After checking several of my favorite launch sites and finding them to be quite wintry looking, I returned late this morning to Little Farms Road in Framingham and another voyage beneath the "Hot Dog Bridge". This launch site and the Sudbury River in its vicinity seem springlike compared with the others I checked. There is very little ice to speak of and the south facing ridge shows no signs of winter...
That same south facing ridge provides protection from the north and northwest winds which are the coolest at this time of year.
Old Man Winter has only 35 more days and he is already starting to loosen his grip!
One shore raid was conducted just downstream of the Power Lines and it netted about 40 empty containers that had drifted in amongst the brambles during a high-water episode in the past. Just before reaching Indian Point, I recovered an empty fire extinguisher that was perched on the river's bank.
Several ice-fishermen were working the water's of Heard Pond and a column of smoke rose from their fire.
On the trip back upriver I picked up my belted kingfisher escort and he flew vanguard for me until the Power Lines where he veered off...
After the Power Lines I saw these tracks in the snow at water's edge...
Not sure but suspect they might belong to a mink? No sign of a tail in the tracks.
Other wildlife seen today were mallards, wood ducks, a red-tailed hawk, and a robin.
Arrived back at Little Farms Road and after all passengers disembarked, a riverside group photo was taken...
The trash count for the day was 89. Of these, 48 were recyclable (5 redeemable) and 41 were misc. rubbish such as plastic bags, styrofoam, etc. My YTD total stands at 294.
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