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