It's been a very long couple of weeks without outdoor time. It was snowing on my one day off last week but that didn't stop me from heading to the trails. It was me and Mother Nature. Who else would have been that crazy to go out in a blizzard?

It's been raining and snowing and raining and snowing. There's so much water standing around that the sump pump in my basement has been pumping for 3 days and it never pumps. This didn't stop me from putting on the rubber boots and seeking some fresh air.
I needed some outdoor time where the only sounds were those of nature. I was not disappointed. Ducks were quacking on the pond. Geese were honking overhead. Coyotes were howling in the forest across the way. 

I found a bench and sat for an hour, in the snow. I breathed in the clean air. I listened to the forest sounds. I watched the swans build a nest. 

Since my last post, I attended an Owl Prowl at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre. This was not the first one that I've gone to but it was the first time that there was a different presenter. It was great. The biologist answered lots of questions and let everyone get a close up look at a barred owl. She demonstrated how they set up nets to capture saw whet owls so they can be banded.

Yesterday I visited the Beaver Hills Biodiversity Trail. There's a lot of water standing in the low spots. Most of the snow is melted. I came across a moose on my travels. The pool thing was tick-ridden as are most of them that I've seen on my way to work.

The birds have been busy in the backyard. I had not one but two pileated woodpeckers on my deck at the same time. What a treat. 

I've got a few days off and am so looking forward to spending it outside; rain or shine. Happy trails! 

What a difference a week can make. Almost all the snow was melted. I tried the trails at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre and found them to be snow-free but came across a few large puddles in the low spots. My walks last week were all at SWC until the 'big' snow happened. Welcome spring.

The storm started with huge fluffy flakes falling. It didn't let up for more than two days. What was an almost dried up yard is now covered in another foot of snow. I think there is more snow now than what was all winter.

The poor little birds were looking for seeds. I cleared the snow off the top of the feeders and not ten minutes later they were covered again. 

The redpolls are gone but the juncos and the purple finches are here. I've seen the cranes overhead as they travel on the northern migration. The geese are honking and the ducks are quacking as they find the perfect nesting spots.

The deer continue to raid the bird feeders. One got smart and stood on the top of a stump so she could reach better. She didn't have to tip the tray to reach the seeds. That was pretty entertaining to watch.

I won't be on the trails this week so am hoping that my creatures will continue to visit me. Happy trails!

Backyard before the storm.

Backyard after the storm.

Pond at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.

The trails were clear before the storm.

Creative deer used a stump to stand on to reach the seeds.

I didn't make it to the trails this week so nature came to me. This is the busiest month of the year for me at work which means no time or for that matter, energy, to visit the trails. That is why the appearance of my favorite creatures in the backyard puts a smile on my face.

The deer have come each day to raid the feeder. The robins sang from the treetops. The chickadees flitted in and out of the branches in search of the remaining seeds from last fall. 

Yesterday, the pileated woodpecker made an appearance. I saw it in a tree in the woods. By the time I got my camera, the woodpecker was on the deck and was helping itself to the shelled sunflower seed left out for the chickadees.

The animated antics of this beauty amused me as I sat and enjoyed a few quiet moments at the end of a hectic day.

The snow is almost gone and most of the water has been absorbed into the soil. As I drive by the trailhead of the closest trail to home, I long for some quiet time in the woods. I want to hear the forest sounds and smell the forest air.

That will be at the top of the to-do list next week. Until then, I'll enjoy the backyard visits of my furry and feathered friends. 

Happy trails!