With all the snow we’ve been getting here in the Philadelphia area, I was feeling a little cooped up. Fortunately it was warmer and the sun was shining, so off we went to our favorite National Wildlife Refuge in search of some winter ducks.
Well, our first steps onto the path told us immediately that there would not be many ducks because the impoundments were completely frozen–a sight I had never seen before.
Still, it was an absolutely gorgeous day which I wanted to share with you:
This impoundment is usually filled with many different kinds of ducks at this time of year. However, the extreme cold has taken away this wintering refuge for these ducks.
Mockingbirds were greedily scarfing down the berries
I’m always amazed the the gulls feet don’t freeze. How can they sit on the ice like that?
It’s easy to spot the bird’s nests without any leaves on the trees. It’s amazing how close together these two nests are.
This Heron did manage to find an open area of water under the bridge so it was able to find something to eat.
Did you play outside today? Is your garden still buried under a blanket of snow? What wildlife is in your neighborhood?
© 2010, Carole Brown. All rights reserved.
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Today my trees are all covered in ice and there is still some snow on the ground from weeks past as well as from big, wet flakes which fell yesterday.
My recent nature sitings: a possum crossing the road in my neighborhood in early evening; lots of tracks of rabbits and squirrels and a set I didn’t recognize (long back leg tracks – some kind of small rodent); two chickadees at my feeder (just seen over the last couple of days). I’m wondering if the chickadees are a pair.
Alison Kerr´s last blog ..Rain Gardening in the South
Those pictures are fabulous, Carole. Particularly the mockingbird-with-berry — that’s a beautiful shot! (In my pictures it is much farther away and has no berries.) It was a great day and I learned a lot! Glad you could be there.
-Jen
Such great photos, as always. And that poor hungry heron!
Thanks Elliott and Jen. Fortunately that heron did find open water under the bridge and was feeding there, and also the tidal creek on the other side of the path was not frozen. But watching him walk around on the ice was just too funny!