I hiked the Beaver Pond Trail for the first time since the snow melted. There were areas with some icy banks and some low spots were under water but for the most part the trail was dry. The grass is greening up nicely with the abundance of moisture. The +29C temperature created a greenhouse environment on the trail. I was roasting like a turkey during my hike.
The sloughs along the way are ice-free. I could see numerous species of waterfowl on them. The binoculars and my bird book were with me but the sun was so bright that I could not make out the markings to ID them.
I had to tread lightly in some areas. Frogs were hopping across the trail and hiding in the long grasses along the shore.
Butterflies were flitting from tree to tree. Every now and again they would find a spot in the sun, stop and pose for me!
Compared to yesterday, the park was quiet. I was the only one in the parking lot at the trail head. I drove into the Astotin Lake parking lot and the only thing I found litter left over from yesterday's crowd.
I had time to travel to another local park. The Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation Area has numerous staging areas. I visited Islet Lake today. The ice has broken up but is not melted yet. The gulls have found the open water but there was not enough open to accommodate the thousands of snow geese that were circling overhead.
I think I now can safely say that spring is here; green grass, migrating birds, ice break up, butterflies, bumblebees and +29C today.
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