The temperature has remained in the thirties with fairly consistent gusty winds. Some days are sunny, some cloudy and generally. I walked while it was snowing on the 17th. Things have been quiet critter-wise. On several days no squirrels at all were sighted and the highest count has been eight.

Hawks are around, usually flying away from perches when I’ve intruded unknowingly, sometimes soaring overhead. On the 15th, a pair of mallards visited the far back open spot in the small pond.

I was charmed by a brown creeper who happened to be at eye level the other day (2/18). If it wasn’t moving, it would have blended perfectly into the tree trunk. It made its way ever upward, doing its high, sweet vocals all the while. I watched and waited for it to fly down and start its upward climb again…but it was a high tree.

Ice fishing, oddly enough, has adherents in Springfield. Even with melt holes, some dude was out there with a white plastic bucket and square thing (a seat?). I’ve seen buddies, too, but the single guy is most common manifestation. I always hope he knows what he’s doing safety-wise. Of course, the very notion of ice-fishing in a disgustingly polluted urban pond fails any test of logic.

A lovely sunny, if chilly, day in the park. I saw six squirrels all together at the edge of the ball field. The grays chased one another up, down, and around tree trunks. A black morph sat apart on a high branch with its tail draped over its back. One of these trees once housed a fisher mother and at least one pup. The squirrels have taken it over.

Woodpeckers called (one knocked as well) and a cardinal was pipping, along with the usual juncos, chickadees and other ‘littles’ I hear and can’t see. No ducks though. After the arctic blast that arrived last week, the small and large ponds are frozen hard again.

Ears tuned in to bird sounds, I made my way along the road until the air was rent by the roar of  a chainsaw. Trees stood between me and the source. I ran off road into the snow looking for a clear view. When I found a propect, I was shocked to see the source was ON the ice. It was a guy using a gas-powered drill to make a hole in the ice…presumably for fishing.

Others I have seen ice fishing used hand drills. I thought their pursuit a little crazy, but now I applaud them for respecting the environment and allowing their neighbors quiet enjoyment of the park.