chill

many birds follows patterns that seem to have no rhyme or reason to them. This mountain bluebird species is often seen near neglected farm buildings. I have no idea why. Maybe they build nests in them, like barn owls?

Now the ice is beginning to melt on the clear ditch, the fishermen are beginning to be able to get at the fish, which right now are almost exclusively common carp. I guess they prefer trout, because the carp are usually left beside the ditch (along with their abandoned tackle). This likely goes a long way to explaining why the coyotes and raccoons travel through this area each evening!

Our house has open eaves, and these birds are trying to figure out if our gutter would make a good nesting site. I think, in the end they decided against it; not "move in ready"

we joke these porcupines have an invisibility cloak, because suddenly you can see them in the trees. We normally begin to see them next month, this guy is a little early. He was not too happy about being spotted, it seems

Luckily, I have a good camera, because I only had a couple of seconds to get this shot of a circling bird. I think it is a bald eagle, but the experts at Inaturalist are going to tell me soon...

so this a juvenile common snapping turtle. Young and dumb. He totally confirmed a turtle hibernation spot I had suspected. When they grow to about the size of a saucepan, they are wily and pretty dangerous. At this size they are prey to just about everything, their only defense is a smelly discharge. They are slow and at risk at these low temperatures, but they are active under the ice, which offers protection until it melts.

this kingfisher is sitting on his usual perch, ringing in the new year with staccato bursts of sound.

the flocks of raven in the bosque are leaving behind the occasional casualty. This one was partly buried by the trail, so likely a coyote found it down already, ate some, and plans to come back for the rest tonight.