February 18th. Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) around with most of yesterday's ice melted.
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Holly.
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February 19th. An afternoon walk west from Grayville Road to the Judd Brook bridge. I think this is the early stage of Watercress (Nasturtium officinale - sometimes listed as Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum). It was in a trailside ditch.
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A larva of the Red Flat Bark Beetle (Cucujus clavipes), found under loose bark.
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Feeding tracks under bark made by larvae of Metallic Wood-boring Beetles (Family Buprestidae).
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Moss on a downed tree.
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Anything green is welcome at this time of year. The brighter green, the better.
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Looking north from just south of the Judd Brook bridge.
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Looking south from roughly the same spot.
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(Handheld long exposures with the camera wedged against a tree trunk for stability.)
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I took a short uphill walk south along a trail parallel to the brook and found the skeleton of a large lean-to shelter.
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Then I returned and crossed the trail, walking down to the junction of Judd Brook and the Jeremy River. Lots of Haircap Moss (Polytrichum juniperum, most likely).
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Mixed in with the moss, I found two species of Clubmoss or "Ground Pine". This is the recumbent Staghorn Clubmoss (Lycopodium clavatum)...
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...and this is Tree Clubmoss or Princess Pine as I learned it (Dendrolycopodium obscurum, formerly Lycopodium obscurum). Its pollen was once collected and burned by photographers: the original flash powder.
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Tree Clubmoss and Haircap Moss together.
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Walking back east towards Grayville Road. A bit chilly and breezy, but a nice afternoon.
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February 20th. Warm light just after dawn.
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Heading for the sunny spot (at 21 degrees).
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Ahh.
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Balancing act. Every clear day, more and closer male Red-winged Blackbirtds (Agelaius phoeniceus).
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Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapilla) singing "fee bee", another sign of spring.
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Imagination, wishful thinking, or are the Red Maple (Acer rubrum) buds really swelling?
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Sun higher as I walked back.
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February 21st. A male woodpecker attacking an old Bald-faced Hornet nest.
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Probably a Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) but from these phoptos I can't rule out a Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus).
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Ice formations at the small exit stream from the marsh.
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