There's been the slightest break in the cold, but the shallower stretches of the local farm pond—the one I now hike to often, since it's a reliable shorebird and waterfowl magnet—remain icebound in many places. Today, the frozen water played host to a huge flock of Canada Geese, a large number of which are gathering together in anticipation of migrating north to breed. Unfortunately, all too many of the stately birds, whose leave-taking Vees in the sky used to be a reliable harbinger of spring, will stay in this very place and pump way too much nitrogen and baby geese into a habitat that really can't support very many birds. If White-tailed Deer can be thought of as hoofed rats, then Canada Geese have become the avian equivalent. Still, these "icebreakers"—simply by dint of the sheer weight of their numbers—are a pretty sight on a chilly afternoon... and they have the benefit of keeping stretches of water open to all comers.