Usually I only take a long lens to Col Sam Smith Park knowing that there will be many birds to photograph. For a change, I decided to focus on plants during today’s visit.

MYSTERY PLANT I will identify it at the end of the post.

MYSTERY PLANT

Brilliant red, this one is Red-osier Dogwood.

MAILBOX

Saw these tracks in the snow today near a cottage on Salmon Lake north of Fenelon Falls.

I said they look pretty big – maybe wild turkeys. He said there are a lot of them and they seem to be walking in circles. I said they must be ground feeders then. Not really being able to gauge the size from the picture I started wondering about mourning doves but they’re usually only in pairs not groups. Then he finally caught up to them.

My first instinct was correct – wild turkeys. He was amazed at how big they are. 

NATURE POETRY

Fetched a cake fer little Jake, 
And fetched a pie fer Nanny, 
And fetched a pear fer all the pack 
That runs to kiss their Granny!              – James Whitcomb Riley (1849–1916)

Miles Hearn