March 23rd. A late afternoon visit to the little farm yard west of Cranberry Bog.

 

Contentment?

 

Laughing in its dreams?

 

 

 

Wind ripples at the pond east of Cranberry Bog.

 

 

 

March 25th. An afternoon walk centered on the Brownstone Bridge over River Road.

 

Great echos under the bridge.

 

 

 

A short walk west from the bridge.

 

A number of trees came down in a recent wind storm.

 

 

 

Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens) did well over the winter.

 

Not quite ready to flower.

 

Some leaf miner damage. The Buprestid beetle larva (Brachys howdeni) is long gone.

 

East of the bridge a colorful mix of lichens and moss.

 

 

 

 

 

March 26th. Late morning, east of Route 207. A pair of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) have taken up residence.

 

 

 

The usual Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris). This one shows the maroon neck ring pretty well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice to see an American Beaver (Castor canadensis) active on this cloudy morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ring-necked Ducks undisturbed as the beaver paddled by.

 

Heading to the lodge...

 

...and diving to the underwater entrance.

 

A very substantial lodge that has been active for many years, maintaining the pond for waterfowl and slowing the flow of water to enrich the local aquifer.

 

At Raymond Brook Marsh, the first green leaves are expanding on Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera morowii).

 

March 27th. A pair of Hooded Mergansers (Lophodytes cucullatus) at Raymond Brook Marsh. (this is the male.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

East of Route 207, more pictures of the Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris).