Ice Storm.

2-25-22 SHORT HILLS: A couple days ago we had a warm, windy day. It was in the mid-sixties, so we went out to the Great Swamp Wildlife Refuge. Founded in 1960, it was the first one in the USA, now there are over 500. 

We stopped at a spot where the river flows under the road, and I took pix of some Canada geese and mallards and something else beyond them, about 1000 feet away. I thought it was a stump in the water, but there was movement of some white parts. After I downloaded the pix, I saw that it was a bald eagle standing on the ice and picking at something frozen. 

That was the warm day, today it’s below freezing, and we are in the middle of an ice storm. It’s supposed to be warmer this afternoon, which might melt some ice. The southern magnolias are already bent over by the ice and probably damaged. The hollies, yews and junipers are also weighted down by ice. This is probably the most damaging storm of the winter. 

Canada geese on ice in the river all facing into the wind.

Bald eagle near the geese.

Another Canada goose. This one on the Passaic River.

A shot of a cardinal amid tree branches from our yard.

Ice on junipers. The deciduous trees are able to tolerate the weight of the ice.

More ice.

The southern magnolia on the right is badly bent over.

Back in Winter.

2-20-22 SHORT HILLS: We have had couple storms with lots of wind that blew branches out of the trees. The first one dumped rain on us, and the second gave us a snow squall but without any accumulation. In between there was at least one warm day when we took the dogs to Loantaka Park.

The big pond at Loantaka had a bunch of mallards and a larger flock of Canada geese. The mallards were all feeding on something at the bottom of the pond. The Canada geese circled overhead in a messy formation before landing. They all honk away while flying but are quiet on the water.

The feeders here have been busy. Today was warm enough for me to sit outside with the camera for a while and get some pix. Carolina wrens are here for the first time this year.

I read somewhere that White-throated Sparrows are in decline as a species, but not here. We have had about a dozen here all winter, many more than usual.

Mallards at Loantaka, usually one or two keep an eye out while all the others feed on something at the bottom.

Mallard pair and Canada geese discussing the weather.

A pair of Carolina wrens work the suet feeder. I haven't seen them here before now this winter.

La Cardinal goes for sunflower seeds. We have at least two pairs this winter.

Carolina wren and red-bellied woodpecker share the suet.

Now a male downy woodpecker eats at the suet feeder.

One of the white-throated sparrows holds still long enough for a pic.

Maizie loves lying in the pachysandra.

Early Spring in NJ?

2-13-22 SHORT HILLS: We left cold, frosty Vermont yesterday morning and came back to a warm and sunny NJ afternoon. While we were on the GSP we passed a convertible with the top down.

Here almost all the snow was gone, and it was in the sixties. I refilled the feeders, looked around the yard and took a picture of a snowdrop up and open. I would guess that’s the earliest snowdrops have ever opened here, but winter is not done with us just yet.

This morning we have 2-3 inches of new, wet snow. The temperature is hovering around the low thirties. The driveway and walkways are wet, but if we get the expected freeze, they will be icy.

New blooms: snowdrops. 

Open snowdrop yesterday.

Closed up today. The flower will wait for better weather before re-opening and making the pollen and nectar accessible to pollinators.

Here's why the snowdrop closed.

It's supposed to be warm later in the week. I hope so.

Purple finch paid us a visit in VT.

More Snow in VT.

2-10-22 VERMONT: It is very exciting here when the snow slides off the metal roofs. All it takes is a little warming, and a huge glob of snow slides off the roof and hits the ground or the deck with a crashing thud that shakes the house. Whenever it happens, the dogs celebrate the event with a barking fit. The roofs are clear now, but it’s snowing again. 

We haven’t done much except a few errands and a bit of snowshoeing. The feeders have been swarmed by the winter birds. I saw an owl on a flyby in the afternoon, maybe a barred owl, no pix. The game cams have caught our fox several times and few deer. 

Chickadees are always the first ones to get to the feeder, sometimes while I'm still hanging it up.

Nuthatch, white breasted, sometimes confused with the chickadees.

Goldfinch in winter clothes.

New snow.

Fox at night, posing for the game cam.

A little snow movie for those deprived of the white.

Vermont Has the Snow.

2-6-22 VERMONT: We came up just after the latest big storm finished with the Northeast. All the roads were fine twelve hours after the last drop of snow/ice hit the ground. There was no snow in NJ and very little until we reached Vermont. Here, there is at least a foot of new powder on top of whatever there had been. Our driveway was plowed and house entry shoveled.

The thermometer is stuck at 10°, but the sun has been out. The dogs are exhausted from bounding through the snow. Scott was here today so the doors are all shoveled out. Judy strapped on the snowshoes and walked down to the pond, around the house and back up the road. It’s not so far, but a very tough job in a foot of new snow—I took pictures.  

Bench behind the pond.

The bottom rail of the three rail fence is covered.

The upper pond has vanished.

Judy breaking trail for the dogs.

Mt. Lafayette and other White Mountains, I think I know how they got that name.

Another Blizzard.

2-2-22 SHORT HILLS: Well, we won’t see that date again anytime soon. There’s another storm on the way, getting the usual hype and hyperbole. We were going to go to VT tomorrow, but deferred to Saturday, after the storm, in a fit of caution. 

Today is fairly warm and snow is slowly melting. It’s supposed to rain tonight or tomorrow, so I cleaned out the street sewers, which were blocked by plowed snow. 

I had a nice lunch yesterday with Bob and George at Taste of Asia.

Judy did her first Pet Therapy visit in months. The pandemic is waning in NJ and VT—until the next variant pops up.   

Downy Woodpecker working the suet. If you ever wondered what a woodpecker's tongue looks like, see it here.

Downy Woodpecker again. The stubby beak is the main difference, other than size, between the Downy and Hairy Woodpeckers.

Here's a Hairy Woodpecker with a big beak, pic from last spring. It's hard to recognize the size difference when they're not near each other.

Judy on the way home after a walk with the pack.

Smiling Dude.