The weather warmed up a bit and what started as slow month certainly sped up.
Favourite shot of the month
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/f40f65db-0577-40eb-af65-969422367a5c_rw_1920.jpg?h=4226971d34322abdf6e90712c1676a72)
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....
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/ac584dde-a3ae-4dc4-ada4-847ab8f19e0f_rw_1920.jpg?h=d0b647b09bf084e707c60c95b4032771)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/ff33a07a-d5f1-4ef9-9225-75b6eeac1fce_rw_1920.jpg?h=e9bc1a76bfe5c7a38500a2b2a6088ce9)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/7019de73-779d-447e-9497-9a3a2fd4696b_rw_1920.jpg?h=8ac0a2151b800354689f24eb2f2cb66a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/e62f1ccd-25bc-47e2-b180-a43780b5422e_rw_1920.jpg?h=071a267856acc7d170292b4baffbf2ba)
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.)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/022eccc3-0985-4c5e-9a69-ee4e23b565e2_rw_1920.jpg?h=3474fa13596611700f1ebb8207a34b60)
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](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/7f528a3c-148a-4bcc-8584-b3225416bc7b_rw_1920.jpg?h=f4fca6756a1b3578b619e4927ffe159b)
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.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/15dfb152-a161-49a3-8218-0df0b83ec671_rw_1920.jpg?h=d817119767b1166abc74bc8932aeeaf1)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/a0693783-cdfe-4b90-82ee-2745124fd331_rw_1920.jpg?h=9a9e87c20f6c715ce13d6fa043a22d34)
It is interesting how the golden eyes "fan" their tail feathers when diving.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/5a53d791-3a8e-47b9-83c9-2d9a2b05e9c4_rw_1200.jpg?h=85d483c4849a3943d50729597198d106)
Ice encrusted mallard
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/a566666d-5e79-40f5-83f6-b6d0a8ec5129_rw_1920.jpg?h=66ec5e6a3270ed908fa265f5463d738c)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/65c4b338-733f-40de-a096-7f76b3e18b7f_rw_1920.jpg?h=22d0a119d2bf2d01563a547586a149f9)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/8cc97fd0-56de-4a75-b140-c022337a9653_rw_1920.jpg?h=97dbb6a6dc79734fcfaf9f8722f0c159)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/2630f267-b90f-48a9-b5aa-90ce460238d0_rw_1920.jpg?h=b36d8759f619cc4fcaa2e43228a2f05a)
The hoar frost was beautiful one morning.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/fca5863f-41c3-474e-972b-481dbf953737_rw_1920.jpg?h=c30349718b59ec6e519b28752ae7f6cc)
.
.
![Fresh snow caught by a leaf, starts to melt and then frozen overnight.](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/9253de33-6408-4d40-8cec-d48c8bab7fa3_rw_1920.jpg?h=ebeb16396620f4e47f9213e1cfac23e1)
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...](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/6bbaa106-3606-4592-bbe1-a04df1f0652a_rw_1920.jpg?h=8c59e896c2764a65e510f9c935fc4bda)
The lichen on the trees was catching my eye more one day...
Fun in the woods...
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/cb8b06ec-54de-43ca-9e3c-a3826e9fb904_rw_1920.jpg?h=dc7c318b293d89055a6213dc91310a47)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/0a3e409e-24d4-46af-a9af-525b39e9140d_rw_1920.jpg?h=6b084d8d7fcfe8566a3bebd307b99763)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/30887bc4-b2e6-45cb-875f-56d810205859_rw_1920.jpg?h=735ea0547d45003eb0c5144ec598f0b9)
Other trees, at the Dewberry Trail, weren't looking so happy.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/08b57945-274e-4a49-90cb-b31f86815434_rw_1920.jpg?h=0d0c35f46c4cd919e70a3fadcffb7f77)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/f5644825-4e47-4ba4-bcd5-146b1caac5e2_rw_1200.jpg?h=740c7b4421cf9410dd5f3f145c12d13a)
A 3-4" wet snowfall produced some photo ops one evening.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/f46fa91b-1db8-4b6d-9c63-d4b2ce2071ef_rw_1920.jpg?h=9cbcbceb914ee66821e6190c7efff564)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/6893be14-6b70-4472-9af3-74a34b9500fa_rw_1920.jpg?h=0b37644ceaee437e1befd1abe182d4e0)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/4652baa3-5d6a-4994-a9bf-553bc5933aad_rw_1920.jpg?h=411ad164f23e66897780582f9e204304)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/847f4ec0-b58a-4afa-a63f-cbcf91984771_rw_1920.jpg?h=bd2b541883491e4f8ee1905042565841)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/978e3c96-f70f-478d-b6d5-f77968a6083c_rw_1920.jpg?h=afa6cd97769642da7e328589dfe1857f)
The Winter Wonderland continued the next day at Parc Omega.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/2cd4b5be-b8dd-42ae-924e-aed8a1f86020_rw_1920.jpg?h=36e13d53694503523dfacd1347fdfb56)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/f9a478d7-d32b-44ae-96fc-a918d50ec782_rw_1920.jpg?h=fdea19931feefb806ab80762a67181c6)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/3144855e-fafd-4eb7-a1cf-bab012126310_rw_1920.jpg?h=a96c456ae38639fe4f310d290cb20a7a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/0475cadb-04d2-42fa-9b2e-5edb882cf5bf_rw_1920.jpg?h=cf623cc42644299f2d606ead27b7b281)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/223fe355-409e-4b8a-8729-89e6a7580db9_rw_1920.jpg?h=99e65dc69c6d0880d988f66999e3ab38)
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....
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/2ffebd72-568c-443f-9765-63d933de870c_rw_1200.jpg?h=c01d37444002881e2be007bd6f430937)
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)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/5db8cf82-8c72-4fd8-8e10-ec198431e2b3_rw_1920.jpg?h=5f382eaca0c1b263fd8267994b3a170c)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/1d4cf908-5ec1-4fdb-94ff-0672f296c7a5_rw_1920.jpg?h=050143eef046f1bece1e81d53af5b48f)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/5f01d79a-8467-48f1-9748-73d4a75b922d_rw_1920.jpg?h=5be18cca0651d5ca35d214a530a91306)
In line with my "thing" about murals, some of the 3,500 Montreal murals sure caught my eye.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/2b0b0768-e166-453d-923e-9ac8240725e6_rw_1920.jpg?h=e7bf192e9c5dd95708e7baca0018436a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/f98bd4b2-38cd-47e3-aa4e-daec0466a658_rw_1920.jpg?h=270e9a57f2b601e43477287fa0d206a2)
The Pow Wow Dancers at the Sigwan Festival hosted by Indigenous Experiences were certainly eye-catching.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/fbec588e-2e88-4a25-8618-26c29671994c_rw_1920.jpg?h=26cb25a10a2923a9e43744e8a1182b60)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/f02bdcdc-7749-4642-839c-75d4a1615815_rw_1920.jpg?h=54085dd3a5d16abe6dede618937106c1)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/f8be102b-2179-4dfa-bab6-66682d1a699e_rw_1920.jpg?h=aa5d88905755b28cabcfec772f7e3bf8)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/c95eb0a0-2356-4f99-9204-574fee80fb4a_rw_1200.jpg?h=eed82c9e5ca1cf4afd08bb7e920b003a)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/246fd75f-5c9a-42aa-9527-ea66620cbdde/7adecf2a-65f3-4ef0-a90a-c840af8cb4a9_rw_1920.jpg?h=ed067dd170fa4df6200b4e6ab5a701d5)