Dates Of Visits: June, July & August 2026
Locations: Arcadia Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary (Easthampton, MA), Stanley Park and Robinson State Park (Westfield, MA)
Summary: Lots of wildlife photos from western MA
I realized I haven’t posted in a while. So, I thought a quick tour of some of my favorite local parks would be a good way to get me back to posting on a regular basis.
This post highlights three of my favorite parks in my area.
Because of it’s proximity to my new home and it’s overall beauty, Stanley Park in Westfield, MA, has become one of my favorite places to photograph wildlife.
I saw this American Bullfrog croaking during one of my visits.
Male Bullfrogs croak to attract females and defend their individual territory.
Stanley Park also has a wide variety of wildlife such as rabbits, turtles as well as other critters.
Stanley Park also has a lot of geese and ducks.
This momma goose was nesting some eggs during one of my visits.
Some ducks and geese, like this Ebden Goose giving me a rather stern look, do sometimes nest together and even raise each other’s eggs. In fact, it is not uncommon for geese and ducks to either lay eggs in close proximity to each other’s nests or sometimes they lay their eggs in the nests of other ducks or geese, also known as brood amalgamation.
Turtles are also abundant at the park.
But, I took my favorite photo from there a few years ago. I encountered this fox, who I dubbed “Red”, while they were hunting.
Stanley also has a lot of chipmunks.
Another park in the Westfield area, technically the neighboring town of Agawam, that I like to frequent is Robinson State Park. I have been able to photograph these rabbits and a real gem; a Green Heron. While Great Blue Herons are common to the area, at least to the places I visit, Green Herons have always more elusive for me. So, when I got the opportunity to photograph this one, I made sure to get a photo of it!
You may see baby cottontails, called kits, with a small white spot on their forehead often called a “milk spot.” This is a common trait among healthy kits. The mark usually goes away as they grow into adults, though some rabbits keep it into adulthood. White spots can also be a sign of disease or infection or some other condition in older rabbits, although they often appear in groups when a rabbit has these conditions.
Another one of my new favorite places to visit is the local Mass Audubon in Easthampton, MA (aka Arcadia). Over the years, I’ve photographed deer, a falcon and a variety of critters. But, during my most recent visits, I have seen chipmunks, a deer and a juvenile Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.
Sapsuckers, which feed on tree sap and insects, are known to girdle trees by drilling rings of holes, which can injure or kill the tree.
I photographed this fawn during a recent a visit. Don’t worry. Mom was nearby and very eager to get her little one moving.
But, mostly, I have seen chipmunks at Arcadia. Lots and lots of chipmunks.
I’m sure I’ll be posting more photos from these parks in the future, especially since I’ve heard and seen lots of wildlife when I didn’t have my camera with me.
I do have lots more photos of destinations I’ve visited. I just haven’t had much free time to edit and post them. Hopefully, I’ll have the time to post new photos of my travels!
New England Nomad 