End of February

The end of another month at Asylum Lake. February certainly had its ups and downs! The last day of February was above freezing and the sun was shining. 

The chipmunks were out in force. I love seeing them in the woods, gathering food and keeping watch. 

The birdhouses in the field were hopping. Bluebirds and sparrows were keeping watch on their claim

Soon the tree swallows will be returning and both of them will have to vie with them to win over the prime nesting spots. 

The robins were finally on the ground, trying to find something new to eat or perhaps scraping up the last of the fallen berries

And a lovely downy woodpecker was too busy pecking for bugs to notice me watching him!

I am looking forward to seeing what March shall bring!

February 20th - 27th

 A new week begins at the lake and another lovely morning to begin the week. It was still cold - it usually is in Michigan - but the sun was shining.

The light over the field was lovely. 

Over the weekend someone had built a mini snowman on the edge of the lake

The ice fishermen were out early despite the cold

The trails were very icy, some more ice covered than snow covered. At this time of year things can get really slippery. 

The resident squirrel was at his usual spot eating black walnuts. 

Most exciting at the beginning of the week was seeing my very first chipmunks of the season! While walking through the woods something caught my eye. I turned to see two chipmunks rolling around in the leaves! I was really excited. To me, it's a sign of spring. The snow is thawing and they are able to get out of their burrows. 

Now that the snow is thawing the stone circle created last year at the beginning of the field is becoming visible again!

Sadly, the absence of snow didn't last. Mid-week saw another snowstorm come through. It was really quiet at the lake. I didn't see a lot of birds and absolutely no people. 

I did see a hardy chipmunk out in the snow! I think we were the only two around. 

I took a slow, quiet walk through the woods

Just a quiet, snowy day

February 13th - 19th

 It's been a while since I've seen rabbits at Aylum Lake. In the summer months we see them a lot, but not for a while. I caught glimpse of one through the bushes just before he hopped away, white tail flashing. 

Spring is coming, slowly, but it is coming. There were several times throughout the week when I heard the sound of cardinals signing. They have quite distinctive mating calls. This male was singing his heart out. 

 

There were cedar waxwings still gathering in the trees, travelling from one berry tree to another to find food. 

The lake is still frozen though there are geese flying over checking for open water. They have yet to find any. I can hear them squawking their displeasure. 

I saw a couple of hawks flying far above overhead, looking for food. 

There were, of course, deer sightings this week. 

This one did not look amused!

There aren't any plants growing yet, no sign of green. There is still a lot of snow. Nothing poking through yet. I take pleasure in the flora where I can. 

I really love seeing the Queen Anne's Lace filled with snow

And these berries (maybe bittersweet?)

One of my winter favourites is the Sumac Tree. I love how red it gets in the winter! It attracts all kinds of birds that love to feed on it. 

Another week closes and we are closer to the end of February than the beginning. The days are definitely seeming a little longer now. The temperatures should be warming up any time! I can't wait. 

February 6th - 12th

 The start of another week of winter at Asylum Lake. 

Everything is still frozen. 

Days alternate between clouds and snow and maybe a little sun. 

The sunrises, when we have them, are quite lovely. 

The snow looks really beautiful in the morning light. 

The fields are still covered with snow. Once in a while I see a skier around. 

The deer are still out and as curious as ever. I never tire of seeing them. 

I saw the resident squirrel I've been watching all winter again this week. He was near his usual tree. I am so pleased he is - so far - making it through the winter. I always get a smile when I see him sitting where he usually does. It's a good place to hide from predators!

A good thing he is cautious as there are hawks around in the wood around the lake. I have spotted four. This one was quite a long way from the resident squirrel. 

He was pretty to close to the side of the lake, near this lovely arch. I think - in between cleaning - he was keeping an eye out for anything close to the lake. 

There were the usual array of birds this week - robins, cedar waxwings and bluebirds. My most interesting sighting of the week has to be this leucistic robin. I couldn't believe when I saw him! Quite startlingly white against the skies and the berries. 

 

Leucism is the loss of pigmentation in birds and animals causing white or patchy skin. This robin was really quite beautiful. 

It's another week over at Asylum Lake. 

Feb 2nd - 5th After the Snowstorm

 Well, the snow storm came. Everything is covered with a blanket of snow. It makes for walking at Asylum Lake a nice, quiet delight. There aren't many animals or birds around though I could hear them. The views are quite lovely, especially when the sun is shining. 

The berries and the birdhouses, both covered with snow.  I don't think any birds have landed on that since the snow!

Fresh snow as I walk through the fields and along the tree line. 

Down by the stream everything is covered. I love this view in winter. It is one of the very few open areas of water around at Asylum Lake. Deer often come down here, especially in winter, to get a drink. It isn't unusual to see birds sipping water too.  In the winter, the sun rising over the horizon here is a favourite. 

Down by the beaver's lodge all is quiet. The water is completely frozen over. This time last year the beavers had managed to keep a small area open most of the winter. This year they haven't done that. The water is frozen solid. All downing of trees has stopped. All is quiet, though the evidence of their previous felling is still very visible. 

Along one side of the lake - with the way the winds blew - the snow stuck to trees and coated everything with a layer of snow

It's strange because one of the few birds I did manage to photograph during this time was a Robin. It's Michigan's State Bird. I must admit that it isn't a favourite of mine. I do see a few in the winter, but a lot of them seem to desert the rest of us for warmer temperatures. However, this winter I seem to have seen lots of them around. It isn't the same for all places in Michigan. On the state bird sites there has been talk of them 'returning' in Spring. I always comment how many I've seen this winter. 

As another week closes at Asylum Lake I am enjoying the quietness, but I can't wait to see the spring birds returning. It's still early, but as winter continues on I look forward to longer days and returning birds and maybe a sighting of the beavers!