Fishing with a net

A man fishing with a net below the dam. A strange scene, like something from the National Geographic.

Marsh Marigold and Wood Duck

Snow for a week, then sun! We are so ready for some sun. The wind is very cold, but the flowers -- the natives anyway -- are coming back. Some of the violets look a little burned, but otherwise OK. And down in the swamp, the Marsh Marigolds have popped open! Before last week's snow I hadn't even seen any buds, just leaves. There are still some skunk-cabbage flowers but mostly they are now growing their big leaves, unfurling from the middle like an umbrella.

The tree with the tiny yellow flowers -- what is it? Is also in bloom. The deer seem to have eaten the dogwood tree right down to the ground, alas.
I still see the big flock of Coots out on the pond. And this morning I saw a male Wood Duck swimming near the dam!

April Snow

In the swamp, the skunk-cabbages are covered with snow, as are the seed leaves of the jewel impatiens and marsh-marigold.

On Tuesday it was 77 degrees and Wednesday it was 26 degrees -- and it has been snowing the last three days! We are going to be hiding Easter eggs in snow drifts on Sunday. And it's pretty much the end of the nonnative "spring flowers." I wonder what the violets are doing, under the snow.
The downy woodpecker has been at the feeder every day; there are coots on the pond and I hear the cardinal calling.

Violets! and something strange

Violets have suddenly emerged, overnight there are flowers in the woods. Blue violets, red violets, but mostly white violets.
Yesterday I saw a flock of Bufflehead on Fisher Lake; I haven't seen them on the pond this year, just Goldeneyes. A very active little downy woodpecker was hanging around all morning.

The sun was just coming up when I went out this morning with the dogs, I saw something strange over the dam but was able to grab a quick picture!