Ice Skating

In the past on the rare occasions when  I have tried ice skating, everybody said that I look like one of those clowns that can skate really well but put on a show of an uncontrolled disaster waiting to happen just for the audience. When I went out to the garage this morning that's what it must have looked like. After a couple of days of on and off freezing rain the driveway is a broken hip waiting to happen. I wanted to pop up the lane to see how the field birds were faring in the icy fields. They appear to be finding plenty of food as very few were along the roadside. I did see an American Pipit, a single Lapland Longspur, a couple of Snow Buntings and lots of Horned Larks. I didn't get any worthwhile photos as they were mostly distant. I decided instead that as I haven't harassed the felines recently that I'd switch to a 135mm lens and mount the flash. They were all relaxing so not too difficult.

Callie

Momma Bear

Momma Bob

A little bit warmer today .....

... still below freezing though. As it got up to a whopping 42F yesterday afternoon I took a look to see if there were any of the field birds within range but no luck unfortunately. This morning it's still too cold just yet to go outside and plant some native flower seeds but I'll give it a go this afternoon. In the meantime I stuck my lens out the window and took a few shots this morning.

Blue Jay

Dark-eyed Junco

Blue Jay

Mourning Dove

Mourning Dove

Starling on a Juniper

I love these little Snow Buntings.

 I always used to see these beauties in Scotlands Caingorm Mountains and occasionally in the winter along the coast in Norfolk. Now in the winter they're just a few hundred yards down the lane. It was rather frigid this morning at 7F (-13.88C). The lack of wind and bright early morning sunshine made it seem warmer. I didn't stay up there long but still managed to take 2472 shots! Here's a select few of them.

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Rather chilly in the fields this morning.

 I often refer to it being cold with the metaphor "colder than a witches tit", yeah well today's cold takes that to a whole new level. Today up in the fields it was "colder than Bellatrix Lestrange's tit". A Harry Potter reference to a particularly nasty witch. 😉 It was 15F (-9.44C), so I didn't stay too long. 

Horned Lark

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Snow Bunting

Snowy Sunday

 It must have started snowing in the early hours of Sunday morning because it was several inches deep when I got up just after 5AM. As it was hovering around freezing the snow was sticking to everything and looked quite photogenic. I took a few shots around the yard when it got a little lighter. As the temperatures are going to drop to 15F (-9.44C) and stay pretty cold for the rest of the week the snow probably isn't going to melt. We were due to head out just after 8AM to head back across the River onto the West Shore to revisit the LL Bean Store. I thought it best to get the drive cleared before we left and the snow blower made light work of it.  Heading out the temperature was dropping all the time and the wind was getting up and blowing the snow around. We stopped off for lunch at Olive Garden (I had my favorite Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara which was yummy) after which we headed home. I went up the lane to check on the birds and sure enough the field birds were along the lane feeding on the verges exposed  by the snow ploughs. I only saw one Snow Bunting among the Horned Larks but it did come close enough for a few photos. The wind was howling across the fields and drifting is going to be a problem in the morning.

Front Yard

Front Yard

Across the Fields

Across the Fields

Horned Lark

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

Snow Bunting

The Rockville Bridge

Kelly had Friday off and wanted to go over to the LL Bean Store over on the West Shore. Thinking there might be one or two photo opportunities I grabbed a camera on the way out. Leaving the store in Mechanicsburg we turned off interstate 81 at Marysville and headed North along the Susquehanna River to Duncannon. We crossed over the river and headed back along the river and stopped off at Fort Hunter where I got my only photo opportunity. The Rockville Bridge with a train going over it.

The Rockville Bridge is the longest stone masonry arch railroad viaduct ever built, at 3,820 feet (1,160 m). It has 48 70-foot spans. The bridge crosses the Susquehanna River about 5 miles (8 km) north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The eastern end is located in Rockville and the western end is just south of Marysville.

Rockville Bridge

Away from the morons.

In the peace and quiet of the backyard (apart from the Blue Jays squawking that is) I took a few of the birds visiting my feeders.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-bellied Woodpecker

White-breasted Nuthatch

White-breasted Nuthatch

Dark-eyed Junco

Dark-eyed Junco

Blue Jay

Blue Jay

Blue Jay

Dumb Asses

 People can be as dumb as dirt. I met several today and as such I only got one measly shot of a Snow Bunting. Why can't these morons stay in their car and use it as blind and to stop spooking the birds? 

Field Birds

After yesterday's snow I went up the lane to see what was about. The usual few hundred Horned Lark were very visible against the white fields, I did see one Snow Bunting but it was too far to get a shot. I was pleased to get an American Pipit a couple of times. After alerting the chosen few I was told there were 5 or 6 Snow Buntings while I was at home having lunch. We need more snow then the buntings will come.

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

American Pipit

American Pipit

American Pipit

American Pipit

American Pipit

American Pipit

Horned Lark

Horned Lark

American Pipit

American Pipit

Horned Lark