March 7th.  Raymond Brook Marsh in flood stage after a day and night of rain and a lot of melting snow.

 

The old beaver lodge uninhabitable for now.  (I'm pretty sure beavers only used it in passing this winter.)

 

 

 

High water raised the remaining ice and separated it from the shore.

 

The channel side was ice free for the most part.

 

Raymond Brook where it exits the marsh and crosses under Old Colchester Road was a torrent.

 

 

 

Raymond Brook at Grayville Falls was roaring, as you can hear for yourself, below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 8th.  Seventeen degrees and clear.  The falling water and falling temperature combined to create marvelous patterns in overnight ice.  (Water in the marsh remains high, but nowhere near the degree of flooding as yesterday.)

 

 

 

 

 

I'm still not satiated with Red-winged Blackbird colors and songs.  A joy to hear them herald approaching spring.

 

March 9th.  More ice, this time in a low spot of the trail surface.

 

 

 

At least a dozen Hooded Mergansers (Lophphdytes cucullatus) rested on the marsh before continuing their migration..

 

 

 

And off they go!

 

 

 

Others lingered a little longer.  This male has his crest down.

 

 

 

Several flights of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) passed overhead...

 

 

 

...as did these Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa).

 

A female is followed by three males.

 

 

 

A lone Herring Gull (Larus argentatus) passed by, probably headed for the roof of Sunnyside convenience store or the Catholic church on Route 85.