February 17th.

 

(Provide your own caption?)

 

 

 

February 19th. Ten degrees at 7AM after several days in the fifties with rain and wind. The trail free of snow, ice, standing water, and mud...for now.

 

Seemed like I moved a thousand twigs and branches off the trail; the legacy of the high winds.

 

Cn you guess the identity of this "moonscape"?

 

It's a foliose Lichen, Physcia, most likely P. stellaris.

 

Some fresh frozen ice overnight, though at least much of the channel was ice free.

 

This hawk was hounded by three crows; chased from place to place until they were all out of sight.

 

With thanks to Russ Smiley for confirmation, it's an immature Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus).

 

Ah, an easy one: Male Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis).

 

Lots of male Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) calling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 22nd. Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) in open water far from the trail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 23rd. Cloudy, but above 50 degrees!

 

Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) appears to be shooting a laser beam.

 

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) retains its leaves over the winter. They rattle in the slightest breeze.

 

Elongate Beech buds are distinctive.

 

One of three large American Crows (Corvus brachyrhyncos) that have been hanging around the marsh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Several groups of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) around today, despite wind and temps in the low 20s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 28th. Several inches of crusty ice/snow leftover from several days ago.

 

Most of the south side of the marsh was iced over, but the channel on the north side was open.

 

An adult Herring Gull (Larus argentatus), the only bird I saw at the marsh at 3PM.