Needham Town Forest on the first day of spring

Needham Town Forest, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

Needham's Town Forest is a bit scrubby and its trails a bit doggy but it has its charms particularly if you explore its side paths. Today I stumbled across the famous Martini Junction miniature railroad installation. A sunny but blustery day. Is it really spring?

Guernsey Sanctuary

Guernsey Sanctuary, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

I took a short walk through the Guernsey Sanctuary in Wellesley this afternoon. It was raining so I didn't stop to soak up the scene. It is a cute little trail with a few interesting trailside details (vernal pool, briar patch, Sabrina Lake). Overall it reminded me a lot of the scrubby winter scenes I used to view when I lived near a swamp as a child.

Great Meadows wash-out

Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

Finally up to the present. This afternoon on the way home from work I stopped at the Great Meadows Wildlife Refuge. The trails were all flooded. (I should have known better. A marsh plus a thaw plus a week of rain equals what?) But I managed to make my way through much of the smaller trail on the Concord side (only one puddle was deep enough to require intermediate log balancing). Pleasant enough. And I hung out for a little bit with a non-House Sparrow (whether a Swamp, Tree, etc. I have no ID confidence).

Charles River Peninsula

Charles River Peninsula, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

A Sunday morning stroll through the soggy fields and trails of Charles River Peninsula. Loud bird choruses. The fields have been reconstructed to help the Bobolink population.

Noanet Woodlands

Noanet Woodlands, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

On this walk I decided to bypass the peak and walk the perimeter of Noanet Woodlands. The thaw was on and the trail was exceedingly muddy.

A slippery hike up to Noanet Peak

Noanet Woods, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

Caryl Park in Dover is about a five minute drive away. Adjacent Noanet Woods is a great way to feel a bit of wilderness (while really still in the suburbs). The trails were very icy.

A February stroll up Wilson Mountain

Wilson Mountain, originally uploaded by oehlkers.

I've been taking some walks through local conservation lands recently, camera in hand. Lacking anything else to say here, I thought I might as well document them. Here are some photos from a walk up to the peak of Wilson Mountain in Dedham. ("Mountain" is a bit of an exaggeration). The trails were complete ice which inserted a bit of danger into what is otherwise a pretty mild hike.