What should we call this time of winter? (Snow edition)

Treefall, Chestnut Trail, Ridge Hill Reservation, Needham, MA

Trails get white and crunchy?

Cooper's Hawk, Cutler Reservation, Needham, MA

Red Squirrels chatter at accipiters?

Common Mergansers, Charles River, West Roxbury, MA

Mergansers appear in the distance?

Charles River, West Roxbury, MA

Blue sky in icy water?

American Tree Sparrow

Tree sparrows arrive? (my favorite)

Wetland Regulation, Beaver-style

Millennium Park, West Roxbury, MA

If beavers followed local wetland regulations, they would have filed a Notice of Intent before they took down these trees.

Beavers created this trail when they dragged logs to the water

And a waiver request for work within the 25 foot no disturb zone.

More beaver-cut trees

And planted two trees for each one they took down.

Beaver lodge off of "Nature Trail"

I don't think they would have been allowed to proceed with their new construction on the riverbank.

Playing field drainage reconstruction, West Roxbury High

Of course, we have our ways of regulating wetlands, and they have their own.

What should we call this time of winter? (Plum Island edition)

Bill Forward Pool, Plum Island

Harriers cruise over frozen pannes? (not shown, but seen, a lot)

Pines Trail, Plum Island

Red-breasted Nuthatches explore Pitch Pines?

Emerson Rocks, Plum Island

Black Scoters (mostly)

Scoters assemble?

Sandy Point, Plum Island

Dunlin in flight

Dunlin on shore

Peregrines buzz Dunlin?

Snowy Owl, near Sandy Point

Owls hunt from birch snags?

It was cold today but I remembered my gloves and wrap-around sunglasses.

What should we call this time of winter?

Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

November 15 is winter. But winter of a special kind. Which is the image that best represents this period of winter?

Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

"Puddle water starts to freeze?"

Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

"Oriole nests become visible?"

Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

"Frost lines the edges of fallen leaves?"

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

"Bluebirds nestle among milkweed?"

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

Perhaps not quite season-specific enough.

Eastern Bluebird, Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

But definitely my favorite image.

Bluebirds! Season 4. Winter Special.

Box 17 Charles River Peninsula, Needham, MA

On this sunny Veteran's Day, I finally got out of the house and finished cleaning out the Charles River Peninsula nest boxes.

Box 12 Wood mouse nest

Three (of seventeen) boxes were blessed with mouse nests. These boxes are not intended to host mice, so I cleaned them out.

Box 2 Wood mouse

The mice, as usual, were not happy to see me. I won't be checking these boxes again until March so some will probably move right back in...

Box 4 EGGS?

During my final rounds in July I thought everyone was done. Looks like someone didn't know breeding season was over... And in fact, like most late attempts, this one didn't get very far...

Box 18 Downy Woodpecker

At my last box I heard the distinct sound of woodpecking, coming from inside the box. Twas the downy, known to roost in these boxes during the cold of winter (one of the reasons I like to clean them out now instead of March).

As for the Ridge Hill nest box spin off?  Vandals took all the good boxes down last month. We'll be starting over next spring.