March 20th. Spring arrived at 5:37 this morning. This Eastern Grey Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) has found a pizza crust to eat.

 

At 23 degrees, some fresh ice in the still areas of the marsh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ripples on the channel side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia). Thanks Russ Smiley for the ID.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plenty of Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) at the pond east of Route 207.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A pair of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) took off and flew by.

 

 

 

 

 

Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) with a pair of Ring-necks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ring-necks take off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March 21st. An afternoon walk east of Cook Hill Road in Lebanon. 68 degrees!

 

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) circling, pestered by crows.

 

 

 

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia). Also heard: an owl, spring peepers, and wood frogs.

 

Alder (Alnus sp.) catkins have started to flower.

 

Insects gathered at sap on a freshly cut tree trunk.

 

They're flies. Most likely Family Sepsidae, the Black Scavenger Flies. See some with wings spread wide (when they walk)? That's characteristic.

 

Based on the light leg bases and lack of black dots at the wing tips, they may be Themira annulipes.

 

Larvae develop in decaying plant matter, especially manure - tons of that at the nearby farm!