Driving Around Today

A Holiday Monday here in Saskatchewan.  Also the last day of the Great Backyard Bird Count weekend.  I left the house as the sun was rising, which isn't as early as it sounds - sunrise was at 7:52 this morning.

I hoped to get out to the warm water bays at Boundary before the fishermen arrived.  I beat the fishermen but a seismic crew got there before me and scared the birds off the water closest to the road.  Bah.  Oh well, I scoped the birds on the far shore and found a Hooded Merganser diving for its breakfast.

Then I drove into the area where the hot water (from the power plant) runs into the reservoir. 

A little bit of steam rising.  In very cold weather, the fence is covered in ice and the trail extremely treacherous.  

You can see a coal seam at the water line (under small the ice shelf).

A Snowy Owl on a new power pole - Shot #1

Shot #2.  See Ya!

I just love this bridge and its bit of road.  It's near Torquay, SK. 

I added two species to my 2012 List:  Mourning Dove and Gray Partridges.   The Mourning Dove is unusual - every Fall, a few stay around and try to survive the northern Winter, most don't win that game.  But this year has been particularly mild, so this particular little dove has managed to stay alive.