When we left the car, we heard the plaintive call of a lone gull. As we looked out from the gazebo,
we saw the Ring-billed Gull just off-shore in open water.
Nearby Common Mergansers appeared to revel in the calm day as well.
It was a blue overcast day when at first glance, one could mistake the blue sky for a clear day.
The birds were busy around the boardwalk. Several Song Sparrows gathered seed at the base of the bridge.
A female Hairy Woodpecker looked for seeds left by the onlookers
or watched from a nearby branch if people came too close.
Three days later, with wind on the water and a clear blue sky, the bay had opened more.
There was enough open water for the return of the Black Scoters we could hear whistling in the distance.
Soon the ice will be gone for another year. We are as joyful as the Song Sparrows at the prospect.
Update: What a difference a day makes.
