March 12 and 13, 2020

On March 12, Josh and I hiked the Ram Pasture out to the beach at Clark's Cove, then back via Clark's Cove Road and Barrett's Farm Road.  A peregrine falcon was watching the outwash plain.  We also saw the usual gulls (herring and greater black-backed), mallards,  and an assortment of chickadees and yellow-rumped warblers.  A red-tail hawk , turkey vultures and crows were  out hunting. Song sparrows, blue jays and a cardinal were also about.

Red-Tail Hawk

Peregrine Falcon 

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

Peregrine takes off

Peregrine takes off

Clark's Cove

Today it blew and rained.  The temperature is 50 degrees,  with the wind from the WSW.  I hiked the Squam Swamp loop.  It is like a magic forest with the lichen and spanish moss abloom in the fog.  I expected elves to put out of the trunks in the vernal pools.  The swamp is as wet as I have ever seen it.  There are many more vernal pools and the wetlands usually filled with ferns are filled with water.  I will have to look back to see if I've hiked it in mid-March.  It has been a rather mild winter;  the first daffodils are now blooming at the rotary.

Budding Red Maple (Acer Rubrum) with Spanish Moss

Pincushion Moss , Leucobryum glaucum

Broom Forkmoss,  Dicranum Scoparium

Usnea and Acer