Words to describe the month of February here in Round Lake: snow, sleet, freezing rain, rain, freeze, ice, melt, refreeze, slip, drip, slide, fall, repeat. I am craving spring!!! It has definitely been a slippery slide through this month of winter. Getting out of my house to walk the dog requires microspikes and good balance. I could salt the path, but what fun would that be? I rather have a path and driveway like a Home Alone movie set. And I do Love my new microspikes. Despite the conditions, I have slipped out of the house to take photos, go on several snowshoe hikes, and participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count(GBBC), all without fracturing anything. The GBBC is a yearly international four day count in February which acts as a snapshot of bird populations across the globe. I did the count in the village as a hike. I was out for three hours and got twenty species.Then I saw two Red-tailed Hawks walking the dog. Twenty-one. I went to the lake and spotted a Bald Eagle on the eastern shore. Twenty-two. On the last count day I watched my yard feeders as it is a Project Feeder Watch Site. Bingo! An American Tree Sparrow came along with the Dark-eyed Juncos for number twenty-three. It turns out that of sixty-seven participants in Saratoga County, I saw the greatest number of species right here in Round Lake. We are on the map! Of course, the Pileated Woodpecker and American Robin made a showing after the count was over. The turkey flock was also a no-show.
Thankfully, we survived the high winds, are getting another five or so inches of snow tomorrow, and some rain and snow on Saturday. The groundhogs must be iced into their dens. Do you really think they will make an appearance early? Spring??? Watch your footing and keep warm out and about!
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| Through my window: Northern Flicker |
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| Northern Flicker Strikes a Pose |
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| Another Through my window: Two Carolina Wrens Eating Suet |
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| Ice Dance |
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| Ice Chimes |
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| My new favorite footwear: Microspikes |
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| Take a Stand |
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| Grow Your Own Way |
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| With Ice |
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| Snow Day at Peck Avenue Woods |
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| I See GREENNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!! |
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| Zim Smith Trail looking south |
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| Beaver Lodge on Round Lake Outlet |
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| From Round Lake Preserve Looking to Mouth of Outlet |
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| Little Cabin in the Woods at Galway Nature Preserve: Great trails in an old Christmas Tree Farm |
