Another Cold Day

This Saturday was almost just as cold as yesterday, just without the strong winds. I think it was about 22 degrees which doesn't sound too bad, but I'm still trying to adjust after having temps hit 60 only a few days before. I hardly took any photos compared to other days, there was just not much to see and the sky was a thick grey that only let through a faint circle of light where the sun should've been. It was kind of just a depressing, dreary day -the kind you might have much later in the season; around late January or February. I guess the weather had really gotten to me because or the first time in a long time I felt kind of half-crazy for deciding to go outside in the cold and walk around in a circle for over an hour. But I guess that is the point as you just never know what you're going to see. And in order to see (and learn) about nature you have to do get out there often, even on crummy days. The one -and almost the only- interesting thing I spotted was one lone, male Wood Duck on the "Duck Pond" on the southwest side. I'd seen him here in the same spot exactly one week ago last Saturday, only he was with a group Mallards then. Today he was completely alone without another duck to be seen anywhere. It seems as though we were the only two living things in the park, and maybe that is why he let me get so close to him today. They sure are beautiful when you get to see them close up. Only a little bit of sun would have helped. As I made my way around, I spotted only a handful of other birds; Blue Jays, Juncos, Tree Sparrows, Cardinals, Downy Woodpeckers and once again a Northern Shrike. Nothing blog-worthy about any of them though. From the foot bridge over Shingle Creek on the north side I noticed how the sun was reflecting off the new ice that had probably formed so quickly in the last day or so. I thought it was interesting and sometimes I like the "abstract" forms you can find in nature sometimes.