The major snow storm that hit the area south of Buffalo was epic for sure. The most I’ve seen around here was over three feet back in the late 60’s.
I can’t fathom getting that at one time and then get two feet more a couple days later.
The rain on top of that yesterday sure won’t help the situation.
They will be shoveling uphill to get the snow off the roof…that’s if they could get to the roof or even out the front door.
Luckily the band was only seven miles wide, though in that area it effected many thousands people and homes.
I saw a tweet where some Forest Rangers and their air boat were dispatched to the area in anticipation of flooding should the rain that was forecasted happens.
Each foot of snow equals an inch of rain, and if they get an inch of rain on top of that it could cause problems.
We had a foot of snow—enough to be groomed—on the ski trails in Inlet. It’s gone now but at least the blowdown got taken out when the groomer went around.
The wind put a lot of debris in the trails so if you are out and about take a few seconds to move some of the small stuff to make the trail better for the next person.
The little spike horn buck that has been around all fall bought the big one.
Karen saw someone dragging it down the ski trail on Saturday.
I got a picture of him and another buck sparring in the front yard during the week before they trucked off after the doe that was watching the sparring match.
I saw the spike horn eating the pumpkin in the side yard at three in the morning that day so he had a good last meal.
With all the snow and cold several birds that got caught in the area came to the feeders.
I have four redwing blackbirds, three white-throated sparrows and just yesterday, a fox sparrow.
I caught and banded two fox sparrows earlier in the fall. One of my white throated sparrows that I banded 10/11/14 was found dead in Jasper, GA on 11/3/14. So this bird traveled that distance in 23 days.
This also may have been where this bird was going to spend the winter so it could have been there for a few days before it died.
I don’t know if the white throats that are still at the feeder are going to stay the winter or use this break in the weather to head south.
I also had a female evening grosbeak at the feeder for the last couple days. It likes the platform feeder that I raise on a pulley system to get it above the deer.
Last winter I had a doe that would stand on her hind feet to feed at the platform. Putting it up another foot and making it a moving object has defeated her so far this year.
On Saturday there were several ducks and a loon still on Fourth Lake.
If the picture of the Old Forge Pond that appeared on the front page of last week’s was taken on Friday it would have included 20 Canada geese sitting in the snow on the ice.
The ducks on Fourth were common goldeneyes, buffleheads and common mergansers.
If the water stays open and they are still around on Sunday, December 15 they can be included in the Old Forge Christmas Count.
That is the first day of the count but if I hold it early it gives us a chance to catch these birds and some other late movers.
If anyone wants to watch their feeder that day or walk a trail in the area and report birds they see, that would be great.
Just give me a call (315) 357-5150 and tell me where you are going to travel or just report the birds at your feeder that day.
There were a couple new tom turkeys that showed up at the feeder yesterday that thought they were king of the hill.
One fluffed up under the feeder to claim territory. The two toms that have been here for a month jumped on him and drove the others off up the driveway.
I haven’t seen them back again this morning but I’m sure they will be back sometimes during the winter.
Thanksgiving dinner in Rochester—weather be damned… but that’s another story. See ya.