December 24th. A wet and dreary start to Christmas Eve, but a reminder of last spring in this Yellow Warbler nest.  Red-winged Blackbirds should be back in less than two months.

 

December 27th.   A frosty 23 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carrion-flower (Smilax herbacea).

 

 

 

Oak (Quercus sp.) seedling.

 

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) seed head.

 

December 29th.  Out early, hoping for a sunrise but clouds in just the wrong places.

 

 

 

 

 

Some diffuse color in an unusual direction.

 

Ice reforming after several warm days.  Hard to believe I'm still wearing sneakers on the last days of December.

 

January 2nd, 2015.  I thought I'd missed the sunrise but was surprised to see it develop just as I arrived at my favorite spot.

 

It developed quickly...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

...but soon began to fade.

 

 

 

Then it began developing again, with just a hint of a sun pillar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fading for certain this time.

 

 

 

 

 

And gone.

 

A Pussy Willow bud, fooled perhaps by recent warm weather.  Nevertheless, a symbol that spring will come... eventually.

 

January 3rd.  Not the drama of yesterday's sunrise.

 

 

 

January 5th.  Just a touch of color in the clouds.

 

Far distant Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis).

 

January 6th.  Beavers have been foraging.

 

January 8th.  A bleak wintry view of the Blackledge River as it passes under the trail.

 

Beavers have attacked a large tree near River Road.

 

Quite a lot of work.  I hope they finish the job as the tree is completely girdled with no chance of survival.

 

January 10th.  Mouse or Vole tracks and burrow in yesterday's 3" of snow.