People who signed up for a winter walk definitely got a winter walk this morning. Winds were close to 70 km an hour and the temperature was -8.

Here is our group:

Some scenes from the park:

If you plant to walk outdoors frequently in winter, it is a good idea to purchase a pair of “grippers” or “icers”.

Our “highlight” bird was definitely a Snowy Owl who, unfortunately kept its back to us:

Other birds that I was able to photograph:

Species list: mute swan, Canada goose, mallard, American black duck, gadwall, bufflehead, greater scaup, long-tailed duck, common goldeneye, red-breasted merganser, Cooper’s hawk, ring-billed gull, snowy owl, downy woodpecker black-capped chickadee, house sparrow, northern cardinal.  (17 species)

and some botany:

NATURE POETRY

The holly! the holly! oh, twine it with bay—
Come give the holly a song;
For it helps to drive stern winter away,
With his garment so sombre and long.    

– Eliza Cook (1818–89)

Miles Hearn