This morning I was undecided as to where to hike today.  It was already almost noon when I tossed some snacks into my backpack and headed out the door.  I ended up at Elk Island on the Beaver Pond Trail.

There were small patches of wispy clouds in a bluebird sky.  The sun felt warm and made for a pleasant hiking day.

The bison seem to like this trail.  Each time that I walk it, there are large bison 'pies' that I have to tiptoe over.  It is rather silly that at the trail head there are doggy-doo bags provided so you can clean up after your pooch yet the pies left by the bison could fill up more than one pair of shoes.

All was quiet in the treetops.  The squirrels on the ground were the only noise makers today.  I couldn't tell if they were playing a game of tag or hard-to-get.  They would chase each other over logs, around bushes and up and down tree trunks.  A couple of them were close to running into me.

I met up with one other person today.  I think he had just stopped so his dog could do his business.  He didn't look dressed for an outing.

It's going to take awhile to melt all the snow that is tramped down on the trail.  A lot of it has melted beneath the trees and on the banks of the ponds but the trail itself has more than a foot of packed snow in some places; yet in others it is bare.  In 2013, the last of the snow melted in June and I think there was more snow this year.

The drive home is usually uneventful except for today.  I was only a couple miles away from the park gate when a front tire blew.  Thank goodness for roadside assistance and the fact that it was a nice day.  An hour later I was on the road again.  Other drivers don't like it when one travels at 80 kph on a highway where the speed limit is 110 kph but what can you do when you have a temporary little 'donut' tire for a spare.

I made it home safe and sound.  As I unpacked my vehicle, the chickadees were singing their cheeseburger songs in the trees.  The bluejays were squawking as they sat on the fence.  I could see the deer in the forest behind my yard so I knew it wouldn't be long before they came for a visit.

The first to arrive were the five amigos.  Their coats are getting darker.  The young ones are beginning to watch for danger and do the 'tail up' stance along with stomping the ground with their front feet.  They thought Spike the cat was a threat and started chasing the poor guy.  I've never seen him move that fast across the snow!  It was a good thing that he was close to the shed when they spied him.  He didn't have far to go to hide.

Something scared the deer off during the first visit.  They came back about 15 minutes later but there were more.  The two mule deer had shown up as well.  That made for quite the action in the backyard; fighting, head butting, foot stomping and rearing up.  I had my own reality nature show.

I don't usually have more than one light on in the evening but tonight I turned that one off as well to participate in Earth Hour.  I lit a couple of my favorite candles and did some internet shopping for new tires.

Sunshine, blue sky and fresh air filled my morning.  The Beaver Pond Trail at Elk Island was quiet and peaceful.  As I made my way around the 3.5km loop, I heard a fox yipping in the forest.  If it was waiting for a friendly reply, it didn't happen.  The birds were busy in the trees.  I heard a pileated woodpecker, a nuthatch and some bluejays.

A light breeze was blowing.  It swayed the tree trunks enough to make them creak.  Some of the aspens had dead leaves clinging to their branches that rustled in the wind.

The remaining snow is still about a foot deep on the trails.  For the most part it is packed but the edges are beginning to crystallize.  There were a lot of animal droppings on the trail; bison, moose, elk and coyote.  It is rather pointless to provide bags at the trail head for cleaning up after dogs when the wild animals use the trails for their 'deposits'.

There is a section of the trail where large spruce trees tower on either side.  Boreal chickadees called from the highest branches.  The cones at the top were providing a supply of seeds.  I usually see both boreal and black capped chickadees but today there was no sign of the little black capped ones.

The hike was great.  When I got home I sat outside on the deck for another half hour.  The sun felt so warm.  I was fighting not to fall asleep.  There were some chores that still needed doing.

The ice on the driveway is almost melted so I dragged out a bucket of hot water and washed off the spring grime from my vehicle.  I can see out the windows again!

When I was done and had everything put away, I couldn't fight the urge to have a nap any longer.  That two hour break was just what I needed.  

Two deer showed up shortly after I woke.  I noticed that the pair was made up of one white tail and one mule deer.  The white tail had no intention of sharing the grain in the tub yet the mule deer shared the sunflower seeds in the tray feeder.  The snow has melted down enough that it is making it difficult for them to reach the seeds in the hanging feeders.  There are some bare patches of ground showing along the fence.  The deer have been trimming that grass.

The rain that was in the forecast did not materialize.  I wish I would have.  I love the fresh smell that a spring rain shower brings.  I broke down and removed my 'We love snow.' sign from the front door.  After being on the trails the past couple of days, I have to admit that I am also ready for spring.

 

It appears that the frigid temperatures will be back for a few days so I had to take advantage of the beautiful morning.  I left home at 9:45am.  The snowplow/sanding trucks were out on the Yellowhead highway so driving was good up to the Elk Island Park gate.  The road through the park was icy with the wind shining it up even more.

I did notice that there was not as much new snow as there was at home.  Before leaving, I shoveled about an inch of it off my deck and driveway.

I hiked the Beaver Pond trail today.  Just as I was starting out, the sun was shining through an opening in the clouds.  The thin layer of ice on the snow shone in the sunlight.  I did notice that there had not been as much rain here either.  The layer of ice on the snow at home was much thicker than at the park.

The weather is really confusing Mother Nature.  The pussy willows are out.  The leaf buds on the dogwood branches are swelling.  The spiders are crawling out of their hiding places.  I saw one making its way across the trail.

The wind was quite strong in the open areas.  Snow drifted across the trail.  Trees creaked as the wind rocked their trunks to and fro.  The squirrels were not happy with me as I passed by their middens.  There was a lot of chattering going on.

The 3.5km hike was pleasant even with the wind.  The air was fresh and the forest was filled with nature's sounds.  It took only an hour to hike the loop so I drove to Astotin Lake to see what was going on there.  As I turned off the highway, I could see a coyote limping down the center of the road.  It turned to look at me and headed for the ditch.  The poor thing was injured, making it difficult for it to walk through the deep snow.

There were only a couple of vehicles in the parking lot today.  In the distance, on the lake, I could see some kite boarders.  It was a good day for them to be out.  I brought my lunch with me so decided to stop and watch them for awhile.

There were three in total. Their kites dipped and rose in the wind.  Every now and then a boarder would be lifted into the air off the lake surface.  It looked like they were having great fun.

The clouds disappeared completely during my drive home.  The sun came out and brightened the landscape for a couple of hours until the clouds rolled in again.  Snow began falling.

When I got home, I refilled feeders and dug a path to the woodshed.  The pileated woodpecker visited while I was away.  It left a pile of bark chips at the bottom of the old tree stump.

Just before dark, the deer came into the yard.  I could see their silhouettes as they made their way to all the feeding stations.  

I enjoy the many birds and animals that come into my backyard.  They provide great entertainment on days that I cannot get out to the trails or on the days when I don't see any wildlife when I do visit the trails.

This evening I pulled out my nature scape 'bible' and made a list of more shrubs that I am going to add to the yard in the spring.  When all that snow melts in the backyard, I'll be ready. 


 


 

Tune In

I walked the Beaver Pond trail today at Elk Island.  The snow was drifting across the open areas, creating deep banks that I had to make my way across.  I left my snowshoes in the truck so my boots took on a bit of snow.

It was cloudy so the light was flat and not great for photography.  As I walked, the tall trees creaked as the wind swayed them to and fro.  I decided to turn today into a sound walk versus a photo day.

The snow crunched under my boots as I made my way along the trail.  Every now and then I would stop and listen.  

The leaves that were still holding on from last season, rustled in the breeze.  Those not able to hold on any longer were blown across the surface of the snow.

A coyote howled in the distance.  Its call was answered back by another in the opposite direction.  There were tracks across the open areas where I could see they had been hunting under the snow.

The first gully that I walked through has birch trees with trunks that are more than a foot in diameter.  Green lichen covered many of them; their bark peeling between the lichen patches.  The chickadees called from the high branches where they were searching for food.  The old trees were a good source of seeds for them.

The second gully is filled with evergreens.  The hare tracks in the snow disappeared under the bottom branches of the spruce trees.  The blue jays in the gully didn't show themselves but their calls echoed along the trail.

Just before I got back to the parking lot, a pileated woodpecker called out.  I stopped to see if I could spot the bird.  I heard the tapping on a tree trunk and I heard it call out again but it wouldn't show itself to me.
 

As I rounded the final corner, a squirrel was digging under the snow, searching for a hidden store of seeds.  When it saw me, it scurried behind an interpretive sign and scolded me for the disturbance.

The drive home was uneventful; no signs of wildlife.  I pulled into my driveway and noticed that there was lots of action at the birdfeeder.  I scared away numerous grosbeaks and redpolls.  It didn't take long for them to return.

As I waited for my coffee to brew, I walked passed the patio door.  A bright red spot at the back of my yard caught my eye.  It belonged to a pileated woodpecker.  It made its way up, down and around the tree.  

The day turned out to be great for a 'sound walk'; both at the park and in my yard.  In addition to all the sounds that I experienced at the park, the pine grosbeaks, chickadees, blue jays, magpies, a hairy woodpecker and a pileated woodpecker added their songs to the repertoire from my backyard.

The day was dull, grey and blustery but my hike turned out to be a very relaxing one as I tuned in to the sounds of the forest.