The Nature of Delaware

by Derek Stoner, Family Program Coordinator

A tower of icicle columns on the north side of Ashland Nature Center. The longest measured 18 feet! 2/13/10 by Derek Stoner.

The after-effects of back-to-back big snowstorms is still being seen across the region.  Bit by bit, the snow is diminishing and melting away. 

Nature’s artistry is evident in the incredible icicle formations dangling from buildings everywhere.  The snowmelt from rooftops is creating some epic icicles, growing longer with each passing day.  Drip by drip, each bit of melted water then re-freezes and adds to the the growing icicle.  The best and biggest icicles “grow” on the north side of buildings where they are sheltered from the sun’s rays.  At Ashland, one tower of ice contained mutliple icicles over 10 feet long, with the longest stretching to 18 feet!   

A 15-foot wall of plowed snow along Route 9, the result of high winds and drifting. 2/15/10 by Derek Stoner.

A drive south along the scenic Route 9 corridor revealed a scene usually reserved for the Great Plains: major snow drifts completely closing the road.  A massive DelDot tractor used a bucket as large as a pickup truck to move the snow off the roadway.  One could not see over the fifteen foot wall of snow left behind, making it seem like a snow-a-phobe’s worst nightmare!

A Gray Catbird scratches for food in the dead leaves amidst the snow in Port Penn, DE. 2/15/10 by Derek Stoner

An American Robin investigates a patch of grass amidst the snow. 2/15/10 by Derek Stoner.

An American Tree Sparrow at Bombay Hook NWR. 2/15/10 by Derek Stoner.

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