Nature Notes: Photo walking on New Year's Eve

This morning the shallowest part of the lake had a thin layer of ice which formed interesting patterns.

You can't really tell from the next shot but the mallards were sticking their heads through the thin ice and finding something to eat at the bottom.

The next shot is the part the mallards hadn't broken up yet. I'm not sure what they were finding in the murky bottom.

The gulls were active over the deeper part of the water where they didn't have to deal with ice.

One thing I like about cold morning walks is there aren't many other people around.

This is either an early nature notes or a late one since I took a break during the holidays, mostly due to browser issues.

The sky motivated me to walk because I knew it would be good for reflections over the lake.

This time of the year the gulls are very active at the lake and then they leave in the spring to nest elsewhere.

  

I only saw two Canadian Geese today. After signs were posted about not feeding them, their numbers began to reduce beginning in the summer. Most years they stay at the lake in the winter but move from the water near the bridge to the brown grassy slope where I spotted two this time. Last year there were dozens of them on the slope this time of the year.

I saw several Great Blue Heron this morning.

The cormorants were on their favorite perches.

They are another bird that seem to leave the lake in the spring with a similar return time to the gulls.

I thought the pair of ducks below were rather dreamy.

The next gull let me stand very close for a shot.

I think the great blue heron looks like a teacher surrounded by school children.

In the next shot the heron reminds me of an elderly grandparent all hunched over with a long beard.

I couldn't stop photographing the cormorants with their reflections.

The gull seems to have learned the herons trick of hanging out at the fish feeding station.

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Today's Flowers: Freeze thaw freeze thaw

I like the way this camellia has held on to some color while it has frozen and thawed and frozen and thawed again.

I guess you could call it the slow death of a flower.

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Photohunters: Gathering and End

 Gathering

 End

 

There was a gathering of waxwings and juncos, some of whom were perched on the ends of the branches, partying in the tree.

The first three shots in this post were taken at the beginning of the year, but the last shot was taken at the end of the year.

I thought I'd show you shots of the individuals who were part of the gathering. They are both small birds but I used more zoom on the first one.

The bird above is a waxwing and the bird below is a junco.

Click here for the gathering photohunt and click here for the end photohunt.

Nature Notes: mixed weather

We had a touch of winter for a few days and then spring returned.

Now it looks like it will be up and down temperature wise.

The immediate forecast looks like we won't have any more of the very cold nights like we had for several days.

I hope we have a decent winter this year.

Until last winter we have a string of winters with at least several pretty snows and a long enough stretch of cold to feel like we'd had winter.

Last year we barely had winter all all and I missed it.  Click for the home of Nature Notes.

Today's Flowers: Surprises

Camellias (this variety) set their buds during the winter and bloom in the spring. This camellia got ahead of itself, to my surprise, and I caught a picture of it before the frost began turning it brown.

The seed heads of the fairy asters surprised me with their beauty.

They lightened the browns in my winter yard.

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Photohunters: Zesty Macro

 Zesty

 Macro

I decided to take some macro shots of zesty spices for the combined photohunt.

The zesty macro above is coriander and the one below is dried pepper.

Click here for the zesty photohunters and click here for the macro photohunters.

Nature Notes: Mostly about the Birds

I like the way the male and female cardinal were getting ready for his and her baths.

Not a very good shot of the carolina wren but I thought it looked like a big leaf.

I wonder how many cardinals live in my yard.

I've spotted bunches of them at a time.

The male cardinals are so flamboyant.

The birds seem so exposed in bare trees.

The American Robins are spending more and more time in the trees as opposed to on the ground.

They do come down for a drink of water.

The red-wing blackbirds are more noticeable lately (thanks to Michelle for the I.D. help a week or two ago). You can barely see the red and yellow markings in this shot but they have them which helps with identification.

The cardinals usually go to the deck bird baths but occasionally I see them in the front yard bath.

The female cardinal and sparrow were sharing a bath for drinking water.

The sparrows are very patient in the front yard watching the bird bath for their turn.

There is something very beautiful to me about early winter trees.

The front yard bird bath is popular with the rufous-sided towhees.

Another nearly naked tree.

I think the next bird is a grackle with it's bluish tint which would be more noticeable in better ligthing.

I'm not sure about the next one. Maybe another grackle.

The sparrow gets a turn in the bath.

Light frosting on the leaves.

Thin ice dumped from the bird bath.

Bluejay preparing for a bath.

Splish splash she's taking a bath . . .

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