The weather warmed up a bit and what started as slow month certainly sped up.
Favourite shot of the month
Male turkey strutting his stuff at Mud Lake
Yes, the same screech owl as last month - two environmental shots and two closeups.
Once you know where the owl is, it isn't too hard to spot, but until then....
Not at Mud Lake, but I was at the right place, right time, to watch a saw whet owl enjoying lunch.
(There was a great grey owl and a long-eared owl in the same woods a few days before but well hidden amongst the branches.)
(There was a great grey owl and a long-eared owl in the same woods a few days before but well hidden amongst the branches.)
It wasn't a particularly cold day (-5°C) but the cardinals were all puffed up.
Maybe it just feels the cold more - like me
Two females and a male common golden eyes were out on the Ottawa River at Mud Lake.
(It was a cold morning, there was mist on the water.)
(It was a cold morning, there was mist on the water.)
While at Strathcona Park, on the Rideau River, a pair were diving under the ice.
It is interesting how the golden eyes "fan" their tail feathers when diving.
Ice encrusted mallard
The hoar frost was beautiful one morning.
.
.
Fresh snow caught by a leaf, starts to melt and then frozen overnight.
The lichen on the trees was catching my eye more one day...
Fun in the woods...
Other trees, at the Dewberry Trail, weren't looking so happy.
A 3-4" wet snowfall produced some photo ops one evening.
The Winter Wonderland continued the next day at Parc Omega.
While looking for a porcupine (as per Dewberry Trail above) I spotted a pileated woodpecker quite close and down low. There were branches between it and my camera thus the focus meandered a bit. Chirping chickadees, heard part way through, were landing on my head hoping for a handout.
Hopefully I'll have chance to get a better video sometime...
Talking of woodies, a male downy posed nicely for me....
It had been a long time since we had visited the Bio-Dome in Montreal. For some reason I've always been fascinated by the eider ducks and puffins (plus the marmosets)
In line with my "thing" about murals, some of the 3,500 Montreal murals sure caught my eye.
The Pow Wow Dancers at the Sigwan Festival hosted by Indigenous Experiences were certainly eye-catching.
