Ice at Elm Bridge

Chilly day today, 23F with a north wind 14 m.p.h. I went to the NE entrance to the Woods at 10. I was curious about the Woods in the cold, after our gentle 0.25 inch rain Thursday 9 Feb. The East Pond was up to 2.71 and West Pond was up to 2.17 - both looking moderately full.
Below the Elm Bridge, the shallow water had frozen in concentric fractal like shapes. A small wren was investigating.

I walked most of the northern trails and did not see deer or fresh tracks. There were older frozen tracks of a dog below the largest main culvert. There were abundant feeding flocks of robins busily flipping leaves over on the forest floor.. and several bright red male cardinals tagging along with the group. East of Hackberry Alley there was a flicker calling and then hammering a tree and a hawk complaining.
I placed two more steel stakes (Barney Jct. Trl.and south Hackberry). I need to find two more for north Hackberry.
I checked species ID on 5-10 more trees from #160 to #200 off trail northwest of the Pipeline Trail.

Except for the birds, it felt like the Woods were locked down tight.. everyone safe in their beds before the approach of the coldest two days and nights of the winter.