March 4th. Acorn cap on a Sphagnum moss bed.

 

Nice to see mosses so green. One of the Haircap Mosses (Polytrichum sp.).

 

 

 

A female Carpenter Ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus most likely) with workers and larvae. I replaced their loose bark cover after taking the photo.

 

A Beard Lichen (Usnea sp.).

 

A pair of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa).

 

 

 

A male Bufflehead (Bucephalus albeola)...

 

...plus another male and a female.

 

A male Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus)...

 

...and its mate.

 

More pictures of the male.

 

 

 

Starting to dive.

 

Another male; this one not displaying.

 

 

 

A male Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula)...

 

...displaying.

 

 

 

March 5th. Two of the three "resident" Buffleheads (Bucephalus albeola). Wood Ducks around too, but camera shy.

 

An adult female calypterate muscoid fly (I don't even dare to state Family without some professional help).

 

In any case, I was very surprised to find it under pretty firmly attached bark.

 

I carefully replaced the bark over it after taking the pictures.

 

March 6th. Common Shiny Woodlouse (Oniscus asellus) under bark. An "import" from northern Europe, now the most common terrestrial Isopod in New England.

 

Termites (Order Isoptera) in the same log. At least two soldiers with large jaws and heads; the rest are workers.

 

 

 

Foggy and cloudy.

 

A male Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos)...

 

...and its mate.

 

One of a pair of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) that seem to be residents. The rest of the geese took flight before I noticed these.

 

Just one male Bufflehead (Bucephalus albeola) today. No sign of the other two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ripples at the exit stream again.

 

Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First signs that Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) is about to leaf out.

 

Ditto for Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora).

 

An early afternoon walk east from Old Hartford Road to see if the Wood Frogs (Rana sylvatica) were in chorus. But first, a look at Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) in bloom.

 

Sure enough, the Wood Frogs were out..!

 

 

 

 

 

...and loud!

 

Listen!