An unusual spot to photograph spring and the beauty of birdwatching

“CHRONICLE.” ANTHY:ON GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. ONE CONSTANINT LIFE, OF THE BEAUTY OF NATURE AND THE SIGH OF RELIEF THAT COMES WHEN SPNGRI ARRIVES. LET’S RELAX AND ENJOY THE VIEW COURTESY OF ROU ANCHOR AND FRIEND, OF THE LATE BARRY RICHARDSON AND RETIRED CHRONICLE VIDEOGRAPHER WHO HAS BEEN THE EYE BEHIND SOME OF OUR MOST UNFORGETTABLE STORIES. >> WE WAITEDOR F IT THROUGH THE LONG COLD WINTER, SPRINGTIME IN NEW ENGLAND. >> GOD SHOWS HIS SFFTU AND THIS IS ONE OF HIS BEST. >> BUT NOW THAT IT IS HERE, ARE WE TOO BUSY TO STOP AND ENJOY IT? >> THE ENORMOUS IRONY THAT THIS IS ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WHERE YOU CAN SEE IT BEST AND ALL OF US DRIVE-BY IT AT 65 OR SO MILES PER HOUR. >> PHOTOGRAPHER JOHN WASNSO ACT FINDS MAYHEM IN THE MORNING COMMUTE. >> I DISCOVERED SPRING IN ONE OF THE ODDEST PLACES WHICH IS THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE. >> JNOH RECEIVED SPECIAL PERMISSION FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE AUTHORITY TO CAPTURE THE RUSH OF SPRING AT RUSH HOUR. >> I DISCOVEDRE THE RED MAPLES AND THE SUGAR MAPLES. THEY TNUR INTO WHAT SEEMS TO ME ARE THESE ENSEMBLES OF THEES DOTS OF COLOR AND IF YOU CAN SEE THE LARGE NUMBER OF TREES TOGETHER, IT TURNS INTO SOMETHING. IT ACTYLLUA LED TO BIRDS OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY ICON UNTENDED GARDENS TO THRIVE. >> USING THE ANCNTIE TECHNOLOGY OF THE VIEW CAMERA, JOHN PRODUCES LARGE-FORMAT PRINTS FULL OF TEXTURE, DETAIL AND COLOR. PHOTOGRAPHS THAT ARE ON DISPLAY AT HIS FRAME SHOINP MASSACHUSETTS. OTHER NEW ENGLAND IMAGES PUBLISHED IN TWO BOOKS WITH HIS COMPUTER HE WORKS THE IMAGES ON FILM INTO THREALE ITHEY SEES. >> YOU CAN NEVER CAPTURE EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED ERTHE. SO YOU SUDDENLY NEED PAINTBRUESSH THAT PAINT WITH PIXELS AND IN THEND E YOU STILL CAN PRINT WHAT MOTHER NATURE CAN SHOW US. BUT WE KEEP TRYING TO GET CLOSER. >> THEY SAY SPRING IS IN THE AIR . IN NEW ENGLAND THAT MEANS THE ANNUAL MIGRATION OF BIRDS. >> IN SPRINGTIME, MILLIONS OF BIRDS RETURNING FROM THE WINTERG INGROUNDS IN THE CARIBBEAN AND CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA. THEY ARE MOVING NORTH BK TOAC THEIR BREEDING GROUNDS. >> TAKE A TRIP TO NEWBURGH WITH CHRIS. CHRIS HAS JUST REWRITTEN A NEW ADDITION OF THE BIRDWATCHERS COMPANION TO NORTH AMERICAN BIRDLIFE. >> DISPLAYS SHI WINGS AND THEN GONE. THESE CONCENTRATIONS OF BIRDS WILL COME DOWN. YOU’VE LARGE NUMBER OF BIRDS AND A LARGE NUMBER OF SPECIES. A PLACE JUST TODAY — JUST ADJACENT, THE SPECTACULAR CONCENTRATIONS OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF BIRDS. IT IS KIND OF LIKE CHRISTMAS MORNING FOR BIRDWATCHERS. NEW REPORTS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THIS PLACE WAS A MECCA FOR BIRDWATCHERS LITERALLY FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND IN FACT ALL OVER THE WORLD. >> THERE YOU GO. >> GOOD BIRD. >> I WOULDAY S, D ANI AM HOPELESSLY BIASED, BUT I WOULD SAY WNE ENGLAND IS ESPECIALLY BLESSED WITH GOOD BIRDING SPOTS. ANTHY:ON JOHN IS ALSO AN M.I.T. GRADUATE AND FORMER ENGINEER. HE IS NOW 80 YEARS OLD AND IS WORKGIN HARD GOING THROUGH 20,000 IMAGES HE SHOT MOSTLY IN HIS — MOSTLY IN NEW ENGLAND. HE’S SOAL PRODUCING NEW WORK INCLUDING IMAGES OF FLOWERS UP TO 10 FEET LON

An unusual spot to photograph spring and the beauty of birdwatching

Nature photographer John Wawrzonek takes us to the side of the highway to see the beauty of spring and Mass Audubon teaches the joys of birdwatching

Updated: 8:45 PM EDT Apr 15, 2022

As the natural world blooms around us, we dig into our archive to showcase unforgettable springtime stories captured by longtime Chronicle videographer/producer Art Donahue. We meet experts in birdwatching and birdsong, and follow a still photographer who captures early spring beauty – just steps from the Mass Pike. Apple blossoms are a sight to behold at Brookfield Orchards in North Brookfield, while a family farm is an unlikely Shangri-La in Franklin. We also take a trip down south – driving through Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. Nature photographer Wawrzonek’s shop, Lightsong Fine Art Mass Audubon nature center in Newbury, Mass.: Joppa Flats Education Center (massaudubon.org)

NEEDHAM, Mass. —

As the natural world blooms around us, we dig into our archive to showcase unforgettable springtime stories captured by longtime Chronicle videographer/producer Art Donahue. We meet experts in birdwatching and birdsong, and follow a still photographer who captures early spring beauty – just steps from the Mass Pike. Apple blossoms are a sight to behold at Brookfield Orchards in North Brookfield, while a family farm is an unlikely Shangri-La in Franklin. We also take a trip down south – driving through Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

Nature photographer Wawrzonek’s shop, Lightsong Fine Art

Mass Audubon nature center in Newbury, Mass.: Joppa Flats Education Center (massaudubon.org)