Final 2010 Post

Welcome to Post #52, my last post of 2010. While I had intended my final post to be a long narrative summarizing the many species I have sited this year and my plans for next years photo and new (possibly) all text blog, I will save these paragraphs for Post #53. This week Sunday falls the day after Christmas, the biggest holiday of the year for my family. I am about beat and ready for an early bedtime, so here is my usual tale of walks I took outdoors this week:
On Friday 12/24, I took a brief walk through the preserved "greenspace" behind our house in Hillsborough, NJ. The sun was out, and the temperature had risen from the 20's the night before to as high as 40 degrees.
As I walked along, I tried to think of ideas for next year's blog. I am fond of posting my photos.

But I would also like to spend more time composing and posting my thoughts - go more in depth with what is going on each weekend or during the previous week.

Now that winter has arrived, I take whatever shots I can.

The water on a small stream still ringed with duckweed.

Moss growing on a tree, green against the almost homogeneous winter-brown background.

A lucky happenstance - I believe this is a Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)which alighted in a tree just as I was walking by.

Today is Sunday 12/26. For good or ill, it has been snowing since just before 12 noon today. There are now several (at least 5) inches on the ground, and the weather report shows snow all night. Next week I will detail plans for next year and share some further photos of the snow.

Stay warm!

Late December Weekend

This may be my best post ever - you just can't beat a Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) siting in my book. I was lucky enough to view a pair on Saturday down by the canal in Hillsborough, NJ.

Photo: Aengus Habersaat

Photo: Aengus Habersaat

Photo: Aengus Habersaat

Luckily Aengus had his camera. As I said - best post ever!

Rainy December Weekend

Welcome to the Delaware-Raritan Canal on a cloudy Sunday afternoon in December. While the past 6 days have been quite bitter - a few with highs of only 35 degrees or so - today began with heavy rain and 50 degrees or so.
During a few hours in the middle of the day, when the air began to feel like downright spring like at 60 degrees, I went for quick walk on the canal.

It is now fully winter - if it had not rained all day, there probably would have been ice on the trees along the cinder canal trail.

The heavy clouds and brown grasses seemed a little sad in that they remind me that summer is now aways off in the future. While the season has had only a few very cold days, already I have had enough of being chilled and I begin to wonder what Christmas in Florida is like - I hear you can jump in the pool to cool off after opening presents.

Further, the power lines in a clearing along the trail reminded me of past seasons. Celebrating holidays in December is a long tradition, but only recently has electricity become available across the nation, and the world. Our we blind to our accomplishments? There is no way to truly know what the world was like for past generations, as only recently has the retention of information become so widespread. Paper deteriorates, but our electronic copies will live on for future generations.

Sure, I like to tease folks about their stream of consciousness blogs on Brittany Spears, but as these last few weeks pass by I feel the time to transition to a new, more text based blog has arrived. After all, there is nothing wrong with passing thoughts - it all depends on who is doing the thinking...

As I headed back to my vehicle, I say my footprints were the first on the trail since the rain.

I was thrilled to catch a photo of the muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) above. Coming around a bend, we both froze at the sight of each other, then he calmly swam away, vanishing underwater. I think the scaly tail of the muskrat is awesome because it has scales and moves like snake, swirling around behind them as they swim along. It is good to know that animals may still appear during the winter if conditions are right.As the year draws to the close, I have begun brainstorming ideas for my 2011 blog, which I plan to create via the Wordpress blogging platform. I have posted may great photos throughout 2010, and I am also considering a photo blog - you know what I mean: onward and up-ward!

Fun Friday at Bear Mountain, NY

Welcome to Bear Mountain State Park, NY. For reasons that escape me now, I agreed to begin an adventure at the park around 6am on Saturday, Dec. 4th. My boyfriend and I spent the wee hours of the morning next to the tracks which run through the Iona Island bird sanctuary.

Several trains rumble past - this is busy freight route on Saturday mornings.

Despite the fatigue I experiences later in the day, the morning light was beautiful as it flowed between the mountains. The first light of day was a green sky that flowed into blue, with golden light fading into pink after dawn.

On Friday night, we spent a pleasant evening at the Bear Mountain Inn. I highly recommend the beautiful lodge, which was decorated for the holidays. The spacious balcony in the evening is above.

A cheerful fire in the lobby is tended till late in the night by the inn staff. We needed it as temperatures hovered in upper 20's until late in the day, when the thermometer reached 40 degrees.

The view from the lobby balcony around midday. I look forward to visiting the lodge this summer.

A common site at one drives around the park is the Bear Mountain bridge. The toll to cross is currently $1.00.

The area has long been under human use. However, here and there - between the bridges and tunnels and roads - nature reigns supreme, growing back year after year in every open space.

As we hiked around the park, the sky was clear for good part of the morning.

As we headed out of the park, clouds appeared as if from nowhere.

Here is another view of Iona Island. The buildings in the distance belong to the railroad.

The majority of the park is woods abutting rocks, which are the bones of the mountain poking through the soil.

Near the ferry landing along the river is a picnic area with 3 awesome fire pits. Each pit is heavy steel sculpture which holds the fire within it. Smoke escapes through the mouth or eyes.

I understand that the flooding above is normal and occurs daily or at least monthly. The river is wide and close enough to the sea to reflect the pull of the tides.

A Common or Thayer's Gull (Larus thayeri) surveys the shallows near the ferry dock.

Around 11 am, we reached the Historic Fort Montgomery parking area, and set out for another hour on the trail. The railroad tracks also run past the beautiful outcrop of land where a small museum and "historic enactment" area has been constructed.

There are many pleasant inlets right along the water in this area. We enjoyed the peace of the wide expanse of water that is the Hudson River while basking in the sun.

A Cormorant - perhaps a Great (Phalacrocorax carbo) or Double-crested (Phalacrocorax auritus) - caught a fish, then hopped up on the rocks to groom right in front of us.

I was surprised that this water bird was unfazed by both our presence and the loud blast of a train passing by.

Another common sight throughout the park are the spectacular views. While we enjoyed our by necessity heavily insulated December visit, and it was lovely to be outdoors despite the cold weather, I look forward to long walks in the warmer weather next season.

Quiet Thanksgiving Weekend

Welcome to a quiet Sunday afternoon in Hillsborough, NJ. This is Thanksgiving weekend 2010.
The most exciting siting I had this week was a visit from a raccoon (Procyon lotor) after dinner on Thanksgiving Day. Here it is, helping itself to some cat food left out for the strays outside the folks house. From now on, I will no longer make fun of grainy Bigfoot photos - its hard to get clear shots under low light conditions.

We had a pleasant turkey dinner on Thursday. The weather outside was very damp and bitter cold including light hail, snow and lots of rain. So I spent the day inside with family - our biggest crowd yet due to the addition of a few cousins this year.

Friday and Saturday were equally cold around 40 degrees with passing sun and clouds. Saturday in particular was very windy, so I spent the majority of the day in movie theaters taking in the latest hits.

On Sunday, with a high temperature of 50 degrees, I finally ventured out for short walk. Normally I look forward to many long walks during a holiday weekend, but with my latest case of the sniffles is hanging on, I just didn't want to push my luck.

The pictures above are along a bike path in some preserved green space. Many, many woodland critters make their home there and appear along the path from time to time.

A flat, low lying area the path circles was probably created for drainage. Local kids like to ride their dirt bikes and other toys around in there.

Several trails run into this area. I can't wait to walk this same path when the ground is covered under thick snow.

Everywhere it is obvious that winter is coming. A last few leaves that are still turning to fall colors provide splashes of color.

A small stream runs under the path.

I regret that I do not get out here more often now that I return home after dark. In the summer, I can enjoy this stretch of woods everyday if I choose.

As I walked along, the light from the setting sun was blocked by clouds until...

...a golden light threw shadows out behind the trees for a few minutes.

While I cannot hope for more mild weather, I am looking forward to winter precipitation which always makes winter scenery look pretty. The winter is quickly drawing to a close, and it looks like I will make my 52 post goal for the year. Stay warm!