I arrived at the park around 11am today and it definitely felt warmer than it has been. I almost set off without my hood-scarf but decided to take it with me just in case. There was a damp fog hanging in the air and much of the park was covered in a thin coating of hoarfrost. On the west side before turning the corner to head north, I spotted a bird that caught my attention for two reasons.
It was colored like a Chickadee, but was much too large. Also it seemed to have an unusually large head. He was super far away in the top of a tree and stupidly I'd forgotten my binoculars. Just for the heck of it, I zoomed in as far as my camera would go and figured I'd get a better look on my computer. To my surprise it was the elusive Northern Shrike I'd been trying to capture all winter! If you're wondering why this is such an exciting sight, you should visit this
link.
There wasn't much to see after this but for a handful of Deer who were far away and behind thick brush thus preventing a photo. I was surprised but for the latter half of my walk, the frost stayed put on the trees and shrubs. Many times hoarfrost quickly melts away after the morning temps warm up, but the temps today must have stayed just low enough. I paused a number of times where the brush was close to the path and I could try some closeup shots.
I pulled off a bunch of it with my hand, expecting it to feel like sharp ice but instead it was more like soft, crystalline snowflakes.
It was colored like a Chickadee, but was much too large. Also it seemed to have an unusually large head. He was super far away in the top of a tree and stupidly I'd forgotten my binoculars. Just for the heck of it, I zoomed in as far as my camera would go and figured I'd get a better look on my computer. To my surprise it was the elusive Northern Shrike I'd been trying to capture all winter! If you're wondering why this is such an exciting sight, you should visit this link. 
There wasn't much to see after this but for a handful of Deer who were far away and behind thick brush thus preventing a photo. I was surprised but for the latter half of my walk, the frost stayed put on the trees and shrubs. Many times hoarfrost quickly melts away after the morning temps warm up, but the temps today must have stayed just low enough. I paused a number of times where the brush was close to the path and I could try some closeup shots. 
I pulled off a bunch of it with my hand, expecting it to feel like sharp ice but instead it was more like soft, crystalline snowflakes.
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