Cold and Windy

The extreme cold has passed. The ice remains on the roads and pathways, and the trails are in terrible condition. So, I am spending most of my outside time in places like parks. The paths are typically a little better maintained and lack the frozen chicken heads that are left behind when hundreds of footprints in slush turn to back to ice. 

Time, too, is passing. We are creeping bit by bit towards the spring migration. It will be very nice to see a few birds return in breeding plumage. The House Finches, Chickadees, Canada Geese and Wood Ducks are nice and all, but I am looking forward to Cinnamon, Green- and Blue-winged Teal, Scaups with their iridescent purple or green heads, Redheads and Ruddy Ducks. 

And then the Bluebirds, Goldfinches, Lazuli Buntings, and Tanagers. Spring is so close.

Very little is moving around right now. Mostly the locals (magpies, ravens and crows) a few Robins who forgot to migrate (again) and some very hardy raptors. 

And so it was, just this morning that the Lab and I came across a beautiful big Bald Eagle on a walk in the valley. I saw this individual soaring and heading for a telephone pole from about a ¼ mile and the Lab and I decided to follow a narrow trail that was made by a few earlier folks. The walking was a little rough, but worth the effort. I was able to get within about 100 feet of the eagle. I slowed down a bit and snapped a couple of pictures- it was cold and early, and I didn’t want to make the bird fly if I could help it. 

The eagle let me get two decent shots and it did not fly off. Mission accomplished. Beautiful bird- light eyes- so it’s not a juvenile. 

Anyway- another nice walk in nature despite the wind and cold.