
March 8th. Out early on the first morning of Daylight Savings Time.
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The pair of Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) was back, briefly. The male playing catch-up.
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First Ring-necked Duck (Aythya collaris) of the year at Raymond Brook Marsh. He departed quickly.
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The whirlpool was back, today with a stick caught in it.
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I freed the stick.
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Dark-eyed Juncos (Junco hyemalis), primarily a winter bird, were out in force.
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They kept ahead of me as I walked east on the trail.
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A pair of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in their usual channel spot.
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Lovely warm early sun though dark clouds to the west for awhile.
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Selfie.
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March 9th. Moonset through the trees at the Route 85 trail head.
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Same day, an afternoon walk east of Route 2 towards the Jeremy River Bridge. Temp above 60. Wood Frogs (Rana sylvatica) in full chorus.
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Ripples echo the frog's calls.
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Frog ripples everywhere, intersecting.
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Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata), a second nice find of the day.
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On the right side of this rock cut, there's a shallow ditch...
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...alive with filamentous algae.
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And a third nice find, a Woolly Bear (Pyrrharctia isabella), caterpillar of the Isabella Tiger Moth.
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