my photographs of Black and White wet stones with this one at Goose Pond in Keene, NH on Thanksgiving Day. 

Flower Walk in Maudslay State Park

If you ever go to the Newburyport area I highly suggest going to Maudslay State Park. It is a wonderful place for a walk. In May and June it is full of blooming Azaleas and Rhododendron. Bald eagles nest there in the late winter and it has some wonderful paths through a pine grove, along the Merrimac River and in historical gardens.

They frequently offer programs for the public such as historical tours, painting days or flower walks. I was able to attend one of these flower walks. My favorite photograph from the one hour tour was this one of a flying ant suckling at a white peone.

It was difficult lighting at first but I was able to get the ant in mid-flight. The peone's were beginning to lose their petals so I made it just in time to get a good picture of the peone before it passed for the season.

I had good luck with insects that day. I was also able to get this pretty good picture of a bee at a Catawba Rhododendron. The photograph was underexposed but I thought I captured the bee well enough that it is worth posting. On the flower walk I learned that this is a rhododendron and not its close sister the azalea because it has more than seven stamen. Azaleas look very similar but have only five stamen and do not have thick waxy leaves like the rhododendron.

I hope to do much more photography of the special flora at Maudslay State Park over the summer. It is a truly beautiful place to visit.