The snow finally arrived.  There was more than a dusting but not enough to break out the skis and snowshoes.  With the white backdrop, it is easy to see the wildlife moving in the forest.

There are six deer that graze in the woods behind my yard.  One of the young ones is a daily visitor; cleaning up the sunflower seeds that the jays toss from the feeder.  I may nickname this one 'Hoover'.

The moose have been showing themselves close to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.  Last weekend a full grown female was feeding in a willow thicket that was close to the road, making it easy to watch her.  She kept peering to the east which made me think that there may have been a hunter that her in a rifle sight.

Yesterday morning, a beautiful male with a young female were in almost the same spot.  I pulled over to watch.  They looked up but did not run.  A vehicle stopped beside me.  The driver was on her way to work but took a few moments to observe.  She couldn't believe her luck; mentioning that she's never seen two at the same time.

The moose moved slowly along the edge of the pond to a spot where they could climb the bank.  Thick willows grow beneath the aspens and the birch.  There area is a smorgasbord for moose and the two of them enjoyed every morsel.

 

The blue jays have been providing daily entertainment.  I set a tray feeder on my deck in front of the kitchen window.  It takes about ten minutes after I throw peanuts in the feeder for the jays to begin flying in.  They come from every direction. It appeared that there was some sort of 'pecking' order and if they didn't follow it, there was a lot of loud squawking.  

My favorite part of their antics involved watching them try to fit as many peanuts as possible into their beak before flying off to hide them.  I continue to wonder how they remember where to find the nuts again.

When the jays were not at the feeder, the chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers showed up for the sunflower seeds and suet.  They scattered when the aggressive jays came in for a landing.

The blue jays had a taste of what they were doing to the small birds when a pileated woodpecker showed up for a visit.  It kept the jays at bay while it looked for a cake of suet that I had in the tray.  I realized that the cake was missing and set another one out, wondering where the first one had disappeared to.  Shortly after I put the second cake out, a crow flew overhead and looked as if it had full intention of swooping in to grab the treat.

The ground is still brown.  The snow has been limited to some minor flurries that melt when they hit the ground.  The birds are still able to gather seeds in the forest but the feeders remain full to supplement their diet and provide some lively entertainment for me.
 

I've been taking advantage of the warm temperatures and the lack of snow.  If I can't go skiing or snowshoeing, the hiking boots and poles will remain at the back door.  

I spent an enjoyable hour at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre yesterday.  The signs for skiers are out and trail passes are for sale but it will be awhile before any skiing happens unless we get a big dump of the white stuff.

Today I drove to Elk Island National Park to hike the Amisk Wuche trail.  As I turned into the park off of Highway 16, a big mule deer buck crossed the road.  The bison were grazing in the Bison Loop.  The parks staff were working in numerous locations, doing repairs and getting ready for winter.

I was the only vehicle in the trail head parking lot.  As I prepared my camera gear, two flocks of Canada geese flew overhead.  They were in no hurry to leave.  They were flying north instead of south.

The beavers at the pond have certainly been busy.  The tree that was teetering precariously at the edge of the boardwalk is now blocking the trail along with many others. 

The pond surface is almost frozen over completely.  The methane bubbles are forming, creating decorative patterns in the ice.

The black capped chickadees sang their 'cheeseburger' song as they gathered seeds.  

The squirrels were in abundance today.  I must have seen and heard at least a dozen of them.  Two in particular kept my attention for about 10 minutes.  They chased each other up and down and round and round a huge spruce tree.  They would jump from branch to branch.  One of them made a big leap and the second one tried to follow but lost its footing and ended up hanging upside down on a flimsy branch.  It managed to right itself and the game continued.  Other squirrels were busy gathering food and stocking their middens.

A light breeze began to blow when I was about half way around the trail loop.  The leaves began to rustle and the tree stops swayed.  As I walked along, I noticed many empty nests in the shrubs beside the trail.  It is amazing that the nests were so close to the trail yet when all the leaves were in place, I had no idea that a bird family resided so close by.  

I passed by a thick willow thicket.  The weather has been so warm that the pussy willows have opened up.

I made it to the parking lot before the rain clouds opened up.  It rained all the way home.  It's November 13 and the rain came down so hard that I had to keep the wipers on.  I thought it would last long enough for the rain to turn to snow but it has stopped and the forecast is for a clear night.  I hope it will be another cloudless sky filled with northern lights.

There are a number of above zero days ahead.  It will give me time to get the winter decorations out.  I may even have time to get the outdoor planters done.  I'm sure I can find enough outdoor tasks to do while waiting impatiently for the snowflakes to begin falling.

 

This morning was calm, cloudless and perfect for an outing.  I was the only one on the trail.  The sun's rays shone through the leafless forest, creating long shadows over the frozen ground.  The light made the frosty branches sparkle like diamonds.

When I walk, I block everything out except for what is immediately around me.  I tune in to what I can see and hear.  The squirrels chattered to each other.  The chickadees were hanging upside down on the birch trees, picking seeds for breakfast.  A grouse hen watched me from a fallen log.  A pileated woodpecker called from a tall snag.  I heard movement in the forest and glanced in that direction.  I found a coyote staring back at me between the trees.

The overnight temperatures have dipped to -8C creating a layer of ice on the lake.  The daytime temperatures have not been warm enough to melt what was frozen. 

On November 2nd it looked hopeful that the snow was finally coming but by the afternoon, what had fallen was melted.  I looked back at my photos and longed to see the same amount of snow that fell on November 8, 2012.  

Nov 8, 2012

Everyday that it is above zero and snowless is one less day of winter fun for me.  My skis, snowshoes and kicksled lay in wait for the first big snowfall.  Until then, my nose will be pressed against the window and my eyes will be watching the sky for those snowflakes to begin to fall; creating my annual winter wonderland.