Texture and Color

 Yesterday's fog really brought out the color and texture of the trees.  Today we've had incredible winds.  I'm sure I heard a tree come down out back but so far I haven't been able to locate it.  I will admit not wanting to walk around too much in the wood looking.  I also wanted to get a photo of the squirrels this morning.  Their tails were flying straight out from their bodies while they worked on my bird feeder.  But apparently the high winds made them skittish so I couldn't get any good shots.

Weird Weather, Great Trees

It went up to 70 today.  Of course I had to go outside, despite the fog and general greyness.  I took a ton of photos but I haven't had time to go through them all.  So just one quick one before I go to bed.

Good Day to be a Duck

The weather is going to be all over the map this week.  Yesterday I drove down to Virginia to see my parents in beautiful sunshine.  30°F felt warm.  Today for my drive home it was dark and dingy with the rain threatening to freeze at any moment.  I stopped by my favorite spot on Crum Creek Rd on the way home and got my closest look yet at the Hooded Mergansers.  The light was poor though so I can't crop the images.

Birds in Snow

Female Cardinal

Song Sparrow

Female House Finch

Taking Warning

We had a beautiful sunrise this morning and this evening a nice snow storm. 

Philadelphia Navy Yard

I've been stopping by the Navy Yard to check out the ducks floating in the Delaware River this week.  It's a pretty cool place to walk around.  Very cool lately with the breeze coming off the Delaware and all!

Orchid

Duck Days

Common Merganser

Hooded Merganser

American Wigeon etc

Gadwall

Lesser (or greater but I think lesser) Scaup

Mallard and Lesser Scaup

I wasn't going to venture out into the cold today but a traffic jam on I-95 changed my mind.  It was windy and very cold but the ducks were loving it.  Heinz served up the Mergansers, Common and Hooded, along with some Canada Geese and Mallards.  FDR had the Wigeon and Gadwall (not to mention Shovelers, Coots, and Mergansers.)  I initially thought the Wigeon was a very nice looking Gadwall so I think that makes it my first Wigeon.  The Philadelphia Navy Yard had Scaup, Lesser I believe, along with the Mallards.  I also saw Bufflehead at both FDR and the Navy Yard but couldn't get close enough for a decent shot.

Good Things

A few good things from the last two weeks.  An old rabbit's foot fern off to a new start, a sleepy Pied-billed (I think) Grebe, and some Shovelers and Teals enjoying a bit of open water in a frozen pond.

Horned Grebe

Sunshine, warmth, and a Horned Grebe today.  This water will likely freeze up tomorrow so it might be my last view of this friendly guy.  He's been hanging out with the Rudy Ducks today and yesterday.  I moved in close for a photo and he surprised me by leaving the ducks to come closer and investigate.

Sixteen

Sunshine and Orchids

The sun came out today!  You can see how it streamed through the greenhouse windows and lit up these beautiful orchids.  It was very cold outside so the Conservatory was the perfect place to enjoy the sunshine.

A Bit of Green

Still no sun but I did get a lot done in the studio. 

Grey

It was neither sunny nor warm today but since it wasn't actually raining I decided to take a much needed walk.  It was, in fact, so dark this morning that I had to set my ISO to 1600 which means I can't really crop the photos.  So while there are birds in each of these photos the images are really about the branches and the colors.  If you walk out into a day like today, to say, go to your car, you may be struck by how incredibly dull and grey it is.  In fact, if you look out the window it seems even worse.  And if you do this for several days you may be on the verge of running away to some place with sunshine.  However, if you actually get out and walk through the woods with your camera you will see that the grey world is full of beautiful color.  And you will be glad that the song and field sparrows made you take photos of the branches and grasses.  And you will be very happy to look back on these photos from a sunny day and admire how smart you were not to let the endless, horrible, grey prevent you from enjoying life...very much.  If, in fact, such a day ever occurs again...

Red Heads

Super uninspiring weather today so here's a couple images from recent days past.  Maybe the sun will come out again but it looks like we may have to wait until Friday. 

Hooded Mergansers

Winter

So far this winter has been mild but still cold enough to remind one that it is in fact winter.  A little snow, a little frost, and a little sunshine.