I can see my tree! This little spruce has not seen the light of day for months. It has been covered with snow but three days of good melting temperatures have uncovered it. There's only another two feet of snow to go!
Prior to leaving home this morning, I was watching the bird action at the backyard feeders. Even with the warm sun shining, the birds are busy at the backyard feeding stations. It was quite entertaining to watch a blue jay fighting with a nut that was a bit too big for its beak. The jay was determined not to let it go; yet the nut was too big to fit into its throat pouch. It turned its head to the left and then to the right. It motioned its head up and down to try and swallow the nut. I was beginning to worry that I would have to perform first aid for choking! Greedy bird.
After I left home, not even two minutes away, some movement caught my eye in the ditch. I saw two snowshoe hares along the road side. How lucky I was to see not one but two 'Easter bunnies'.
I traveled the scenic, out of the way routes today and was glad that I did. The ice has broken up on the North Saskatchewan river. Large chunks are letting loose and flowing downstream. There were no birds visible on the river but there were many farm fields where Canada Geese have landed. Most were in grain fields that had bare patches where they could search for food left over from last year.
On my way home, I drove Highway 15 straight through to Elk Island Park. Just as I was coming up to the north park gate, I saw some white tailed deer feeding at the top of a hill. They glanced up but didn't run as I pulled over to watch them.
There were not too many vehicles on the drive through the park. The bison; both plains and wood were out grazing in the warm sunshine. They create quite a traffic hazard along the Yellowhead highway when they graze along the fence line. Many people pull over along the shoulder to take photos of the herds.
I got home to find almost all the ice gone on my driveway. The snow melted on my rubber stepping stones and the sun unthawed the dirt underneath. I found that I must now be careful how I step as the rubber tends to slide on the slippery mud! I think it may be time to trade the winter boots for the rubber boots.
The long range forecast is looking great. I'm hoping the big melt continues this week. Everything appears to be awakening from a very long winter nap. It's about time!
Another beautiful warm spring day brought people out in hordes. X-country skiers were hitting the trails at the Strathcona Wilderness Center. People were walking along the roadsides, enjoying the fresh air. Picnickers at Astotin Lake were enjoying the sunshine.
I saw a moose friend on my travels today. He was laying in the snow enjoying the sunshine. I stopped to watch for awhile. While I was parked, he got up and began nibbling the tender branches close by.
The bison were out in large herds at Elk Island today. Most were along the highway where the snow has melted down and the grasses were showing through. There were many young bison in the herd.
The temperature hit +14C today. Beautiful. I got home and found most of the ice melted off my driveway. I can actually see the gravel! There is water everywhere and I can see that the snow level has gone down. I can hear the water flowing through the eavestroughs and down the spouts.
This is the first Easter that I've been living here that I've not been able to get into the bush behind the yard to cut some pussy willows. The snow is still too deep and now too soft and sticky to even walk across it with snowshoes. I'm hoping to go out for a drive this evening to see if there are any willows close to the road that I can access without sinking to my waist.
The birds have been very active in the trees behind the yard. Crows, magpies, woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches and blue jays were swooping from tree to tree. Every now and again I could hear the woodpeckers rat-a-tat-ta-ting on the rotted tree trunks.
The beautiful sunshine cheered everyone up; humans and animals alike. What a great beginning to an Easter weekend.
The beautiful red sunrise this morning gave way to a beautiful Alberta day. +16C! What a difference from a few days ago when the overnight temperature was -26C.
I had to go for a little drive to see what was happening at Elk Island Park. There were a lot of other people that had the same idea. The vehicle count in the park was high.
On the way to Astotin Lake, there were a number of small groups of bison along the roadside. Two young ones decided to lag behind the group and hold up traffic on the highway. They stood in the middle of the driving lane and were not moving. Once they decided that it was kind of boring to have a stare-down with me, they moved and I made my way to Astotin. I got to the lake and noticed a couple of adult bison searching for food amidst the trees bordering the parking lot.
I parked close to the picnic area. The Canada Geese were back. Today was the first day that I saw them. Poor things are going to have to wait quite awhile for the snow to melt and the ice to break up. There's at least two feet of snow on top that lake ice. They didn't seem bothered by it. Their honking could be heard on the lake shore.
I was hoping to walk the trail a bit but the snow was so soft that I kept sinking into it. Rather than go for a walk, I opted to travel to the northern end of the park. Along the way, there were more bison making their way across the deep snow in the open meadow areas. I was not the only one sinking out of sight.
Close to the north park gate I noticed some elk nibbling on the branches on the edge of a forested area. There were about 4 of them in one spot.
Funny how I've been visiting the park for a number of years now and have never seen an elk there and during the last month, I've seen ten or more. Amazing!
It was a beautiful day for a little drive. I think I'll go on a longer road trip tomorrow; sticking to the highways where it is dry vs the back roads where the snow is breaking up into a slushy mess that one could get stuck in.
What a great day! It started with a beautiful, brilliant orange sunrise. The fog from last night left some thick hoar frost on the trees. Amidst the frosty trees, 2 young moose were snacking on some willow branches. One of them was just as frosty as the trees themselves.
After work, I attended a presentation on owls at the local library. It was very informative and I got to see a live owl up close. The nine year old barred owl sat on the back of a chair for the entire time. I usually carry a camera with me but wouldn't you know it, no camera, so I missed out on a close up owl photo.
The drive home was moonlit and starry; a gorgeous night. The white tail deer were out along the road side. What a peaceful sight; seeing their shadows against the snow.
I must have missed out on a beautiful day today. The driveway is covered in water from the melting snowbanks. Having just seen that owling presentation and the fact that the weather is supposed to be warm on the weekend, I think a road trip is in order. Camera? Check. Map? Check. Full tank of gas? Check.
The sun has finally made an appearance and the temperature is more spring-like. I have to eat my words. A few weeks ago I said the -20Cs were gone. Two nights ago the temperature dipped to -26.1C. Brrr. Here's hoping that does not happen again until next winter.
With all the snow that fell the past few days, the birds have still been busy at the feeders. Their natural sources of food are still hidden under the snow cover. I've gone through a number of sacks filled with sunflower seeds and peanuts to keep them satisfied.
I frequently see two different species at the same time. The blue jays and the hairy woodpeckers have become friends; 'breaking bread' or nut/seed shells together.
I've only seen the year round birds as of yet. Looking outside, at all the snowbanks, it is going to be awhile before the hummers and orioles come to visit. Previously, they have showed up as early as the beginning of May. I don't think that is going to happen this year. I'm sure there will still be snow on the ground.
In the meanwhile, I will keep planning what I will add to entice the summer birds to a yard under construction and dream of the day when the yard will be green instead of white.
Yesterday was a great day to be outside and I took full advantage of that. The snow clouds moved on and the sun was shining so I headed out with the snowshoes to Elk Island Park.
Amisk Wuche is my favorite trail as there are lots of hills and a variety of things to see. The boardwalk across the beaver pond was drifted over and in places it was difficult to tell where it actually was. I made it across without ending up in snow that would be above my knees.
I was the first human on the trail. There were lots of animal tracks including bison, moose, coyote, squirrel and hare. It's always a great work out when you have to break trail and yesterday did not disappoint.
On my travels around the loop, the only sound I heard was a squirrel nattering at me from a tree top. The rest of the forest was silent. I was looking forward to resting and having a nice hot drink at the only bench on the trail.
I got to the bench only to find it almost buried. I won't be enjoying it anytime soon unless I bring along a shovel. With it being -26C this morning, I don't think a big melt is going to happen today.
I decided to take a scenic route home so headed to the north park gate rather than the south. The snow storm this week seemed to have hit areas north of me harder so I wanted to check it out.
The highway to Lamont still had an inch of ice on it places. Highway 15 east was wet and slushy. The range roads that run north/south got hit the worst. Graders were working to clear the drifts. They had the v-snowplows on the front to break through the drifts and then they were using the blades to push the snow to the ditches. The banks in some places were as high as the middle of the grader cab door. Some of the roads had 'road closed' barricades on them. The drifts were as high as the barricades.
An owl prowl was planned for Elk Island in the evening. I had it in mind earlier in the week to participate but with snowshoeing in the morning, I was hesitant to go back again.
Well, evening came and we headed back to the park to meet in the Astotin Lake parking lot for the prowl. On the way we saw 2 moose, a deer, an elk and a lot of bison.
There were not many people; only one guide and 8 of us in the group. As we waited to see if more participants would arrive, we got to witness a beautiful sunset across the lake. The colors were magnificent as the sun disappeared.
Our guide brought some pre-recorded owl calls. He was letting us hear them before we actually left for the prowl. The very last call was that of a Great Horned. Just as he finished playing it, a great horned owl swooped into a nearby tree. It remained long enough for everyone to get a peek of it through their binoculars. I guess it realized that it was just a bunch of humans calling so it soared away in the opposite direction.
That was the only owl that we saw last night. There were no other sightings and no owl calls. That was okay because even though the night was chilly, the moon was shining brightly and the stars were out. What a great way to spend a Saturday night.
I got spared the brunt of the storm. From the time the first snowflakes started falling until noon today when they finally stopped, I got only about 8 inches of snow.
That was enough. It was a challenge to toss the snow to the top of the snow banks; not only because of how high they were but also because of the gusty wind.
I did find the path to the outdoor fire pit. Once the picnic table and the pit were dug out, it looked rather cozy. The sun was shining and was extra warm where I sat on the bench. The high banks sheltered me from the wind and made for a lovely break.
My granddaughters playhouse is looking more like an igloo than a playhouse today.
I monitored the feeder for 20 minutes yesterday at the height of the storm and counted the number of visits there were to the tray feeder. There were 30 chickadee visits, 3 downy woodpecker visits, 1 hairy woodpecker visit and and 1 redpoll visit.
There was not as much action today but I managed to get a great photo of a hairy woodpecker and a blue jay visiting the tray feeder at the same time. Bonus!
I love winter and snow but even I was thinking enough already as I shoveled this morning. The thought lasted only as long as it took me to remember that the bugs would appear once the snow was gone. I can live with lots of snow before I can live with pesky, blood-sucking bugs.
I set out this morning with hopes of some snowy photography opportunities. It started snowing at about 7am and was coming down lightly. The wind stopped gusting and the temperature was perfect for a hike.
The highway to Elk Island had some snow on it and there were icy patches. Most drivers were paying attention to the conditions and driving slower. The odd impatient one would speed by; making me wonder which ditch they would end up in.
I got to the park and headed north to the snowshoe trail. The further north I got, the harder it was snowing. Huge fluffy flakes were creating a white carpet on the highway, making it difficult to tell where the road ended and the ditch began.
I turned around and started for home. It was a good thing that there was no wind. The snow made for a very picturesque drive. The bison looked like big snowballs along the roadside. They were foraging for food in the storm.
The highway conditions were deteriorating quickly. In the 15 minutes that it took me to turn around and get back to the park gate, a tractor pulling two tankers and a mini van hit the ditch.
It was not snowing as hard close to home but it did continue snowing throughout the day. There was one short period of time that it let up but then started again, harder than before.
Since I was house-bound for the day, I was entertained by the bird activity at the feeders. The chickadees were hiding in the branches of the spruce trees in the back yard. In 10 minutes I saw blue jays, nuthatches, chickadees, magpies, redpolls and downy woodpeckers visiting the tray feeder. A pileated woodpecker flew through the yard but did not stop by for a visit.
I checked the updated weather forecast and it has been revised from a 10cm snowfall to a 20-30cm snowfall. From the looks of things the storm is not ready to let up. I'll just have to wait it out. Good thing I stocked up on coffee and refilled the wood box. It's going to be a relaxing night.
Batten down the hatches! That's all I can say. The drive home was ridiculous. The open areas along the road had snow drifting across them all day. That, combined with some melting, created thick patches of icy ridges that grabbed the tires.
The road leading down to the lake has huge snow dunes in the ditches. They are so high that they are covering the fence posts. The deer tracks lead right over the fence.
I got home to find everything blown over on my deck. The snow shovel was on the stairs. Maybe it was just trying to get closer to the driveway to be ready for duty. There's a snowfall warning for tomorrow. Where am I going to put another 10cms of snow?
I looked back at my photos from 2012. On April 5 we got the last big dump of snow for the season. I had to push on the door to get it open.
With any luck tomorrow's snowfall will be the last one for this winter. Welcome first day of spring.
This photo was taken in 2008 but it illustrates my thoughts today. Where's spring? Officially on the calendar it is tomorrow.
At this moment it is buried in my yard. The snow is as high as those tables are tall; and that is not where I've shoveled and created snowbanks. That is just how much has fallen here. The forecast for the remainder of the week is snow, snow and more snow. I've been watching impatiently for the little suns to appear in the long range forecast but it looks as though Mr. Sun won't be coming out anytime soon.
I am a winter person and love snow but I am not greedy. I have enough snow already! I've been daydreaming for months of the shrubs, trees and raised garden beds that will be going into my new, extended backyard. It looks as if I will be daydreaming for a long while yet. If it keeps snowing, it's going to take until July or longer for all of it to melt.
I was excited when the temperature warmed a couple of weeks ago. I could see the tops of the three foot tall dogwoods that I planted last fall. They have disappeared again beneath another 12 inch layer of snow from this past week. It has replaced the melted snow and added a couple more inches.
I shoveled three times over the past four days. The snow banks are taller than me. If there is any large amount of snow over the next few days, I am going to need a conveyor belt to take the snow to the top of the banks on either side of my driveway.
It is still dark out but it appears that the flakes did let up overnight. I better quit my whining and finish my coffee. As soon as it is light out, I need to get the shovel and search for my path to the woodshed before the next clouds pass over and leave their share of winter white in my yard, again.
I was looking forward to another outdoor day today but that didn't happen. My camera gear was packed up and ready to go but then the wind kicked up in combination with the snow that was falling. That changed my mind and rather than heading out, I unpacked the gear and set it up to watch the bird action in the back yard. They did not disappoint me.
I lost count of the number of redpolls that flocked in. They took over all the hanging feeders and the tray feeder. The seeds that were knocked to the ground were picked up by the birds that didn't have a spot at the feeders.
Every now and again the chickadees managed to get a 'seed in edgewise'. They tended to land on anything nearby and then make a move when a spot opened up at a feeder.
The nuthatches took their chances at swooping in for some peanuts. The skittish little guys didn't stay around too long. They came and went quickly; peanuts in beaks.
The snow continued falling and the wind continued blowing all day. The little birds did not take a break. I filled the feeders yesterday and they are just about empty.
As I walked by my patio doors, I noticed a brilliant red patch at the back of my yard. The 'big gun' showed up. A pileated woodpecker was drilling for food on a rotten old poplar. It continued working for fifteen minutes and then moved to another tree where it spent another half hour grooming and resting. As it preened, the chickadees and the smaller woodpeckers stopped by for a quick visit. What are the odds of getting a pileated and a hairy woodpecker in the same shot?
I didn't get to walk out on the trails today but I got to watch some fantastic action from my window; all the while thinking about how I was going to entice new bird friends into my yard for the summer.
When the snow stopped falling there was just over 6 inches of it on my deck. Two days ago, the deck was dry and I was sitting on the lawn furniture having coffee.
It was a good thing that the warm temperatures
from last week melted some of snowbanks because this morning I
replenished them. The snow was light and fluffy so it only took an hour
to clear the driveway off.
Shortly after I finished shoveling, the clouds disappeared and the sun came out. It turned out to be a beautiful day and I had to take advantage of it.
I packed up the camera gear and headed to Elk Island National Park. It was a bonus day for wildlife sightings! As I pulled into the south park gate, a bull elk was feeding at the edge of the trees. That is twice in one week that I saw an elk. Exciting! I didn't get a photo today but I'm hoping this will become a regular sighting.
Further up the road, the bison were on the move and one big beast was 'hoofing it' down the middle of the road. He didn't pay any attention to me as I stopped to take his photo.
A couple of coyotes were lopping across an open meadow area. As I slowed to watch them, they stopped to watch me. It was a stare down until they realized that I was not leaving my vehicle.
On the way home, I detoured to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre to see what was happening there. Four white tailed deer were grazing along the highway, inside the park fence. They didn't pay any attention to all the traffic whizzing by just a short distance away.
I couldn't believe that the parking lot at the SWC was almost empty. Bonus. That meant that my visit was going to be a peaceful one. I was the first one out on the snowshoe trail since the snow stopped. My snowshoes were at home but I ventured out anyway and I'm so glad that I did.
The chickadees were busy searching for food in the tops of the birch trees and the woodpeckers were drilling into the old stumps. I stopped to watch a hairy woodpecker as it chipped the bark into slivers that fell to the base of the stump.
The timing of my visit was perfect. The only sounds that I heard while out there were the birds and squirrels. Just as I was getting back to the trail head, a school group was heading out with snowshoes on. They were getting educated on the many types of animal tracks that were visible along the trail. There were no bird sounds to be heard above all the noise that the children were making.
I got home and just couldn't bring myself to go inside so I finished cleaning off my deck and topped up all the bird feeders. Every feathered friend from the forest behind my yard must have been watching. I didn't even have the bird seed pail put back in the garage and they started flying in from every direction. Hairy woodpeckers, blue jays, chickadees, redpolls, nuthatches, and magpies all took turns at the feeders.
They seemed to know their 'pecking' order. The woodpeckers would leave and the jays would fly in. The chickadees would leave and the redpolls would fly in. They all cleared the way when the magpies showed up. The nuthatches were smart and fed at the hanging feeders.
The jays were their usual noisy selves; squawking at each other as well as at the smaller birds. Their feathers had so many hues of brilliant blue in the afternoon sun. Beautiful!
When I finally did go inside, the fresh air caught up to me. I noticed the sun shining brightly through the window onto one of the beds. It felt so warm. It didn't take me long to fall asleep. I just wanted a little 'cat nap' but it turned out to be two hours long.
The day was perfect for being outside; fresh snow, fresh air and clear blue Alberta sky. I had to add the icing to the cake, so to speak. There is no better way to end a beautiful day than with the crackle of pine and the smell of wood burning in my stove. How am I going to top that tomorrow?
The weather today did not stop Mother Nature's beauties from searching for food. The snow covered, icy road made for slow travel but allowed me more opportunity to watch for my favorite animal friends.
Snowflakes were falling and the windshield was fogging up but I was still able to see two deer amidst the trees. As I turned my vehicle around so I could get a better view, they glanced up at me but did not run; definitely a wonderful sight. They probably recognized the crazy woman with the camera.
I arrived home to find the tray feeder full of snow. The little birds were trying to scratch around in the fluffy white stuff to find the seeds beneath it. Once I cleared the snow and added some more peanuts, it did not take long before the action began again.
The redpolls, chickadees, blue jays and woodpeckers flew in from all directions for some quick snacks.
The snow shoveling had to wait. I could not resist grabbing a coffee and a cushion on the window seat to watch my feathered friends.
I'm hoping this is the last spring snowfall that we will have. All the snow that melted last week has been replaced with fresh snow. It has covered all the ice that formed after the melt, making the outdoor activities rather treacherous. The one consolation is that I have not encountered any 'skunky perfume' the past couple of days.
I think every skunk in the county is now awake and ready for spring. I smell them outside my backdoor and on the way to work. Their aromatic essence came in through my vehicle vents on the way home today.
The coyotes are also out in full force. With the freeze-thaw happening lately, an icy layer has built up on the top of the snow. This has created a nice solid surface for them to run across. They have been searching for rodents in the grassy areas.
The magpies are busy gathering twigs and other nesting materials. This has been keeping them occupied and away from the tray feeder in the backyard. The only birds left to fight over the peanuts are the blue jays. They have been providing some great entertainment.
Yesterday's +11C temperature melted a lot of snow in the backyard. The three foot tall dogwood that I planted last fall was totally covered with snow. Now, half of the shrub is showing through. Granted, it is close to the fence where the sun has melted the most snow, but it is something to look forward to.
All the snow has slid off the garage roof and the driveway has a number of water puddles forming on it. I am so ready for spring. It is so close. I can smell it. Oh wait, that was a skunk.
What a great outdoor day today! Sunshine, blue sky and no wind made our visit to the playground a great one.
We spent 2 hours at the Brookeville playground this morning. There is a farm next to it so the girls got to watch the cows eating hay as we had an outdoor picnic. The chickadees serenaded us from the tall evergreens that surrounded our picnic table. This is the same playground that Wren saw a bald eagle at last year. "Gramma, what's that big bird" she asked.
After numerous runs down the big slide, we packed up and decided to go to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre to see if we could see a moose on the snowshoe trail. On the way there, instead of seeing a moose, we saw 8 whitetailed deer. They were in the bush but as we pulled over to watch them, they came out of the trees one behind the other and paraded across an open field. What a sight!
The lot was full at the SWC and we couldn't find a parking spot so we didn't get to try and find a moose. We headed for home and spent some time in the sun on the back deck, visiting with the neighbor's cat.
All that fresh air and exercise at the playground tuckered the girls right out. At bedtime today, they were recapping all the animals and birds that they saw today; magpies, chickadees, bluejays, horses, cows and 'white tails'. Sounds like just a regular day in rural Alberta. Got to love it!
