Oak Openings walk - On Monday of this week, March 10, I took a 90 minute walk at OO in the woods and fields along Jeffers road. I parked by some run-down house and made my way to a cross-country ski trail that was real nice. It winded its way through a pine forest. The trail contained several little ups and downs due to the sand dunes. I started around 11:00 A.M., and the temperature was about 20. I figured it would be one final wintertime-style walk.

The high temp last Saturday was 47. It raineed that afternoon and evening. After the cold front moved through Saturday night, the temperatures plunged to the single digits by sunrise on Sunday. The water on the sidewalks and roads froze almost instantly it seemed. The 2-4 inches of wet snow on the ground froze solid and felt like walking on concrete. Walking at Oak Openings was easy, because there was no give in the snow.

I ran into a group of Chickadees and Titmice in the pines, so I started pishing. They responded with their mobbing calls and got closer to me. I was hoping something else might fly in. A Golden-crowned Kinglet did make an appearance, I think. I spotted a small bird that was hovering while picking something from the pine limb. The problem was the sun behind a cloud was behind the bird, so I only saw dark. He only stayed for a moment.

Not much else birdwise, except for the regulars. The walk was more for fun, enjoying the winter weather, which is ending. 55-60 degree temps are expected this weekend. There's still an inch or two of snow around, but there are bare spots in some areas.