Five Days Of Foliage Day #3 – Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary (Topsfield, MA)

Date Of Visit: October 21, 2017

Location: 87 Perkins Row, Topsfield, MA

Hours:

November–April:
Tues-Sun & Mon holidays, 9 am-4 pm
Closed Mondays

May–October:
Tues-Fri, 9 am-4 pm
Sat, Sun, & Mon holidays, 9 am-5 pm
Closed Mondays

Trails:
Tues-Sun, & Mon holidays, dawn to dusk
Closed Mondays

Cost:

Members: Free
Nonmembers:
$4 Adults
$3 Children (2-12)
$3 Seniors (65+)

Parking: There is free parking for about 30 vehicles

Handicapped Accessible: No

Dog Friendly: No

Website: Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Original Post: Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary

Located only half an hour north of Boston, MA, Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary offers 12 miles of trails, diverse wildlife and some pretty good foliage.

I visited Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in July, 2016 (the link to this post is posted above).  But, like many of the places I have visited more than once, I found some hidden gems that I missed the first time.  Specifically, during my initial visit I missed out a cute walkway cut out of rock which I found during my recent visit.  I have considered revisiting places I have already photographed in the upcoming year to make sure my posts are much more comprehensive than they have been in the past.  It’s very easy to miss things if you don’t do your research beforehand or if you have a difficult time with the conditions.  In any event, it’s an idea I’m tossing around.

Since I had already visited Ipswich River Sanctuary and I was focusing mostly on foliage photo opportunities, I walked along the Ipswich River along some boardwalks, fairly easy trails and a few side trails.  There are lots of birds to photograph and the wildlife seems to be pretty friendly.  In fact, a chipmunk greeted me and came within inches of me.  I think they are used to seeing people and people may often feed them.  Unfortunately for the little fella, I was all out of acorns and nuts.

I have also seen deer at Ipswich River Sanctuary during both of my visits.  Actually, I have seem them multiple times during both of my visits.  During my first visit, I spotted two bucks drinking from the river.  They got away before I could photograph them.  But, I saw a deer later during my visit which I was able to photograph.

During my most recent visit, I saw a few deer running off into the woods.  But, again, I saw them later.  Except not in the sanctuary.  This leads me to my next observation.  I took a wrong turn, more accurately I missed a turn, on my drive back from the sanctuary.  I ended up on Central St where I found a mom deer and two of her little ones grazing on the side of the road.  After stopping abruptly and making sure she didn’t charge, I quickly grabbed my camera from the back seat without leaving the vehicle and took some photos of the deer family.

It was both exciting and shocking to see the deer by the road.  I know this happens often but I had never been so close to any animal on the road.  Not for one second did the momma’s eyes look away from my car.  You can also see how she is shielding one of her babies in the photos I took.

There was a lot of color at Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary.  However, my issue was more with lighting and shadows.  The weather was nice and there are lots of places to explore at the sanctuary.  But, I couldn’t stay long as I was going to Salem to do some Halloween photography.  So, I couldn’t stay too long.  I had to work with what I had.

Read more about my visit to Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary here…