Round Lake Nature Notes: Out and About: Is Winter Coming or Going?

It hasn't been a very exciting winter weather wise. We got the beautiful twenty-four inch snowstorm in early December, about six inches January eighteenth through nineteenth, and dustings of snow here and there.We've seen some ice and sleet, rain, above average degree days with a high of sixty on January eleventh. Who had a drink on their porch that night? There's been a few cold nights to remind us where we live. Now into February and the groundhog not seeing his shadow and predicting spring will come early, is winter really leaving or will it come back with a one two punch? I think the latter but we'll see.
I get out and about each day and have seen bluebirds at Griffin's Ridge and on the Zim-Smith trail by the pedestrian bridge.I saw about three dozen robins by the bridge last week too. I've spotted a Red-tailed hawk up by Victorian Landings and around the village by bird feeders. Fox and deer tracks are in the wooded areas and Liz Rigney got a great photo of a red fox in her back property. Michele Decker just saw a Bald Eagle in a tree across from her house on the lake. Dennis got photos of two eagles sitting on the ice at the inlet this winter. Lately, the Great-horned owl has been hooting around Alumni Hall and Baker's Park in the wee hours of the morning. I haven't seen or heard the Barred owl in a long time. It did hang out in the pine trees off the Zim-Smith trail by Sue and Tim Lessar's house in Griffin's Ridge. The Wades came home from work one night to find an opossum at their grill on their porch. What was for dinner that night?
I've gotten out for half a dozen hikes within thirty minutes of the village since the new year. I haven't needed snowshoes at all. Microspikes on my hiking boots have worked perfectly for icy slippery slopes and trails. I've included photos of the hikes. Hope everyone is doing well and maybe I'll see you when I'm out walking around.