Winter in the Woods

Although the day was dull, grey and cold, we decided that some fresh air would do us good and set off on the footpath through the woods.

We were quite surprised to see this rather large and handsome bird - which once we checked our book at home we were able to identify as a Red Shouldered Hawk.  He was about 18 inches or more from head to tail.  When we first saw him he was on the ground having, we assume, tried to catch a small mammal or bird.  If the latter, it might explain the white 'splash' on his face..

Walking on we saw a Yellow-Crowned Kinglet (Goldcrest) but were unable to photograph him as he flitted about.   

We then came across a flock of American Robins (a misnomer, they are members of the thrush family).  They were systematically working their way through a group of holly bushes, stripping  the berries.  We were surprised that the berries had lasted this long given the cold weather.

There are few signs of Spring in the woods.  A few snowdrops are beginning to show but mostly everything is dead and any lying water is frozen.   In one of the streams running through the woods we could see from the bridge several grasses or reeds that were trapped between stones just above the water and had become glazed with ice.

As we returned home a few flakes of snow were falling and half an hour or so later it was quite white outside..