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It was freezing cold, rather it was frozen cold at Emigrant Lake. Much of the shoreline was rimmed with ice. The main part of the lake was open water, plenty of room for ducks.
Besides the Mallards, the ducks at the south end of Em Lake were Common Mergansers, American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal.
The sun was shining brightly and the solar energy being absorbed by the snow mist have been substantial, but there no sing of melting and the air remained frigid. Imagine my surprise when I saw this fellow (about 2/3 of inch long) skittering across the ice .
The Downy was assiduously at work in a bare willow. The Scrub-Jay was admiring the sun that was smiling back at him.
Emigrant Lake, Jackson, OR Jan 13, 2013 11:00 AM. 29 species
Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) 15
American Wigeon (Anas americana) 25
Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) 20
Green-winged Teal (Anas crecca) 35
Common Merganser (Mergus merganser) 13
Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) 1
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) 1
Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) 2
Acorn Woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus) 1
Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) 1
Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica) 6
American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) 1
Common Raven (Corvus corax) 1
Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) 2
Oak Titmouse (Baeolophus inornatus) 1
White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) 1
Bewick’s Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (Regulus calendula) 1
Western Bluebird (Sialia mexicana) 4
American Robin (Turdus migratorius) 6
Varied Thrush (Ixoreus naevius) 2
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) 1
Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) 4
Fox Sparrow (Passerella iliaca) 1
Lincoln’s Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) 1
Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) 15
Dark-eyed Junco (Junco hyemalis) 30
Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) 4
Purple Finch (Haemorhous purpureus) 6
So is the snow spider kind of like the opposite of the black cat in a coal bin? With its eyes closed?
By: Frank Lang on January 13, 2013
at 5:02 pm