New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Dodging another Nor 'Easter (I pray).

Wednesday 03/26/2014

Well there are some hints of spring around here if you look hard enough. Actually the Suncook River out my home office widow is flowing free of ice which happened within the last three days. I've seen a few chipmunks about this past week and now three road killed woodchucks. No I didn't scoop one up for my granddaughter to play with.

I was over by Great Bay last Wednesday and the Bay was pretty much ice free and there were tons of ducks and geese milling around. We should be on the cusp of a duck and geese explosion this week or next. Heads up for that. Robins too should be charging through the state within a week or so. I've seen a few scattered robins that seem to be looking north and shifting that way as I watch them. Unlike are now winter robins that move aimlessly about. Robins now move with a purpose always facing north flittering from one bare patch to the next.

I'm seeing turkeys about again. The snow is still pretty deep in places but with enough crust to easily hold a turkey,especially with temperatures dipping to around zero the last few nights freezing the snow rock hard. I did spot a deer in a bare spot on a south facing bare of snow spot yesterday. This is looking like a pretty tough spring for them. Unless we have some kind of heat wave or warm rainy days it looks like our annual spotted salamander watch is a ways away. Most years I'd be counting down the day for that by now.

Spring has been held at bay for weeks now. But the sun sure feel great even on these 20 something days. No doubt this spring is going to be just a flash in the pan. Blink your eyes and it will be summer. I'm going to have to be extra careful watching for spring things as they will happen so quickly this year.