66°F. No windy. 
Such a beautifully quiet peaceful day to be outside.
I didn’t bring my Nikon on this hike because it had been very dry and I didn’t expect to see anything very interesting. I always carry my iPhone, which comes in handy and takes pretty darned good photos. First thing I saw was some scat – maybe from a coyote that ate something other than the usual bunny, but I’m not sure what this fur is from, maybe deer.
At the creek, there was still some ice in a shaded area, despite the warm day.
I followed the creek upstream today because I kept finding interesting things to look at! There were lots of fresh paw prints in the moist sand, I don’t know what made them, raccoon, skunk, mink, possum?
I think the print below is from a bobcat! they are quite small. When I first looked at this print, I thought it was strange that there were no claw marks. I need to learn my prints! I find it very interesting, but really hard to identify the animal when the print doesn’t match a field guide exactly due to differences in surface texture and moisture.
Interesting color and texture changes along the banks.
I am not a fan of the Cocklebur, whose seed pod is ever annoying, but it’s pretty interesting visually. It gets wrapped up so tight in fur that you practically have to cut it out. Just look at those evil little barbs.
I believe this grass is a type of Bluestem, maybe Broomsedge Bluestem . It has really held its shape and color well. This time of year things are beaten down, falling over, decaying or are completely dried out, but this grass is standing tall and has a nice reddish color.
I was surprised to see nuts on the creek bed. I didn’t spot the tree, they could have washed downstream.
I cracked one open with a rock to identify the type of nut. I figured it would be rotten, but the shell was tough as nails and the meat looked really good. Black Walnut.
It really disappoints me to see trash lying around, and creeks are pretty common dumping grounds. I do, however, love finding old aged items. I was excited to find this hubcap, likely from a 1973 Mercury Marquis.
The photo below shows an inlet into the creek. The small stream was flowing and had a mini waterfall, whose sound was a very pleasant burble.
I started hiking back to the car and didn’t encounter anything else on the trails that I could photograph. I did see a large owl flying through the woods! I couldn’t get a good view of it, but the wings seemed huge and were a soft brown and white color. I really wanted to see this owl! I tried to get a little closer, but it stayed well ahead of me. Maybe next time. The lake was calm and the sky was blue. I saw another bird of prey from a distance (not pictured) an American Bald Eagle doing a little hunting over the water. I saw it swoop, then it disappeared behind the trees. I watched for it to come back into view for a while but did not see it again. Hopefully it was happily eating a big fish.
