Monday, March 18, 2013

Dull

Pileated woodpecker

Winter didn’t have much of a bite this year, but that hasn’t kept it from refusing to give up the stage. This weekend and today I’ve had a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain.  On Saturday I saw robins in the snow, though they didn’t appear unduly deterred by the weather.

The days never got very bright, and the gloomy skies that characterized so much of this past winter continued.  I’ve been trying to see this Pan-STARRS comet for days now, foiled each time by poor weather. Northern areas have had good aurora borealis displays, too, and if any of them reached this far south, I would never know it.

The landscape is dull and brown. Any thought the tender shoots had of pushing through the ground is on hold until the weather improves, which doesn’t look as though it will happen this week.  So is March 2013 a lamb or a lion?  So far it’s neither. Perhaps it’s more of a housecat or a full grown sheep .  Not a lamb and not a lion and more than a little dull.

My photo today is of a distant pileated woodpecker that was working furiously on that stump.  He didn't stay around long enough for me to switch to my long lens. Pity.

4 comments:

Cathy said...

I think the sun has left us, maybe we should send the Death Star after it.

But seriously, I'm really getting tired of gloom and snow. Might have another 3-4 by tomorrow :(

Scott said...

Same thing, here, Carolyn, a bit further east. I've been looking for Pan-STARRS, too, and it's either cloudy or I'm going out too soon after sunset and the sky's still too bright (though I thought that just after sundown was the best time to see the comet).

Two of my members reported a pair of Pileateds last Saturday (in the wet snow); I'll bet they're getting ready to start raising a brood.

The forecast is for a string of nice (but cool) days starting on Wednesday (3/20/2013); I sure hope the forecasts are correct 'cause this is getting old (and cold).

Carolyn H said...

Cathy: Have we ever had a gloomier winter? I can't remember one. My grandmother moved down here from upstate NY and used to say one of the things she loved about this area was the bright sunny winters. It's a good thing she wasn't around to see this one!

Carolyn H said...

Scott: Did you ever see the comet? I still haven't, but I hope it will be clear enough to try again tonight.