March 16th. Foggy and 33 degrees at Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Buffleheads (Bucephalus albeola) this morning.

 

There was a Bufflehead there when I started to click the shutter. Mostly below the surface when the shutter clicked.

 

Warm sun cut much of the fog.

 

 

 

Red Maple (Acer rubrum) flowers are opening.

 

Common Grackles (Quiscalus quiscula) like that distant dead tree.

 

 

 

 

 

Fog still lingered in some areas.

 

A Piper Super Cub overhead as I reached the Route 85 parking lot. Flying at its most basic.

 

A Winter Stonefly (Taeniopteryx sp., Family Taeniopterygidae) on the hood of my truck. Normally I only see them atop snow but the snow is long gone. About 1 centimeter long.

 

Next stop Cranberry Bog in East Hampton where I found 36 Canada Geese (Branta canadensis). Thirtysix: a yard of geese?

 

 

 

Lots of bottoms-up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mostly they were at peace with each other...

 

...but these two had issues. Note the head down attacking pose of the one on the left.

 

Then the attack.

 

The single pair of Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) weren't phased by the geese.

 

 

 

One of two sheep at the barnyard east of Cranberry Bog.

 

March 18th. Canada Geese (Branta canadensis). Quiet.

 

Loud.

 

March 19th. The last day of Winter. A female Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) atop the Wood Duck house where I've seen her and/or her mate recently.

 

The male was just below on the surface of the marsh.

 

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) and Ring-necked Ducks (Aythya collaris) at the pond east of Route 207.

 

More Ring-necked Ducks scattered across the pond.

 

 

 

Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) leaves are expanding.