FEBRUARY 24, 2013

Sadie and I got to the Riverwalk 3 times today. We went shortly this morning before church, around 3:00 and then back at sunset. There wasn't a lot of nature stirring about, but the trail was full of people, bikers, dogs and children during the sunny afternoon walk. It was during the evening walk that I noticed the beauty of the full moon. The photo posted above I call: Moon on a stick. As we began our walk, I saw a hawk flying over carrying some nesting materials. The quality of the photo isn't the best, but it takes my breath away to see such a beautiful creature. It was a very good day on the Riverwalk trail.

FEBRUARY 23, 2013 (CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE)

Sadie and I had two good walks on and near the Riverwalk trail today. This morning we went to Angler's Park and walked in the mist. We saw a couple of mallards on the marsh there but little else. This afternoon we walked on the Riverwalk trail near Dan Daniel Park. We saw a couple of hooded mergansers flying low over the river. When we were home this afternoon, I saw the woodpecker, pictured above, resting on the porch railing near the bird feeders. It was another good day on the Riverwalk trail.

FEBRUARY 21, 2013

Though cool, it was a beautiful, sunny day on the Riverwalk this afternoon. There were not many birds in the tres, but the ones that were there we very colorful (bluebirds and cardinals). Sadie and I saw a few geese in the river, and the great huntress, Sadie, stalked out and dug up another baseball. It was pretty wasted with little leather and mostly string. She carried it to the car where I took it from her and tossed it in the trash when she wasn't looking. It was another nice day for a walk in the park.

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

Sadie and I went to the Riverwalk this afternoon and watched a large group of Canada geese floating down the river. We met a man who was traveling through. He was on the trail with his binoculars and looking at the geese. He was traveling from Atlanta to New Market, Virginia and had stopped to get some fresh air and enjoy the scenery. After talking with the gentleman, we saw a few daffodils in full bloom along the trail. As we walked up a hill through the tall grass, Sadie found another baseball (mostly thread with very little leather). I let her run in one of the fields, and she enjoyed the sunny weather as she chased the ball after throwing it into the air. After she had lost interest in the ball, I picked it up and put it in a trash can. As we got back to the car, was saw a couple of graceful turkey vultures gliding over the baseball fields. Though ugly to look at on the ground, they are very graceful in the sky. It was a very good afternoon on the Riverwalk trail where we enjoyed a brief conversation with a traveler and the beauty of nature.

FEBRUARY 17, 2013

(CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE) It was a very, very cold day on the Riverwalk trail today. The wind was blustery, and the birds in the trees were hanging on with all of their might. The ducks and geese were rocking on the river and huddled together on the shore. One of the "coolest" photos taken today was a crow on top of a tree with snow (ice) on the branches. There was also a beautiful cardinal hanging on a tree near the river and a few woodpeckers hanging on to tree searching for food.

FEBRUARY 16, 2013

(CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE) Sadie found two baseballs today. In the morning she found a baseball in the high weeds near the Braves' baseball field. That afternoon, in the snow, she found a fairly rotten baseball near the Goodyear ball fields and enjoyed a run in one of the ball fields. As she threw the ball and chased it, it began to look mofre and more like a snow ball. It was a good day in the park. We also so a few birds during the day including this Canada goose swimming near the shore.

FEBRUARY 9, 2013

(CLICK PHOTO TO ENLARGE) This morning on the Riverwalk trail, there was an abundance of bluebirds. I saw one bluebird grab a berry off of a twig while the bird was in full flight and then fly away with the berry. There were also a number of wrens singing their sweet songs and the geese were out in large numbers on both the river and in the large fields. It was a cool, but beautiful morning on the river.

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

On this rainy Thursday afternoon, Sadie and I ventured forth on the Riverwalk. We had gone only a short distance when I saw a hawk fly on to a light pole and sit there. We approached slowly, and I got some photos of this hawk as it surveyed the surroundings for an afternoon morsel. As we continued on in the drizzling rain, I saw some songbirds including cardinals, robins, chickadees and sparrows. There were few people on the Riverwalk (we passed only two young boys walking in the opposite direction), but nature was plentiful. Though a wet afternoon on the trail, it was rather pleasant, and seeing the hawk made the effort more rewarding. It was a good afternoon on the Riverwalk trail.

FEBRUARY 5, 2013

(CLICK on the photographs to ENLARGE them) Oh, Deer! There was a herd of nine deer on the hill side near the Braves' baseball field at Dan Daniel park. They were beautiful to see since there were deer of many different sizes including a couple of young ones. My only regret is that this is the herd that the white deer and her mother hung out with; I don't know what happened to her, but I haven't seen her since before Thanksgiving. But, these deer made it a beautiful afternoon on the Riverwalk trail.

FEBRUARY 3, 2013

(CLICK PHOTOS TO MAKE THEM LARGER) Sadie and I were on the Riverwalk trail twice today - early morning and mid-afternoon. Sadie found another baseball (one of over 70 she has found since last spring - she has found 3 within the week). The ball was pretty tattered with the cover coming off. I let her run with the ball in one of the Dan Daniel Park ball fiends, and then, when she let me have it it, I tossed it in the trash.

In the afternoon we saw a large flock of robins in one of the fields near Dan Daniel park. They had gathered on the ground and in a tree, and the lighting allowed for a good shot of some of them. The geese had gathered near the shoreline and the effects of the foliage between us and them made for some interesting effects. It was another good day on the Riverwalk trail.

FEBRUARY 2, 2013

It was 16 degrees this morning on the Riverwalk trail, but it didn't seem as cold today as yesterday because the wind wasn't blowing. There were not many people on the trail, and Sadie upset a group of geese in a large field, although we didn't get very close to them. The moon was about 2/3's and made a beautiful background for a cardinal in the top of one tree. We also saw a group of vultures this afternoon as they were resting in the top of some trees near the river. Also, this afternoon a woodpecker visited our birdfeeder but just sat there staring at the feeder. It rested there for nearly 20 minutes before flying away. Sadie had a good run in a field. It was a good day on the Riverwalk trail.

JANUARY 31, 2013

It was a very windy and cold, but sunny afternoon at the Riverwalk this afternoon. The river was high and the geese had taken refuge on the fields near Dan Daniel Park. A small group of ducks were in a cove, but no water fowl were braving the heavy rapids in the center of the river. Even the great blue heron I usually see was not there since it perches in the river had been covered with water. Near the Public Works department, a mockingbird was watching us closely from the bush with the red berries. It posed for my camera for a short time, lost interest, and then flew deeper into the bush and out of sight. On the way out of the park, I saw a few birds in a tree on my left. I stopped the car, rolled down the window and took some photos of a bluebird and a white-throated sparrow that were nicely lighted with the afternoon sun. It was another great day on the Riverwalk trail.