Out and About: Winter Outings

 It has been another winter of mainly wearing microspikes with hiking boots. Trails get tramped down after a snowfall by skiers and snowshoers and then there's melt, refreeze, melt, refreeze. The trails become a slipperly slope. Microspikes are perfect for these conditions and stretch right over hiking or snow boots. They bite into the ice and keep you from slipping and sliding. I use hiking poles too and am a happy upright hiker! I have my snowshoes along for the ride in case conditions call for them instead. You really don't know what you need on your feet until you get to the trailhead. Here's what I've been seeing out and about.

Wisp

100 Acre Woods Malta

100 Acre Woods But where's Pooh???

See Through

This Tree was struck by lightening in 100 Acre Woods

Contrast

Cold Morning at Moreau

Wonderful Tree Snag to house Wildlife at Moreau

Leaf Shadow Leaf Shadow

Dino at Woods Hollow Preserve

Festooned

Porch Penquin. Loved finding this little guy!

Stream by Goldfoot Road R.L.

Bull Thistles

Meadow at Meadowbrook Preserve Queensbury

Halfway Brook at Meadowbrook Preserve

Delegan Brook at Wilton Wildlife Preserve

Two-faced Snow Person on Zim-Smith Trail

The Other Face

Stream at Ushers Road State Forest

Up and Over

Tree Fungus at Ushers

A Close Look at Red Squirrel Tracks at Van Dusen Preserve Queensbury

And they're coming up and down the tree

Out and About: More Bird Visitors

My bird feeders have been busy this winter and I have seen a couple of birds that I wasn't expecting. While doing The Great Backyard Bird Count in mid-February, a Northern Flicker, "Yellow-shafted", came to the suet. I hadn't seen one yet this winter. Then I spotted a female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on the apple tree in the yard. Also a first sighting. She flew in for suet too. I was happy I could count both birds for GBBC. The photos are taken through a glass door as I've learned from experience that opening the door for a clearer photo would scare them away. A Common Redpoll came to the yard in early February. She was by herself and looking very tired. She sat in the sun for a good amount of time before foraging on the ground below the feeders. Another afternoon I got a visit from a juvenile Cooper's Hawk. It perched on a raised garden bed with its back to the feeders. It was looking towards  the house but from time to time would turn to scan the feeders and yard. I caught a photo of it taking off showing its beautiful wing and tail feathers. The first photo is of several American Goldfinches. They are eating the Black-eyed Susan flower seed heads I left up for the winter hoping birds would eat them.

American Goldfinches

Black-capped Chickadees seen at Moreau State Park's Songbird Blind

Female Hairy Woodpecker and Black-capped Chickadee

Common Redpoll Female

Common Redpoll takes flight

Juvenile Cooper's Hawk. Note the splotch of blood on the breast.

Ready for Take Off

Male( Yellow-shafted) Northern Flicker

Female Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and European Starling