the Way of the Turtle

BRRR...!!!
2 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Monday, March 5, 2012

Hard to believe, but tonight was colder than yesterday... I pulled on two pairs of gloves and my hands were still burning from the cold. Though once I was out for a while I didn't notice it as much - either the wind died down, my inner furnace kicked it up a notch, or I just started going numb.

Startled a group of deer near the parking lot and the start of the Wild Turkey trail - tried not to flush them, since I suspect they needed to conserve as much energy as possible for the very cold night ahead. I'm pretty sure it was the same group of adults and youngsters I've seen previously near the parking lot.

Heard lots of geese (and saw goose tracks frozen in the snow near one of the ponds, no doubt a remnant of the warmer weather Saturday) but only saw a few - of course, it didn't help that it was almost dark by the time I got down to the ponds. I was going to do a short loop - over the bridge and back to the car - but then I heard an owl hooting in the evergreens on the west side of the Beaver Pond, and I had to see if I could hear him better... no luck, when I went onto the boardwalk he shut up. Started calling again when I was over the bridge and heading up the hill to the parking lot, so I headed back again to try and catch his call on video... slight success, I got him from a distance, but once again he shut up as I got closer. Can't be positive, but I think it was a Great Horned Owl.

As I was walking up the hill over the beaver pond, something flew up into the air, fluttered around a bit, and then disppeared into the trees. My first thought was "What is a bat doing out now? Shoot, he's a goner." But with a bit more thought I'm not so sure it was a bat (actually, I'm hoping it wasn't) - maybe a bird instead? That would make more sense.

JMH