SNOW!
Our most recent snow accumulated six to eight inches topped with a taxing and tiresome icy crust. This is followed by a stretch of intense cold that (as is forecast at this writing) will not top the freezing mark for nearly two weeks.
Difficult footing and daunting wind-chills made my visit to the park this week briefer than usual. Bubblers keep a good part of the pond waters open, and the faster parts of the creek are not iced over according to my limited survey. I saw only a few of the inhabitants and fewer people.
Although they are adapted to survive the challenges of winter these extreme conditions will stress the park's inhabitants and the habitat itself. I'll do what I can to keep track of any changes.
A few brave souls have trekked through the snow and ice, but it's still hard going.
The resident Canada Geese will be hard pressed to find much forage in these conditions.
Carolina Wrens protest loudly (or at least it seems so to me) but seem to take most things in stride. This one was foraging along the banks of the big pond.
