We have winter

Greenlake was still frozen over.  Hadn't made it over for a week, frozen last week, signs asking people to stay off of the ice.  There were still signs up yesterday, but plenty of people were out walking on it, far out from shore.  Looked like a couple inches thick in some places, free water in others.  Sun out all day, and temps above 40.  Not sure I'd risk it, though I understand the allure.

Flocks of birds jockeyed for bread crumbs, slipping on the ice.  Others came in to land on the open water, missing, and sliding sideways across the ice to get there.  Last week I saw a couple of the Eurasian Wigeons in the flock, their rust-colored heads standing out in the sea of green.  Pied-billed Grebes, Mallards, various gulls, a few Hooded Mergansers, flocked together near an in-flow, where the water was ice-free.  Further along, a flock of Northern Shovelers, who seem to have a more difficult time navigating the ice.  Large flocks of American Coots trying to make their way en masse from the water to the grass, but continually being driven back by the presence of dogs, or joggers; they seem the wariest of the bunch.  One Cooper's Hawk watched the ground from a bare tree.  One Belted Kingfisher called out across the water, but I didn't see it.

Only walked about 1/3 of the lake before turning around, dusk falling, the cold getting to my hands, and I was hungry.  No geese on that third, though last week, they made their way across the ice in a line, slipping toward a dock where someone was tossing out bread.

Here are some pictures from yesterday.

Landing, January 15/L Herlevi 2017

Ice, January 15/L Herlevi 2017

Winter, January 15/L Herlevi 2017

Greenlake, January 15/L Herlevi 2017