Following heavy rains yesterday, an overnight freeze placed a coat of ice on the vegetation of central Missouri. Nevertheless, after thawing out our VW Beetle, I headed over to the Columbia Audubon Nature Sanctuary, on the west side of town.
The grassy trails crunched beneath my boots and the wooden bridges were a bit slippery but the resident birds were noisy and active despite the morning chill; red-bellied woodpeckers, tufted titmice and Carolina wrens were especially conspicuous. The highlight of my visit was provided by a large flock of greater white-fronted geese that flew over the refuge, headed west toward the Missouri River Valley.
While I can't say the weather was pleasant, the birding was decent, the exercise was beneficial and the cold, fresh air was invigorating. Like most humans in the Heartland, I'm ready for spring, but we can't let these wintry interludes prevent us from enjoying the great outdoors!
The grassy trails crunched beneath my boots and the wooden bridges were a bit slippery but the resident birds were noisy and active despite the morning chill; red-bellied woodpeckers, tufted titmice and Carolina wrens were especially conspicuous. The highlight of my visit was provided by a large flock of greater white-fronted geese that flew over the refuge, headed west toward the Missouri River Valley.
While I can't say the weather was pleasant, the birding was decent, the exercise was beneficial and the cold, fresh air was invigorating. Like most humans in the Heartland, I'm ready for spring, but we can't let these wintry interludes prevent us from enjoying the great outdoors!
