Winter Scenes

A few photos I've taken the past two days

Pheasant tracks

Winter Begins

I interrupt the tropical holiday to acknowledge it is officially Winter.  Pfffftttt.  Well, it was sunny today, so there was that to lighten the mood a bit.  I went for a drive in search of Snowy Owls.  I found one but it was too far away for a photo.  Instead, here is a view of an ice and snow covered Rafferty Reservoir at the bridge near Mainprize Park.  Those are two very large Common Ravens flying away from me.

Ring-necked Pheasants were everywhere, along the roads and digging around in the fresh snow in grain fields.

Costa Rica resumes next post.

The Hairy and The Downy

The suet plug feeder hanging on my apple tree will go for days without any one showing any interest at all so it was nice to see a Hairy Woodpecker (Picoides villosus) pecking at the suet one afternoon. 

Shortly after the Hairy got settled in for a good feed, a little female Downy Woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) showed up.  You can really notice the size difference in these two otherwise very similar birds.

She seemed quite ticked to find the Hairy around and kept edging closer on the branches

until she finally caused her bigger relative to fly off to a hanging seed feeder.  Then, she followed it over there and flushed it out too.  Little brat.

At the Edge of the Ice

Thousands of geese, 99% Canadas with a portion of the smaller bodied, smaller-billed Cacklings, are huddled along the edge of the ice and the shore at Boundary reservoir.  Keeping them company are Mallards, Common Goldeneye, a Bufflehead or two, a Western Grebe, and Hooded Mergansers. 

Currently, the ice front is just south of the Sunset Subdivision.  It will eventually progress another 500-600 m at least.  But, for now, the air temperature has moderated.  Fine with me.  When the ice is on this stretch of water, I can bird from my car using a window mount for my scope.  I like it.  I'm a lazy birder.

Icy and Beautiful

At Boundary Dam campground yesterday

Short-Eared Owl

Short-eared Owl  Asio flammeus

From The Owl Pages

A Danish bishop and amateur naturalist, Erich Ludvigsen Pontoppidan, published the first description of this Owl in 1763. In Latin, the word "flammeus" means fiery, flaming, or the colour of fire. Local names for the Short-eared Owl include the Evening Owl, Marsh Owl Bog or Swamp Owl, Grass Owl, Meadow Owl, Mouse-hawk, and Flat-faced Owl.

  

Does anyone else's eyes go crossed looking at this bird? 

Anyway, this is an owl of the open country.  It hunts mostly by night, but also frequently by day, flying low over grassy fields looking for mice and voles.   See the very deep wing-stroke, and the flight identification marks: the dark spot on the 'wrist'.

Check out these great photos of SEOWs at Nick's website

The Smoke That Honks and Quacks

It was very cold yesterday.  I went down to Boundary Dam to see how far the ice has progressed.  Because of hot water pouring back into the lake from the power plant, half of it remains ice-free.  And because of the temperature variant, there is usually mist coming off the water. 

Starting from the end of the reservoir farthest from the hot water channel...

The mist is getting thicker as I get closer to the warmer water

The people who live around the great Victoria Falls in Africa, call the it The Smoke That Thunders, referring to the huge amount of mist and loud roar of the falls that can be seen and heard for miles.

Here, in the Winter at Boundary Dam, we have The Smoke That Honks and Quacks.  There are thousands of Canada Geese and Mallards out there on the water, but can't see 'em for the 'smoke'.
 

This is the boat launch directly across from the hot-water channel. 



I Know It Is Cold When

the roof of my house emits a sharp CRACK every so often.  -27C.  I truly hate these extremely cold temperatures.  Thankfully, there is no wind this morning.

As much as I dislike to go outdoors in this cold, I dutifully pulled on the seriously warm outdoor wear to go spread out an extra large portion of birdseed.  That was just before the sky lightened.  It's slightly cloudy this morning, so no bright sunny dawn today.  There would likely be sun dogs in the sky.

The birds started arriving as soon as I got back indoors.  House Sparrows, House Finches, a White-breasted Nuthatch, a lone Dark-eyed Junco.  Wonder where he came from?  He wasn't around yesterday.  I haven't had any juncos in a few weeks. 

Now the doves are flying in.  This cold is very hard on their feet.  Toes will be frost-bitten.  But most will survive the cold (maybe not the Merlin); as I've said before, they are survivors, these doves.  I know they are cold, though.  They fly in from whatever spruce tree is home, perch briefly on an overhead wire maybe, flutter down for a minute or so of fast seed pick-up, then fly back to the very relative warmth of the thick evergreen boughs.

I wonder whether the Great Blue Heron I saw a few days ago got it together and flew off for warmer climates.  I hope so. 

Same Place Today

Late Fall At My Place

My back yard over the past 5 days:

November 7/10,  gratuitous squirrel picture

November 11/10, snow, pffft

November 12/10, a bit of melting going on this afternoon

Personally, I'd like to see green grass again - like until, oh, about January 15th of some very distant year.

On My Street

To a certain portion of the local population, this hit of Winter means getting out the slidey things and heading for the valley.

The one boy is doing a fine slide with just his boots.  This is on the street in front of my house.  There's just enough of a downhill slope to keep the momentum going very nicely.   Haven't seen a vehicle go by since 7:30 a.m.  

Today in My World, Or: I'm Never Ready for Winter

Let's see:  started the day well before the crack of dawn, driving 200 kms directly into a 60-70 kmh NW wind to get to Village RV in Regina by 8:30 a.m.  

Two hours later I was on my way back home,  with the wind behind me at least.  This is an intersection at the newest eastern subdivision along #33  (yes, that's very slippery, icy slush)

Flags at Stoughton

Icy rain freezing on my living room window

My back yard right now.  It looks calm and peaceful, but it isn't.  The wind is gusting, snow is blowing and the doves and grackles are wondering what the heck happened to the sunny warmth of yesterday.  So am I.