Day 146 - The Archibald Bird Sanctuary

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Onlooker

Fluffy stuff

The Fred Archibald Audubon Sanctuary on Boyers Mill Road in New Market was perfect for my walk today.  There was an even layer of snow, and I would much rather walk on that than on snowy sidewalks in town.

I have been to this sanctuary before, back on November 3, when fall color was just ending.  This time, I knew what to expect, so I walked the perimeter of the sanctuary, following the paths. 

Rt. 270 of deer travel

To the right of the sanctuary is a horse farm, and one horse near the fence turned to take a look at me.  I was the only human who had set foot in the sanctuary since it snowed, so I suppose the horse was curious.

Seeds on grainy wood

Ahead of me, past the fence, I saw at least 20 deer, mostly single file, trotting across the path about a hundred yards away.  They disappeared into the tall grasses as I approached.  The paths where I was walking were heavily marked by deer tracks, but one of the paths in particular was particularly marked up.  If deer name their highways, this would have been the Rt. 270 of deer traffic.

The only other wildlife I saw was a turkey.  Birds were very scarce today in this bird sanctuary. 

Birdhouse

I was tired by the end of my walk, but it was nice being out in such a quiet natural area on a winter afternoon.

Winter Shed

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Forward to me via email a receipt for donating to the Red Cross. Tell me whether the photo is from the blog or the website, and Include its title along with a mailing address. The name on the receipt to the Red Cross must match the name of the mailing recipient. Send the receipt and the photo request to camscamerashots@gmail.com.

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Cam's rules for the Daily Photo Walk:

1. walk every day
2. the walk must be in addition to any other planned activity for the day
3. post a photo every day
4. use my Nikon P7100 (it is a very convenient size and weight)
5. no weather excuses
6. walk only where it is safe to do so
7.