Starting out 2023... this is January.

 2023 has been up and down temperature-wise but we've not had much snow to worry about. We didn't get to do our usual January 1st birding because I was a mess but we got out the next weekend, on the 7th. We started out walking around Jamaica Pond, as we usually do. Here are a few of the birds we saw there...

#3, American Robin. It took a while, but I think this is a good shot.

#6, a matched pair of Hooded Mergansers.

It was pretty nice out so we got the big idea to go look at the dens. So, we went over there but it really wasn't nearly nice enough for any knuckleheads to be out. But we saw some more birds. Andrea's boyfriend, a Red-bellied Woodpecker (#9) was digging for some grub.

At the adjoining park, we saw a young Red-shouldered Hawk looking for some lunch. The ducks (Mallards and Black) were quacking up a storm.

So, we ended up with a 12 pack of birds to start the year.

We didn't get out again until last weekend, Saturday the 28th. It was 44° and sunny so we decided to hit the dens. You never know.

It was chillier than we'd expected but the sun was warm. The Valley was empty but Andrea found our First of Year Garter sunning in the Back Valley den-site.

This guy has been sleeping in mud for the past 3 months or so. Them there scales are going to be gorgeous!

Anything else on the day would be gravy. We headed toward the Arboretum and decided to pull over and check a stream for some salamanders. It was warm enough to fish them out for photos. We found some Two-lined Salamanders pretty easily.

A two "herp" day in January!

Onward to some more birding! This Red-tail (#13) was keeping an eye out for some chow.

I cheated and hit the bird feeders, just to pad my count. Here is a White-throated Sparrow (#17), a species I didn't get last year.

Another Red-tail was looking around in another part of the park.

So, we were up to 17 birds, but hell... we saw a January snake in Massachusetts. That makes my lower-than-hoped-for bird count worthwhile.

The next day, Sunday the 29th, we headed over to Boston Harbor for some sea ducks and stuff. The temps were good enough, but there was a frigid wind coming off the harbor and we didn't last too long. But we did manage to add 10 birds, even if some of them were super easy ones.

Here is a pretty female Common Goldeneye (#22).

Here are a couple of young Surf Scoters (#25) , another species I didn't get last year.

I usually don't get pigeons until later in the year. I always know I'll see one and I usually don't have a camera on me when I do. That said, I'll never get a photo of a Rock Dove (#27) as awesome as this one again.

And that is how 2023 begins. Let's hope for no droughts, no month-long heatwaves, no crippling illnesses and no lethargy. Let's make this one a good one.