Nicki Steel Photography

Name: Nicki Steel Photography
Address: Wilmington, VT, US
Telephone: +18024645277

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United States
Wilmington, VT
Nicki Steel Photography

I live in s. Vermont & specialize in rural life and wildlife & nature especially loons & eagles

09/08/2026

All about being Sassy. I was out with it and one parent last night. They were just swimming around for awhile and then they settled into napping, just hanging out and were perfectly comfortable with me just drifting with them. Sassy will start really using its wings soon as it starts to figure out the flying thing.
It amazes me that I saw Sassy when it was hours old, 8 1/2 weeks ago. See last photo.
Enjoy and Share if you'd like!

09/06/2026

Two mornings on Lake Raponda. On Friday I spent most of the time watching an osprey. I saw both adults but not Sassy so I went back yesterday. It was windy and hard to kayak but saw four adults hanging out together. At this time of year loons are quite social - no fights but just very interested in each other. I was a little concerned that I hadn't seen Sassy but it was too windy for me to check out the entire lake and I knew it wouldn't be with the 4 adults. But, on the drive home there it was, right by shore. I took a couple of photos, it dove and disappeared. It was like Sassy wanted to reassure me that it is, at 8 weeks, thriving.

08/31/2026

Yesterday a lovely morning paddle as fall starts to creep in. I spent a lot of time watching a very talented great blue heron fish among the lily pads. How it could tell there were even fish under the pads I'll never know but in the time I watched it made 3 successful catches. Bonus photos - a hungry cat bird and a regal cormorant.
Enjoy the day, Share if you'd like.

08/28/2026

Sassy just being, well, sassy. I spotted Sassy and one adult near shore as I drove by so of course I stopped. They were in among the water lilies so Sassy was having fun figuring out what was edible or not and what made good fashion accessories. It even tried pulling on a rope. Even in a couple of days the juvenile feathers are more apparent. Sassy turns 7 weeks tomorrow.
Share if you'd like and I hope Sassy brings a smile to your face.

08/25/2026

Sassy is now 6 1/2 weeks old and is transitioning from fuzzy brown feathers to what will be gorgeous juvenile feathers. All three gathered in the south cove to feed and just hang out. Although Sassy did dive a couple times I have not yet seen it get its own food and the parents seem perfectly happy to do it. That will start to change soon. The adults (at least the male) will be thinking of heading out in the next month or so.They are so relaxed with me, sometimes swimming closer to me and once the adult swam underwater within inches of the kayak. I feel so lucky that they let me into their lives.
Share if you'd like!

08/18/2026

Who needs a kayak? Yesterday I was driving along the road at the lake when I noticed Sassy the chick and one adult swimming towards the narrow area that leads to the boat launch. I pulled over and just sat at the edge of the water. They spent a lot of time close to me, just feeding and swimming and I could see that Sassy is just beginning to lose its baby feathers and grow in the juvenile feathers. At one point the adult called out a warning as an eagle flew in to sit in a tree further down the lake.
Feel free to Share and if you see me by the side of the road with my camera come join me!

08/17/2026

It was a windy, about-to-rain gray evening but I thought I'd check on Juvie, the Harriman eagle. It was at the nest at first, doing its normal calling out for the adults who were nowhere to be seen. Finally it started moving up the branch but the wind kept lifting it up and finally blew it to the end of the branch and off the tree. It's definitely better with the flying but this was a challenge as it tried to soar. Fun for me to watch but maybe not for Juvie. It had to land on the shore, then up to a tree and finally to a favorite tree of the parents. As rain moved in I left.

08/13/2026

At 33 days old Sassy is growing. The adults are doing a great job feeding and it is just beginning to get the juvenile feathers. During the next few weeks it will change from a child to a handsome juvenile.
Share if you'd like and Follow so that you can see Sassy grow.

Address

Wilmington, VT

Telephone

+18024645277

Website

http://www.nickisteel.com/

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