"Out & About" Photo Blog: Oshawa 2nd Marsh </br> March 9th, 2014

Early March... better, but not warm yet. Bright sunshine but crisp. A good day for a walk for sure but still cold on the hands if you're out shooting with a camera.

I walked the berm to the lake today. Met a half-dozen others and a couple fishermen. Not much to see. Winter hasn't lost its grip yet. But good to get out just the same.

Who doesn't look forward to spring? I hear some don't but they're definitely in the minority. It still fascinates me when I think that a scene like this, dominated by browns, will be overwhelmingly green in just a matter of weeks. The land will reawaken once again.

Yellow Cane on the berm. It's a much more wide-open view throughout the marsh this time of year.

Only two fishermen at the lake today. They look very small on such a large lake. This is where Farewell Creek enters the lake--a popular spot for fishing. (You get a much better impression of the lake if you enlarge the images.)

With all the talk of the Great Lakes freezing over this year, it's a little surprising to see Lake Ontario so clear of ice.

I asked if they had any luck so far--"No", one said. Then I asked 'What do you get this time of year?'. The response: "Fresh air." I had to chuckle at that answer.

When you can't see the opposite shore, it's easy to understand why the Great Lakes are sometimes referred to as 'inland seas'.

A couple small flocks of geese coming in.

I don't see geese skim the lake like this very often. Cormorants, yes... geese, no.

Bonnie Brae Point on the horizon. The wide-angle lens makes the horizon look curved--too much bother to fix it.

Boring or interesting, depending on your point of view. I find nature's randomness interesting at times. Maybe I'm looking for order in the chaos.

Farewell Creek along the berm. It'll soon be flowing with the spring melt.

A lonely fungus. The green on the left is the only green I saw in the marsh today. In fact I didn't even see in the marsh--I only saw it when I had the image on the computer screen.

Wild Cucumber pods... pretty tatty this time of year, but recognizable.

Ghost Road Bush in winter... the boardwalk is still hidden under the snow. I can't wait for the Mayapples, Dwarf Ladyslippers, et al that will soon be springing up on the forest floor.

Visitors leave seeds for the Chickadees throughout the year. I saw a small pile of cereal today too. The Chickadees weren't interested in it.

They're probably the cutest of our birds.

A fairly uneventful day at the marsh, but any day at the marsh is a good one. It's like they say about scotch whiskey... "There's no such thing as bad scotch, it's just that some is better than others."

Spring is starting to push winter to the background but it'll take a while yet. My next visit to the marsh will be a much warmer one I'm sure.

The Friends of Second Marsh web site...