Happy New Year!

Well here we are, January 1st, 2013.  Wonder what this year will bring?

The year started out with brilliant sunshine!!!  What a treat after a very gloomy December.

and yes, I started the year out by ignoring signs….there were duck hunters out there and figured if they can walk around where ever they want killing things….I can walk a short piece of trail to take pictures….so here is what the log bay looked like today.  Interestingly enough there are some flagged stakes showing up in this area….will have to see what, if anything, they are there for.

I’ve got to apologize for the quality of these pictures…I had taken my DSLR camera, just to give it a test and remind myself that I really do need a new one.  The scenery is great, but the 300mm lens isn’t so great after being dropped and since the camera has other annoying issues as well, just getting a new lens isn’t the answer.  Anyway, back to the birds…this pair of Trumpeter Swans were at the log bay and yes, that is ice on the far shore – it was sunny but not exactly warm.

One of many Red-wing Blackbirds….

a lot of very active Black-capped Chickadees….

a pair of Mallard…and a dead fish…there were a lot of Mallard scattered along the whole foreshore.

I took this to show the male Hairy Woodpecker working over the logs…he insisted on staying in the deepest shadows and I didn’t want to venture closer and scare him away.

A lot of House Finch enjoying the sunshine from the shelter of the big Red Osier Dogwood bush.

a few Bald Eagles, but the spectacle is definitely over now until next fall.

on my way home, there were more Black-capped Chickadees and also a number of these Brown Creepers.  I’ve seen more Creepers this winter than I have ever seen.  Sort of like the Red-breasted Nuthatch that continue in unprecedented numbers.

While I was watching the creeper…this little flock landed briefly in a near by tree top…when I look closely I see that there are at least 2 Common Redpoll along with the Pine Siskin.

lots of Varied Thrush running around right now.  Birds I saw but didn’t get pictures of (at least not publishable pictures) were Song Sparrow, Spotted Towhee, Gadwall, Great Blue Heron, Dark-eyed Junco and Steller’s Jay.