I started off at the tributary to check on the sediment issue. The water was flowing clear today, though the bright yellowish sediment is quite visible on the bottom. I wanted to walk down the tributary to look for animal tracks, but as I approached, focused on the bushes ahead and my footing, I heard a quack and looked up to see several pairs of mallards swimming in the pool. I didn't want to flush them out on this cold, windy day - they had sought out this little body of water for shelter and rest - so I quickly turned and walked back, and they didn't fly.
A little farther down I went back to the stream and found my first tracks - a medium sized passerine bird - three toes forward and one back. The tracks led to the water's edge.
A little farther down, another passerine bird track - but this one giant - each of the toes was 3-4" long.
You can get a sense of the size and the bird's stride in this picture of the tracks along with a rabbit track.
Squirrels like to use fallen trees as highways - here's a well-used one.
I was looking for deer tracks. It took a while to find them - up by the beltway where they'd crossed the creek.
The final sets of tracks I found - other than the tracks of people and dogs - were some little birds - perhaps sparrows or juncos - and the tracks of a small animal - which may have been a little dog - but the tracks were just a little bigger than a quarter.
It was 23 degrees F and a 20 mph north wind howled through the tree tops. My hands got very cold. I jogged a little on the way back up the hill to the house, and that warmed me up a bit.
Sunrise 7:27 am, sunset 4:59 pm. Sunrise time hasn't changed since January 1, sunset time has changed three minutes. I wonder why that is.
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