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The return of winter
After a brief thaw during the first part of January, cold weather reasserted itself the middle of the month with nightly lows near zero degrees in some areas, along with just enough frozen precipitation to make the roads hazardous for short periods.
For those who braved the cold temperatures and went outdoors to observe sky, earth or water, there likely was a change evident on the face of nature, whether it was the increased traffic at bird feeders or the multitude and variety of tracks in the fresh snow.
It’s winter. Enjoy!
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| TRR photo by Scott Rando | |
| This ring-bill gull, showing first-year plumage, experiences a short float downstream on frazil ice, or ice just forming on the surface and clumping together in the river current. Some areas of the river became icebound in mid-January.
(Click for larger version) |
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| TRR photo by Scott Rando | |
| The morning sun warming tree branches and melting fresh snow caused a brief but intense “ice shower” along the Delaware River. This was like standing in a moderate rain shower.
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| TRR photo by Scott Rando | |
| The fresh snow on top of ice near the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation eagle blind at Forestburgh, NY tells a tale of an eagle landing from left to right and then walking on the ice. Evident is the impression of the tail at the left of the image, and the short slide marks at center, indicating a fairly controlled landing on the slippery ice.
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