Nature Notes: Last week of January through Groundhog Day

After a brief reprieve with a mild Monday, the cold air came back full force on Tuesday.

I photographed the red-bellied woodpecker through my window on Tuesday and the hawk through my window on Wednesday.

The mourning dove and possibly a grackle are eating seeds on my deck wall on Wednesday morning in the shot below.

The male cardinal is watching me put food on the wall (after I cleared off the snow) below.

I went on a walk after taking care of the birds and enjoyed the snow although it was very cold.

 I was glad to see that many people in the neighborhood filled their feeders and I shot the carolina chickadee below at a house around the corner from me.

 I made it to the closest park trail and checked out the creek.

 I know some of you have been getting too much snow and bitter cold weather but after barely having winter last year, I'm enjoying this one.

However, our cold weather has been in the low teens F as opposed to the much colder weather many people have had this winter. Also, we have been getting breaks with it alternating between spring and winter weather every so often.

It's wild the way we can have 50 or even more degrees difference between warmer and colder periods. I've been taking a ton of pictures of the juncos.

The male rufous-sided towhee below seemed to be watching me on Thursday.

 I've had a hard time keeping fresh water in the bird baths.

 My azalea bushes dripped icicles.

Thursday ended up being a beautiful day and it got warmer.

The finch enjoyed a bath on Friday which was even warmer.

The female rufous-sided towhee showed me her profile.

 The male cardinal looked a bit bedraggled.

The female cardinal looked like she was debating a bath.

We had a wonderful sunset Friday night.

Most of the snow had melted by Saturday but when I went to Shelley lake I discovered the woodland part of the trails still had some snow left.

It was almost like two different places between the woods and the sunny parts around the lake.

 I was taking pictures when someone pointed out the bald eagle and I managed a few shots but none were that good (eagle near the top on the left and two herons on the right side near the top).

Most of the lake was still frozen on Saturday but it was beginning to thaw in the sun.

 I caught the great blue heron taking off below.

The heron was strutting in the next shot. I saw four different great blue herons at the lake on Saturday.

I took so many shots last week all my posts are getting long.

 

 I like the way the moss and ferns look peeking out of the snow.

My what a difference a day makes. Sunday the lake was completely thawed out and the only ice left were a few bits and pieces in the creeks.

Sunday was groundhog day which I guess means there will be six more weeks of winter if I go by the last shot filled with shadows.

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