January 17th. Sunny (for a change) and 27 degrees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fresh ice crystals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bubbles just below the outlet stream's mini-falls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flash brought out more water surface reflections.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A female Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens).

 

January 18th. A walk east from Cook Hill Road in Lebanon. Late morning with some sun and temps near 50 degrees.

 

Ten American Crows (Corvus brachyrhyncos).

 

 

 

Continuing east...

 

...the cattle had a break from the barnyard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I turned back at the power lines.

 

Water in the marsh was quite high.

 

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) circling above the marsh. Lucky to get even this awful photo.

 

January 21st. 31 degrees, high clouds, and no wind.

 

The only birds were a couple of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos), relatively safe now that waterfowl hunting season is closed until next Fall.

 

Common Reed (Phragmites australis).

 

Broad-leaved Cattails (Typha latifolia).

 

Moss on the bark of a downed tree. Nice to see green.

 

(Orthotrichum sp., likely O. stellatum).

 

January 26th. Heavy rains overnight but the trail was in reasonable shape.

 

 

 

High water at the exit stream.

 

 

 

Breeze causing ripples elsewhere.

 

Nice green moss on a downed tree.

 

Once again, on close examination Orthotrichum sp., likely O. stellatum.

 

 

 

January 27th. Shortly after dawn, the sun hadn't reached down to the water level...

 

...but the tree reflections were lit. Note the lighter colored speck at the water line to the right.

 

Ah hah, a male Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).

 

This Mallard.

 

The first year basal rosette of Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is covered with hair-like trichomes. They get covered in frost, sparing the more delicate leaf tissue below. In its second year, a tall stalk bearing yellow flowers will rise from the center of the rosette.

 

On my return trip, the sun had reached the marsh surface...

 

...and the warm near-dawn color temperature had cooled to a full daylight slightly bluish cast.

 

The same location can be very different through the daylight hours, not to mention depending on a sunny versus cloudy sky, fog, rain, or snow.