The pileated woodpecker announced her arrival in the yard by pecking at the power pole. The hollow sound resonated through neighborhood. She flew down to one of the tray feeders and proceeded to spread the sunflower seeds all over the snow.
I watched in amazement as she searched for the perfect shells. She was skittish; watching and ready to fly at a moment's notice whenever she detected movement. When she had enough, she flew to a tall poplar behind my yard. I was just about to put the camera away when I noticed a second pileated woodpecker with her on the same tree!
It must
have been the week for doubles. I saw two moose in the woods along the
roadside and two coyotes crossing the road in front of me when I was
driving to a snowshoe trail.
The driveway and parking lot to my favorite trail were still not plowed so I made my way to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre to check out the snowshoe trail there. There were a couple of visiting school groups. The kids were on snowshoes and having a great time; lots of rosy cheeks. I wanted to avoid the group so I hiked the trail in reverse. That turned out to be a great decision.
The snow on Bennett Lake was fluffy and deep; perfect for the snowshoes. It wound in and out of the willow thickets. Moose tracks crisscrossed in front of me. As I got close to where the trail took me into the trees, I noticed not one but two porcupines in the trees.
It amazed me that they were active in daylight. The opportunity allowed me to observe them feeding on the young birch branches. They carefully nibbled the bark away; stripping the twigs of their covering. I marveled at how the porcupines can perch on the small branches and not have the twig bend. What a treat to be able to watch these two in action!
I missed going to my usual snowshoe trail where it is quiet and peaceful. The only sound I hear there is the crunch of snow underfoot. I tried getting there and made it onto the driveway earlier in the week but drove in and straight out. I was afraid to park for fear of getting stuck as it still had not been plowed out.
I attempted to get something done about getting a snowplow in there. Success! I received an email last night that informed me that the lot should be plowed out for today. There's a severe cold warning right now but as soon as the wind dies down, I'll be sure to check out my favorite trail again.
The driveway and parking lot to my favorite trail were still not plowed so I made my way to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre to check out the snowshoe trail there. There were a couple of visiting school groups. The kids were on snowshoes and having a great time; lots of rosy cheeks. I wanted to avoid the group so I hiked the trail in reverse. That turned out to be a great decision.
The snow on Bennett Lake was fluffy and deep; perfect for the snowshoes. It wound in and out of the willow thickets. Moose tracks crisscrossed in front of me. As I got close to where the trail took me into the trees, I noticed not one but two porcupines in the trees.
It amazed me that they were active in daylight. The opportunity allowed me to observe them feeding on the young birch branches. They carefully nibbled the bark away; stripping the twigs of their covering. I marveled at how the porcupines can perch on the small branches and not have the twig bend. What a treat to be able to watch these two in action!
I missed going to my usual snowshoe trail where it is quiet and peaceful. The only sound I hear there is the crunch of snow underfoot. I tried getting there and made it onto the driveway earlier in the week but drove in and straight out. I was afraid to park for fear of getting stuck as it still had not been plowed out.
I attempted to get something done about getting a snowplow in there. Success! I received an email last night that informed me that the lot should be plowed out for today. There's a severe cold warning right now but as soon as the wind dies down, I'll be sure to check out my favorite trail again.
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