Walking

Tundra Swans

Rae Spencer9 Comments

Swans Feb 6

I didn’t see any snow geese at Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge today, but I did see tundra swans.

Swans Feb 6

My internal thesaurus was cataloguing synonyms for “elegant” when I noticed a commotion.

Swans Feb 6

The swans were bathing! So graceful and majestic and…

Swans Feb 6

… playful? They both paused after this undignified flail, as if to make certain no one was watching.

Swans Feb 6

Then…

Swans Feb 6

I couldn’t help laughing out loud as they splashed and rolled. A few minutes later, they shook out their feathers, folded their wings, and resumed their stately tour of bay.

Swans Feb 6

I was captivated by the swans’ antics, and tonight my internal thesaurus has started compiling synonyms for “joyful”.

A Windy Walk in the Park

Rae Spencer1 Comment

Warbler Jan 30

Yesterday started sunny and mild. A brisk, warm wind raced ahead of a stormy cold front, and it was impossible to stay inside.

First Landing Jan 30

First Landing Jan 30

First Landing Jan 30

Mallards Jan 30

Egret Jan 30

Low tide had drained the marsh into a muddy network of puddles, many of them marked with fresh tracks.

Fish Jan 30

Print Jan 30

I would have stayed longer, but the sharpening wind made trails increasingly unfriendly. Cones clattered down from the canopy. Branches creaked and scraped. Trees swayed so hypnotically that I gave up on watching the trail and staggered along with my attention focused overhead, stumbling over roots and ruts.

First Landing Jan 30

I also spotted dozens of potential nest cavities.

First Landing Jan 30

First Landing Jan 30

When a long-dead tree shattered across my path, I decided it was time to find the car.

First Landing Jan 30

This morning, our damaged fence made me wonder how many more trees fell in the park overnight, and how many nesting places were lost.

Another Warm Day = Another Walk

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First Landing Jan 21

Today we walked one of our favorite trails at First Landing State Park.

First Landing Jan 21

Squirrel Jan 21

Egret Jan 21

We heard a report, shortly after arriving, that two Bald Eagles had been spotted there this morning. We missed the eagles, but did see a number of egrets.

Egret Jan 21

Egret Jan 21

Egret Jan 21

As usual, I tried in vain to photograph the trail’s smaller birds. I missed Eastern Bluebirds and Chickadees, White-throated Sparrows and Brown-headed Nuthatches. I missed Pine Warblers and Downy Woodpeckers. The only one I didn’t miss was this wren.

Wren Jan 21

I believe it’s a Carolina Wren, though it was not singing a typical Carolina Wren song.

Wren Jan 21

I’m very curious to hear from more experienced bird watchers. Is this a Carolina Wren? If so, is this a typical call variation?

Now that I’m home and at my computer, I find myself wishing I had stayed out longer. If our forecast holds, the next few days will be too cold for comfort. I will be trapped indoors with a frightening stack of neglected bookkeeping. I might be forced to start another crochet project or organize the archives. Work on an unfinished manuscript. Fake an illness. Anything to avoid starting the taxes…

Another Walk in the Sun

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Trail Jan 19

More sun today, and much warmer. We chose a new path, one that cuts through a residential area before joining a series of nature reserve trails.

Trail Jan 19

Trail Jan 19

The reserve is heavily managed along these trails. We saw evidence of selective tree removal and a pair of unnaturally straight drainage canals.

Trail Jan 19

The area seemed somewhat barren of wildlife, though I suspect today’s lovely weather had lured heavier traffic to the trails than usual. Perhaps the constant flow of joggers, bicyclists, dog walkers, and groups of hikers contributed to the conspicuous silence from the trees.

Trail Jan 19

Trail Jan 19

We saw a few flocks of chickadees, and plenty of sparrows foraging in the underbrush, but no woodpeckers or warblers, and no waterbirds.

Chickadee Jan 19

Sparrows Jan 19

Back in the car and on our way home, we spotted another hawk hunting in a small field. We turned around again, and once again I wasn’t able to get a very good photo. The hawk was perched just beyond my camera’s comfort zone.

Hawk Jan 19

Each time I get one of these “nearly” photos, it makes me eager to try again. I’m already looking forward to tomorrow’s walk. The forecast calls for one more day of warm sunshine before winter’s next frosty pass.

Trail Jan 19

The Sun Returns

Rae Spencer5 Comments

Red Wing Jan 18

Today’s sun made the air seem warmer than it actually was.

Red Wing Jan 18

Red Wing Jan 18

Red Wing Jan 18

We took a long-ish walk through Red Wing Park, where we heard more birds and animals than we saw.

Red Wing Jan 18

Red Wing Jan 18

Red Wing Jan 18

A cluster of early blooms reminded us that spring isn’t all that far away.

Red Wing Jan 18

Red Wing Jan 18

Red Wing Jan 18

Red Wing Jan 18

I found several sunlit doorways.

Red Wing Jan 18

Red Wing Jan 18

On the way home, we circled a field three times after spotting a pair of hawks. I didn’t get a very good look at them, nor a very good picture. I thought, at first, that they were Cooper’s Hawks, but maybe they were Red-tailed Hawks? Is there a way to tell for certain, using only the information in this picture?

Hawk Jan 18

I’ve really missed the sun, and I hope it decides to stay for a while.

Red Wing Jan 18