It's been awhile that I've been outside for longer than 15 minutes.  My annual bout of laryngitis has contributed to this.  The temperature has still been above normal for the end of January and I'm looking forward to the snow that is supposed to fall this weekend.  I will be very disappointed if it does not materialize.

The past couple of days have been extremely foggy overnight.  This created some beautiful hoar frost that coated the bare branches.  There were no blue skies and sunshine to enhance the scenery but it was beautiful none the less.

The birds have been busy at the feeders; emptying them daily.  The deer have been absent until this morning.  Maybe they knew that I was home today.  Seven of them came filing into the backyard.  That makes for a lot of snouts in the grain dish at one time.  It's always amusing to watch them eat.

They have a routine.  Their first stop is the grain dish.  A few stay behind to clean up what spills onto the snow and others proceed to the hanging bird feeders to raid the sunflower seeds.  The small ones that cannot reach the feeders clean up the seeds that spill onto the ground beneath them while others make their way to a tray feeder.  This was not the case today.

It was very entertaining to watch what was happening.  Spike, the cat, who lives under my shed, had just finished eating his breakfast on my deck.  He made his way to the shelf at the bottom of the tray feeder.  He was doing his morning grooming when the deer came in.  

They noticed him right away.  There was hoof stomping and tail alerts but Spike paid no attention to them.  When the deer finished visiting all their usual feeding spots, a few crept closer to the tray feeder and kept watching the cat.  None were brave enough to come all the way up to it so the birds still have a few seeds to access.

Temperatures were on the plus side again and it's January 27.  There was a fog advisory this morning.  As soon as it ended, a freezing rain warning was posted.  Can it get any worse?  

My driveway is looking like it usually does in the spring.  There is ice and water everywhere.  If the freezing rain and the snow develop as forecasted for tonight, it could be adventurous driving tomorrow. 

The temperature is supposed to dip for the weekend.  With the colder temps and hopefully more than a few flakes of snow, I may get to enjoy some more winter.  By the time the weekend rolls around, I should be over my annual bout of laryngitis and be ready for some outdoor fun with my grand-daughters.

I was house-bound today but got to watch the bird action on the deck.  A number of white breasted nuthatches visited the peanut bell.  I've seen a couple of them frequent the hanging feeders but there were at least four in the yard at the same time.  What fun watching their upside down antics!

The feeding station on my deck was a busy place yesterday morning.  In a half hour period I saw a male hairy woodpecker, a magpie, a white-breasted nuthatch, a blue jay and a number of black-capped chickadees.  

The deck feeder was not the only one that was action packed.  The evening grosbeaks were back.  There were not as many as the previous visit but it was exciting to see their bright yellow color interspersed with the pine grosbeaks that

are here daily.  While they waited their turn at the tray, both species sat patiently in a nearby tree, singing their beautiful songs.

The birds appear to be enjoying the mild weather.  It's a good thing that there is a flurry of feathered activity in the backyard for me to watch because the odds of getting out on my skis again is slim to none unless there is a good dump of snow.  The trails are like an ice rink where the packed snow still exists.  Many sections have grass showing through.  

If I can't get out to ski, I hope that the outdoor rinks will freeze up so I don't have to put my skates into retirement for the season.  Am I whining?  Yes I am.

My walk on Neon Lake yesterday was a sunny, peaceful, very enjoyable outing.  It was a great opportunity to get a different perspective of the area.  I don't have a canoe and the only water I can walk on has to be frozen so being able to see the shore was a treat.

I wasn't the only one that left imprints in the snow.  Animal tracks came down to the surface from the trail.  Most had not held their shape due to the melting so it was difficult to tell who was out there.

I had a close look at a beaver lodge.  In the summer I can see the lodge from a shelter on the trail but have never seen it up close until today.  I had a view of the shoreline and could see where the beavers took down the trees to construct their home.  At the rate they are taking them down, there could be a bare spot in front of the shelter next summer.

The sun shone brightly, making the snow soft on the top with a layer of water underneath.  In the shade, close to the shore, the snow had an icy, crystallized top layer that crunched under my snowshoes.

I hiked halfway around the lake along the shoreline and came back the same way.  I could hear the adventurous skiers on the trail.  They must have made the right wax choice for the conditions today or they would not have made it up the hill that was on the other side of the trees.

When I got back to the parking lot a young fellow was getting ready to head out with his skis.  He was rummaging around in his bag, attempting to guess what type of wax to use.  We had a discussion about the trail conditions.  He wanted snow just as much as I did.  The rain and slippery conditions were impeding his training for the Birkebeiner.  He may not have to worry about training.  With all the rain of late, there may be no snow to ski on by February 14. 

It rained for more than an hour last night so needless to say the yard was treacherous this morning.  The wind was gusting but it was warm and I couldn't decide what I wanted to do.  I really wanted to ski but knew the trails would be more suited to skating than skiing.  

I finally grabbed the cleats and the snowshoes and drove to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.  There wasn't a parking spot to be found except for the overflow.  I didn't stay.  Instead I turned around and headed for the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation Area.  

That turned out to be a good choice.  There were about 6 vehicles in the parking lot and a couple of horse trailers that followed me in.  I put the snowshoes on and trudged through the soft snow to Neon Lake.

Earlier in the month when I was skiing, I noticed that the groomer had set some tracks on the lake surface.  I decided to follow his tracks to the lake shore. 

The warm temperatures over the past few days have melted much of the snow on the east end of the lake.  The west side still has about 4 inches.

I didn't realize that the park staff had cleared an area on the lake for skating.  There is usually a snowbank rink just off the parking lot and I had been watching to see if they were going to flood that area again.  I wish they would have posted some signs that skating was available on the lake.  I would have made good use of that surface.  It is about 4 times larger than the snowbank rink that I have been frequenting

The sun was shining in a clear blue sky. There wasn't a cloud to be seen.  It was a beautiful winter day and a great morning to be outside.

I ventured to Elk Island National Park today and hiked the Amisk Wuche Trail.  It's a nice little hike with lots of hills and pond views.  It also is home to my favorite spot in the entire park.  

There was nobody in the parking lot when I arrived which meant that I was going to be the sole soul on the trail.  I put on the hiking cleats to help me get up and down the hills without sliding as if I was on skis.  It was a good thing that I put them on as many sections of the trail were iced over.

I stopped at the first boardwalk to view the pond.  The warm temperatures of late have melted the surface snow.  The morning sun glistened off the ice.  I could hear a squirrel in the treetops and a blue jay in the distance.  The light breeze rustled the long grasses and made the cat tails sway back and forth.

It didn't take long to get to my favorite spruce tree-lined section of the trail.  The trees tower over the trail on both sides.  Their branches are so thick overhead that they prevent snow from falling onto the path.  The little bit that did manage to fall through has melted and creating a treacherous patch to walk over.  I was thankful for the cleats on my boots.

The boreal chickadees were flitting from branch to branch.  Their songs caught my attention and I listened for a few minutes.  I felt like I was being watched.  I looked around and spied a hare beneath one

of the large trees.  It was tucked between the roots and was watching intently.  I didn't want to stress or scare it but I did want a photo.  It stayed in place as I took a couple of shots.  What a find!  It was in the same area as the pileated woodpecker that I had the close encounter with on my last visit.

As I continued around the loop I could hear the wind rustling through the tree branches.  The sections of the trail that had snow were soft and filled with a variety of animal tracks and scat.  I made it to a bench on the trail where I stopped for water and a snack.  As I sat I heard the wind whistling.  Loose sections of birch bark fluttered in the breeze.  Grasses rustled around me.  Chickadees sang from the evergreen branches.  It was the sweet sound of a forest orchestra.


I'm always on the look out for nature's art as I walk the trails in the winter.  It might be patterns in the snow formed by the wind blowing grasses around.  It might be snow formations on the tops of tree stumps or on tree branches.  I found one today that made me smile.  A tree had fallen and the way it dropped it looked like it was leaning back with arms crossed enjoying the sights and sounds of the forest just as I did today.

 
 

Noooo, make it stop!  All the snow is melting.  This is not supposed to happen in January.  I just came in from outside and the water is running off the roof like spring day.  The gravel on the driveway is showing.  I wanted to go x-country skiing and skating this weekend and it looks like neither activity is going to happen.

I'm not liking the mild weather but the birds sure are.  There is a flurry of feathered activity in the backyard.  I was getting dive-bombed by the chickadees from every direction.  

The pine grosbeaks were singing from the top branches of my neighbor's spruce tree.  The bright red males were taking turns at a nearby tray feeder.  They appeared to be quite happy that I refilled the tray.  The deer came during the day and cleaned it out.

The pileated woodpecker hasn't been to the deck feeder in a while.  It has been busy on an old poplar snag.  I had the tree taken down about eight years ago and asked the arborist to leave an eight foot stump for the birds.  The bark has been peeling off and the woodpeckers have been feasting on the grubs.  Last summer a tree swallow used one of the big holes for its nest.  It will be interesting to see what kind of visitors the snag will attract in the spring.  There are many more cavities to be occupied this year.

My outdoor time the past couple of days has been limited to the backyard so I'm looking forward to the weekend.  It's shaping up to be a beauty.  The forecast is currently showing sunshine and warm temperatures.  That is going to create some havoc with my favorite ski trails but there's always the snowshoes!

The mornings have been so calm and the air has been so fresh that I couldn't resist taking my coffee to the back deck the other day.  Chickadees sang their 'cheeseburger' songs from the willow branches next door.  The white tail deer were filing into the yard for their morning treats.  There was no traffic noise.  It was so peaceful.

The sun was just beginning to come up.  The pinks and purples were beginning to color the layered clouds above the treeline.  In a few short minutes the pinks and purples changed to reds and oranges.  

Listening to the birds, watching the deer and witnessing the colorful sunrise was a perfect way to begin the day.

 

This has been the strangest winter yet.  There was freezing rain again last night.  The deck is covered in a layer of ice.  My vehicle is coated and sits like a popsicle on the driveway.  The doors are frozen shut.  It should be a treat to get around later today when the forecasted snow begins to fall.

The one thing that I don't mind about this winter is the abundance of grosbeaks in the yard.  The 'pines' come in daily to forage at the tray feeder.  The brightly colored males add some color to the white blanket of snow.  The females don't sport the same brightness but their color is beautiful none the less.  Their calls are a welcome addition to the usual morning choir that I hear when I open the back door.

As I sat at the kitchen table, one woodpecker after the other took turns feeding at the station set up on my deck.  A large male hairy woodpecker arrived first, followed by the female.  She left and a small female downy arrived.  The woodpeckers 'owned' the feed today.  While they were feeding, the little black capped chickadees flew in and sat on the deck rail with the hopes of grabbing a bite.  The woodpeckers didn't allow visitors.  They 'ruled the roost' so to speak.  I guess there's a 'pecking order' at the birdie breakfast table.

The bison at Elk Island National Park were on the move today.  They created a few traffic jams on the parkway and in the Bison Loop.  It's a rare sight to see the entire herd together in that area at mid-day. They didn't appear to care that all the tourists and the regulars were snapping photographs.  

It was perfect timing on our part to view these beauties because I had my nephew along and we were looking for photo ops so he could try out his new camera.  I was hoping for another Great Horned Owl sighting or a close up of a porcupine but the bison proved to provide the only opportunities for close ups today.  It was a good first visit for him.

We drove from one end of the park to the other and made the loop through the Astotin Lake parking lot.  I shared the locations for the best photo ops for waterfowl, moose, beaver, etc.  He will have the winter to practice and learn how to use the new toy and be ready for spring and summer when all the new babies appear.

The morning began on a musical note.  I opened the back door and heard 'cheeseburger, cheeseburger' coming from the tree next door.  What a great way to begin the day.  That is my kind of tweeting.  The black capped chickadees provided the Twitter!

There is going to be a very disappointed squirrel in my yard.  I took down the wreath that was hanging on the garage.  As I lifted it down, mushrooms began falling to the ground.  On closer inspection, a squirrel used the hollow places between the boughs as hiding places for a winter cache.  I had a good laugh envisioning how it accomplished that feat as the wreath was not close to anything that the squirrel could have climbed up on and the mushrooms were placed between the wreath and the exterior wall.  What an ingenious little creature.

I threw my snowshoes, skates and skis into my vehicle this morning with the hope to spend the entire day outside.  I drove to Elk Island National Park as the sun was coming up.  It was foggy last night and the hoar frost covered the branches with a thick coat.

There was nobody else in the parking lot at the Amisk Wuche Trail.  A lone fox yipped in the trees to the east.  A squirrel answered back.  I was going to stay on the trail and it was packed down so didn't bother with the snowshoes.  

The landscape was frosty and quiet which was like music to my ears.  Snow crunched beneath my boots and now and again I heard the blue jays squawking in the trees.

There is a section of the trail that has towering evergreens on either side of it.  I love that area.  As I walked through it I could smell the spruce sap.  What a wonderful aromatherapy session it was!

I had a close encounter with a pileated woodpecker.  Its call echoed through the trees and I tried to determine where the bird was.  As I walked, I was glancing up to the tree tops.  I noticed some movement off to the side and realized that the bird was not in the trees.  It was working on a rotted log not four feet away from me.  We had a staring contest.  It would peck for a bit and then glance over the log to see if I was still there.  I watched it for about five minutes before a squirrel came by and shooed the woodpecker away.

The birds were active today.  In addition to the blue jays and the pileated woodpecker, I heard the chickadees and saw a grouse fly up from the forest floor.  I loved listening to the forest choir.

My next stop was going to be the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation Area for some x-country skiing.  On my way there, it began to rain.  I pulled into the parking lot and had to have my wipers on to keep the windshield clear.  Unfortunately I did not have a raingear with me.  Who would have thought that a raincoat would be a requirement for skiing on January 16?  I turned my vehicle around and headed home.  I brought skis and ski boots with me, not galoshes and an umbrella.

While everyone in town was experiencing rush hour traffic, my drive home was a lot less stressful.  Raindrops were falling and I could hear them on the windshield.

The ditches along the township road near the Strathcona Wilderness Centre were filled with snowmobile tracks.  Just east of the SWC driveway I noticed a dark object moving in the ditch.  I slowed as I approached and realized that it was a muskrat.  The little fellow was scurrying at top speed along one of the tracks in the snow.  It brought a smile to my face.

I got to my turn off and slowly made my way south; always wary of wildlife that may be in the area.  This morning I saw a moose carcass in the ditch.  The big guy got hit sometime during the night.  It was a sad sight.  

This evening I was the lucky one to see not one but two beautiful, live moose resting in the trees.  Their dark bodies were visible against the white blanket of snow on the forest floor.  Neither one attempted to move when I stopped.

I pulled into the driveway to find the deer had emptied the bird feeders in the backyard.  Their tracks came right up to the feeder closest to the house where they tried climbing a snowbank to reach a tray feeder.

My drive home was peaceful, calm and filled with the Mother Nature's beauty.  

Black capped chickadee action was the highlight of the morning.  I set out a new block of food that contained black oil sunflower seeds, nuts and corn.  It was a hit with the little tweets.

One by one they landed at the feeding station.  There was no aggressive behavior this morning.  All of them got along.

The pine grosbeaks were back.  One female landed in a tray feeder just two feet from where I was standing.  It glanced at me a couple of times but did not fly away.  I had a close encounter of the grosbeak kind!

As I walked back to the deck I got buzzed by the little chickadees that flew from table feeder to tray feeder.  Got to love it!

It sounds like there will be spring-like temperatures by the end of the week.  That means I don't have to shovel the half inch of snow off the driveway.  Mother Nature will take care of that for me.

I re-stocked the chickadee treats and it didn't take long for them to find the goodies.  

There were six of them that took turns and two of them that had no intention of taking turns.  They watched for the incoming fliers and fluttered toward them to avert a landing.  They were not going to share.  The only problem was that while they were having a little flying fight, others were swooping in from the opposite direction.  It really was quite entertaining.

I'm hoping to take a quick trip to the trails before work tomorrow.  Whether it's skiing or snow-shoeing, the fresh air will be welcomed.
 

This morning was another crisp one.  It was a balmy -34C at 8:30am.  The temperature climbed to -27C by 11am.  The cold did not inhibit the woodpeckers.  They took turns at the tray feeder on the deck.

A male and a female downy woodpecker took turns at the peanut bell until a male downy woodpecker showed up.  When the big guy arrived, he took over the feeder and was not about to move for anyone or anything until he was done feeding.  They kept me entertained for an hour.

The deer arrived at that time as well.  I love watching the fawns when they come into the yard.  They come running in just as children would run into a playground to get to the equipment.  They leave their mothers behind.

What a joy it is to watch the forest creatures enjoying my yard.  It is the best entertainment I could possibly have.

The wind howled all night long.  Broken branches from the willow tree next door littered my deck and the backyard.  Little snowbanks formed on the driveway from the snow deposited by the wind.

The sky was cloudless and the sun was shining when I went out this morning.  As long as I stayed behind a building the temperature was not bad but as soon as I stepped into an open area, the wind brought that temperature down to where I had to pull up a neck tube.

After shoveling off the driveway and refilling the bird feeders and the deer grain dish, I went back inside for a coffee.  As I sat there trying to decide if I should go skiing, skating or snowshoeing a couple of deer wandered into the yard.  I watched as they ate; always on the look out for the rest of the herd.  The little ones tend to sneak away from the group to grab a snack while the others feed in the forest.

Some surprising visitors showed up today.  At least a dozen evening grosbeaks feasted on the sunflower seeds.  What a joy it was to watch them in action.  I marvel at how they can maneuver the hulls around, crack them and get the seeds out.  They added some color to the white landscape today.

I ventured to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre for a snowshoe outing.  It definitely was not a fitness walk.  It was the first visit to the snowshoe trail this season so I took my time walking it so I could take in the beautiful winter scenes.

It only takes about twenty minutes to walk the packed part of the trail but at the end I dodged tree branches and willow scrub to get to the edge of the forest.  The snow wasn't too deep and the tree line sheltered me from the wind so it was a pleasant one hour walk in the wild.

I was on the look out for Mother Nature's art; snow formations created by the wind or designs etched into the snow from the dried grasses.  There were many to be seen.  

I noticed that the willows were confused.  There were pussy willows open on the branches.

As I made may way around the trail loop I noticed a number of animal tracks.  In numerous spots the mice left visible tunnels and footprints in the soft snow.

The outing was bright, crisp and refreshing!

I love when a day off falls mid-week.  It means that the neighborhood is quiet and so are the ski trails.  

I left home late in the morning; headed to the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation Area.  It was surprising to see six vehicles in the parking lot.  Even though there were other skiers out there, I didn't meet up with anyone.

This was the fourth time out on skis this season.  I've managed to stay upright each time!  That's amazing because it is the first winter that I've had wax on the waxless skis.  

The tracks on the first half of the trail were in really poor condition.  I have never seen so many animal tracks on the winter trails.  There were moose and deer tracks but even more wolf tracks.  

The second half of the trail had freshly groomed and set ski tracks.  I was the first behind the groomer so skiing was excellent.  I followed some set tracks that ran along the fence line of a grazing pasture.  There was a nice little hill on that section that one can pick up a little bit of speed.    

It was a great outing.  The temperature was perfect.  There was no wind and the snow was amazing.

When I got home I made a coffee and sat down at the kitchen table.  The birds at the feeding station on the deck kept me entertained.  I had done a bit of 'exterior decorating' at the feeder.  There were some evergreen boughs left from the Christmas arrangements so I used them on the table that holds the feeder.  The birds use them as perches and the branches shelter the food from the wind.  I have to say that the greens also make for a nice backdrop when taking photos.

The male and female downy woodpeckers, black capped chickadees and a male hairy woodpecker came to feed.  I heard the pileated woodpecker but it didn't come for a visit today. 

While I photographed the birds just outside my patio door, I noticed that six magpies flew toward the grain dish containing the deer food.  Four blue jays took turns at a tray feeder and the grosbeaks were feeding at a hanging tray feeder.  It was a busy day for the birds in the backyard.

The deer came while I was gone skiing but I refilled their dish when I got home.  Three of them came back and put on a show for me.

The weather this afternoon provided a bit of everything.  The sun came out.  It clouded over.  Freezing rain began falling.  The rain turned to snow and the wind began howling.  It was -8C today which was a far cry from the -28C from a couple days ago.

I don't know what the weather will bring tomorrow but it doesn't matter.  I'll find some sort of outdoor activity to do.