January is always a quiet month, unless there is a visit to Florida, or a cruise somewhere....
Covid kept us near home, but I did get out and about a few times locally.
Covid kept us near home, but I did get out and about a few times locally.
Fav image of the month
(From "Not a Creature was Stirring" - see below)
Cardinal not impressed with downy woodpecker horning in on seeds
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/cb7c5958-aa9a-4606-bc85-117f6e225100_rw_1920.jpg?h=5086b1c51e599d0a7d6b7691557bf597)
The first cold (-20°C) sunny morning I headed over to Mud Lake to check out the frost on the ridge.
The ridge is an overgrown embankment of rocks (human-made?) that has many fissures allowing moist warm air to rise to the surface and freeze to the rock edges and vegetation.
The freezing air forms beautiful fern/fan-like shapes.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/14c1af4c-e177-4e3b-8221-ff268a26f322_rw_1920.jpg?h=5374443ce989317ee52ab29e5880437a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/34219693-5506-4df4-8591-3808cfbf36a7_rw_1920.jpg?h=8ee6ca77b0249b8774e48bf1f9ca7382)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/82f83448-81b3-441e-b0ae-d901ebdeaaf5_rw_1920.jpg?h=c1770093bd0d27d94856919d49bf63b0)
The rabbit, which seems to live on the ridge, was watching me closely.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/c45c66d2-f687-4701-84d6-bb0d78248928_rw_1920.jpg?h=97702969d5aa95e943887001e82c14b4)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/c723bf1f-29e2-43b3-9f30-372b3196995d_rw_1920.jpg?h=66a66be6a1d6c6567b0aac921e2815d5)
I did a full circle at Mud Lake on a colder morning about a week later. (There is a subtitle on the presentation below that does not appear here: "Except for a few." )
A good size ice-free area one either side of Billings Bridge has been home to many mallard ducks, but with the frigid temperatures we've had, the open area is drastically reducing.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/049ff015-15f5-4fac-a069-6d47c910874c_rw_1920.jpg?h=bae33a2dc8beef53001f51c6a0b0a597)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/1aa32a31-1f44-4783-8865-7503c553f355_rw_1920.jpg?h=1d58d6240e49fe4e5cc93129b83846e6)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/49bf965e-c928-4914-9454-c7fefb502df2_rw_1920.jpg?h=03ed58515767c6f331cc32d77d662d57)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/187bb571-28aa-4649-8f3f-b7e25ffe8249_rw_1920.jpg?h=b2cfd7649af31bb0033b93c22f020eff)
When they surface after diving, the ducks look like they are sheathed in ice.
We've had a rare visitor on the street for a few days. A northern mockingbird.
While their range extends to Ottawa year round there hasn't been one reported for a number of years (Although there are a few reports of sightings to the NW in Shawville, Quebec.)
The pictures are not good, but given it is a rarity, I am holding my nose and displaying them here.
While their range extends to Ottawa year round there hasn't been one reported for a number of years (Although there are a few reports of sightings to the NW in Shawville, Quebec.)
The pictures are not good, but given it is a rarity, I am holding my nose and displaying them here.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/5fee0ed5-8694-4518-8eba-cde53181c5c8_rw_1920.jpg?h=031e67c1afe100f824779a9847cf44ab)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/3f00ae30-a79d-4057-a672-ff6cfe279d3d_rw_1920.jpg?h=2ae4a1b80abbfb3f47b5a2f90c74c204)
After a 48cm fall of snow, with a 8cm fall two days later, I thought I should check out the twigs and snow in a forest near Almonte.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/2f48a51b-12c8-42c8-a183-2f1dae78627d_rw_1920.jpg?h=5f6e12ab9e6809fabb6e04540608e1ab)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/6e178cb5-0ecb-4942-b968-d892cfdc7e28_rw_1920.jpg?h=0d4c61a8f886005317a18d83282c416a)
![Fall aster stem](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/5151dd15-8d28-4072-8d1b-446d3ffadf21_rw_1920.jpg?h=ba44c628a624b95697d8430c78b96af7)
Fall aster stem
In a few spots the deer had broken trail for me, but I wasn't sure what the diamond was all about. A passing lane perhaps??
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/f3ce339d-90ff-4bf8-9eb5-5a5760e4f0de_rw_1920.jpg?h=7a2da9eb6c5f06d586764cbf4d1bf4e9)
A few other four legged creatures had been leaving tracks around as well: squirrels, rabbits, weasel...????
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/14bc494b-d9f5-421c-9f0c-352bced73b11_rw_1920.jpg?h=ed5fde96721aaf3ddaf7fca2bfd8e207)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/4fc3f140-ffb9-4893-b742-8f5b3c10c276_rw_1920.jpg?h=665b24f1ac2a5abca7ec2e32b47edf77)
When a shape catches your eye and you're not sure which angles looks best, you hedge your bets😊
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/23e2d80c-f8c0-404a-9b66-dde74fb24c5f_rw_1920.jpg?h=5ec1a4a6dcb07e745ef7f10e647d8865)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/2fb7ac58-e806-42c4-b7c8-d8923fc41540_rw_1920.jpg?h=b6093ae2a9b2fe029393a9cb56ebd494)
I found this log with the sun hitting it just right. The light lasted maybe 5 minutes.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/121b3346-fa31-46a3-8ad1-e77e34694427_rw_1920.jpg?h=2ecadee639c96dd626baa3b25e3564d2)
I have this thing about beech leaves in the winter...
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/0f337736-083a-403c-83f6-6a97d9dad5b2_rw_1200.jpg?h=dbf450f37e2a9bd048840de364b7604b)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/7fcdf3ac-7ac9-4b88-8ae9-d01368928721_rw_1920.jpg?h=e742dcc814d275b202e06c9d85cfc974)
The falls in Almonte are certainly ice-encrusted at this time of year.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/bb588eab-0d35-4e7a-80e9-d7e0d52f6a17_rw_1920.jpg?h=da0c176c5eff1a43e17d57ca7d63654b)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/cbbb7fa6-df8c-40e1-8786-7ba312a4bd76_rw_1920.jpg?h=e64af9a0521f2d8f6f16abe5ab6097fa)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/fbe6667a-a389-48fc-8f63-c41b38844a29_rw_1920.jpg?h=f1513638c5dea61ae3e348dba6d2a760)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/764fa47f-23f2-4622-8fc0-818687917e1d_rw_1920.jpg?h=52c1358356403add2b5857720d56f4dc)
There seems to be housing intensification taking place at Mud Lake.
Grey squirrels living in a duplex.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/0c29b896-102f-4f8e-9cf1-95c364c6ea6a_rw_1920.jpg?h=225f20f4255cfd2a363052b9a9c32800)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/12546a1b-494a-4809-974b-386487007134_rw_1920.jpg?h=0758361bd2b522862f3abd9cfebd0fe8)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/543e7c79-822b-4f4c-a8c8-7105cb1b52f6_rw_1920.jpg?h=91504a33b317e1c3d8790908a2a2242e)
It is difficult for a male cardinal to hide in the bare branches.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/9214f424-b274-4ac6-a343-18e98881ffa6_rw_1920.jpg?h=fcc010d5efe691e74aff9550a1cc367a)
A few more birds at Mud Lake...
![Pileated Woodpecker](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/316035aa-9dfa-4e92-b82e-320732a8b2c5_rw_600.jpg?h=235bd4f1b132299c705db86392108e40)
Pileated Woodpecker
![White-breasted Nuthatch](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/cb37ff54-d617-4eb9-bbf7-f55fd6255fff_rw_1920.jpg?h=a8e0f75185c9e89aec63c9b2291f9145)
White-breasted Nuthatch
![Yes a few robins do stay around all winter](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/2c4921c4-d0c2-4892-97d8-0ea890dab7be_rw_1920.jpg?h=ff7106a48cdbbaefee95c9766f6f162b)
Yes a few robins do stay around all winter
I guess ducks' feet do get cold....
As this male tucks his foot up under his wing.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/735abac5-be82-4b01-9638-374f2b223162_rw_1920.jpg?h=c9218708386e5729a23c22810e7d8c05)
I've been sorting through my images deleting many I should never have kept. I came across a few video clips from the Butterfly Exhibit at the Nature Museum in 2019. Given the winter weather, I thought they would be a reminder of summer warmth....