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Trekking into 2022

johngregsite Posted on by
Image snowy trail

The month of December has given us modest snow storms of about an inch at a time. These storms alternate with precipitation that is a mixture of liquid and ice. In many cases, the temperatures from the surface to high above range from well below freezing to forty degrees.

We are hoping to get more precipitation that is frozen crystals and not the semi liquids we have recently received.

Our trek today, partly seen at left, included following tracks of deer, turkeys, hares, likely foxes, and a couple humans. The large groups of turkeys seen during fall are still here and you can see the well trod trail in the image.

John’s pretty good bird count

johngregsite Posted on by
image buffleheads

During last Saturday on a quick visit to Mason Island, I managed to get a walk around the neighborhood and spotted a number of birds.

The first stop was at the dock on Poggy Bay where Bufflehead ducks were cruising around at a less-than-preferred distance (image at left). Note: the full white chest area suggests buffleheads and not hooded mergansers (see later photos)

image hooded merganser
A hooded merganser was crossing the Ice pond as I walked by the southend causeway
Image heron on the pond
The resident blue heron that stands around the Ice pond went to the west side

Also during my visit to the south end of the Ice pond, the usual suspects cruised around (the mallard families, of course)

image red tail hawk maybe
At the north end of the Ice pond, a hawk posed on a stump
image black duck

As I got down to the yacht club, I caught these American Black ducks in the cove west of the parking lot after I checked out the bridge to Enders Isl.

image hooded mergansers
And finally, when I got to the Great Marsh, a whole congregation of hooded mergansers quickly departed the dock area