A Cooper’s Hawk and Skunk-cabbage / Lambton Woods: February 8, 2019

The ice-covered ground led to difficult walking on this -3 degree, very windy and overcast morning. Sometimes sliding down a slope was easier than walking:

The woods at Lambton are full of Skunk Cabbage in spring and I mentioned to the group how this plant is often one of the first to appear in spring. It will begin growing while still immersed in snow and the heat of the foliage will actually begin to melt the snow. Shortly after saying this, a group member spotted some growing in a wet area. Pretty impressive for February 8.

Skunk-cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)

Here are some scenes from the park:

Canada Geese

I always try to go early to the walk locations and, as I approached the bird feeder area, there seemed to be few birds. Here is the reason. A Cooper’s Hawk; a bird which dines from other birds.

Cooper’s Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk

Other birds from this morning:

Mourning Dove
Mourning Doves
Blue Jay
American Robin
American Robin
Common Goldeneye (male)
Common Merganser (male) with Common Goldeneye (female)
Common Mergansers
Common Mergansers
Common Goldeneye (male) with Common Merganser (male)
Hooded Merganser (male) with Bufflehead (female)
Mallards and a few Black Ducks
Herring Gull
Herring Gull (juvenile)
Canada Goose
White-throated Sparrow with Juncos and flying Chickadee

A kind soul puts shortening into tree crevices and here are a few of the birds that take advantage:

Downy Woodpecker (male)
Downy Woodpeckers
Cardinal (male) with White-throated Sparrows
Cardinal (male) with White-throated Sparrow
Cardinal (female)
Cardinal (female)
White-throated Sparrow waiting in line
White-throated Sparrow
White-throated Sparrow

COMING UP: February 10 in Friends of Miles: Bats: Milos Radakovich

February 13 in Articles: Mallards

NATURE POETRY

O Winter, ruler of the inverted year,
Thy scattered hair with sleet like ashes filled,
Thy breath congealed upon they lips, thy cheeks
Fringed with a beard made white with other snows.    

– William Cowper (1731–1800)

Miles Hearn

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