February 24th. Midday temps near 50. An Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk passed over the marsh.

 

Some melting at last, leaving water under the ice in spots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An Ant (Family Formicidae). And what did the Pink Panther say when he saw this? (Dead Ant, Dead Ant, Deadant deadant deadant...)

 

February 25th. One of a flock of Eastern Bluebirds (Sialia sialis) near the Route 85 trailhead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

February 28th. Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) overhead, calling.

 

 

 

 

 

Male Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) are back!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A male Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus).

 

 

 

Later, I saw four more take off.

 

Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) were out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also saw several Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) and what looked like Common Mergansers (Mergus merganser) fly over fast.

 

March 1st. Late morning after rain. Trail in good shape. What ice remaining was soft enough not to be slippery... but tonight temps dip very low.

 

One pair of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) around - though I also saw two Wood Ducks fly by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mid afternoon east of Cook Hill Road in Lebanon. Cattle hanging out, though poop on the trail and new barbed wire suggest a recent "walk-about".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A flight of Rock Doves, the official name for common pigeons (Columba livia). My surname, Malcolm, is derived from and means "follower of the Scottish Saint Columba". Today I was a follower of Columba through the sky. ;-)

 

They roost in the top of the silo.

 

 

 

No sign that the Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is coming out of winter dormancy. (One can hope.)

 

Alder (Alnus sp.) catkins are also still dormant.

 

The short catkins will develop into female flowers; the long ones male.