March Madness

During the March 8th snowstorm,

little over a year later, (see Feb 9, 2012 entry)

rather than Cedar Waxwings hunkering down in the Green Hawthorne, 

there were 8 Mourning Doves taking shelter.

After the storm, the following weekend, temperatures climbed into the 50s 

making it a great time to check in on our hives. 

We had lost 1 of the 3 hives to 4 large mice, 

and sadly they moved on over to the next hive. 

Here is one escaping! The frames were destroyed and were discarded.

Clearly, the blue tape was not strong enough to keep the mice guard in place and 

successfully keep the mice out. 

Our final hive though is doing great. The queen is laying and they have plenty of honey to hopefully make it through the tricky month of March.

After the Storm

On February 9-10th, a snow storm left about 5 inches and carved and blasted with its strong winds interesting snow patterns.

A fox left a trail looking as determined and with purpose as he always looks when I catch a glance of him as he passes through. Clearly, with the circling around several times, a mouse or vole was heard but not found.

The boreal pond has also had water in it all winter and here are some freeze patterns to enjoy.

In the woods, I disturb a Red tailed Hawk, who soars overhead, 

leaving his post near his yearly nesting site. 

The hawk is in the upper left corner and his nest is in the lower right corner.

The snow highlights the toppled trees brought down by the roaring winds of Hurricane Sandy.

We have had few winter snows this year, one at the end of January, this one in early February and now one today, March 8th, all with minimal impact or snowfall totals in Bucks County. We have missed all the greater impacts of these Northeaster storms that have hit New England and the Mid-Atlantic states hard with storm surges and sometimes record breaking snowfalls.