December 7th. Cold, but pretty.

 

Upper floors of a white "mansion" on the horizon.

 

Later, I took a walk east from Cook Hill Road. Some critters heading back to the barn where it was feeding time.

 

On the patch of grass just as you start towards the barns, an immature Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus). Thanks to J Macaulay for the ID.

 

 

 

It spent a lot of time scratching the ground but I never saw it catch anything.

 

 

 

Unconcerned about me being nearby.

 

I took a lot of pictures. What follows is hardly all of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, I'm still here.

 

 

 

Back to scratching. I wonder if it heard a mouse or vole underground.

 

 

 

 

 

Shortly after this picture, it flew away.

 

Cattle and the horse feeding.

 

A bold chicken and pigeons nearby.

 

Impressive bird.

 

 

 

 

 

On a tip from trail regulars, I checked on the beaver dam and lodge at the marsh exit stream. A week or so ago, a crew (from Lebanon or DEEP?) breached the dam. Thankfully, the beavers repaired it within days. This is no time to deprive beavers of the water level critical to their survival through the winter.

 

I stayed a little while after I heard rustling in the Phragmites nearby and was rewarded when this beaver appeared.

 

 

 

 

 

The beaver easily broke through the surface ice...

 

 

 

...and swam a short distance underwater and under the ice. (Head at the left.)

 

 

 

 

 

Chunks of ice on its back and head.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally free of the ice.

 

 

 

Soon it paddled off into the marsh and I headed back towards the barnyard.

 

Bracket fungi on a rotting downed tree.

 

 

 

 

 

Plucky chicken again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pigeons, or Rock Doves technically (Columba livia) were attracted to the waste straw and grain around the barnyard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They're usually atop the silo, too far away for decent pictures of them.

 

December 8th. Sunny and cold at Raymond Brook Marsh.