A Walk by the River

It was +10 and cloudy so Daphne and I decided to take a long walk along the river bank. The Athabasca is starting to rise and spread out.

 There were lots of geese posing

 The Ospreys are back again. I did not try to get close as I did not want to disturb them. A fellow walker said that they had just returned.

 A muskrat was feeding along the edge and was quite content to let us walk up to him (or her).

 He was not shy about posing for the camera!

 The Mallards were up feeding on the grass, and were pretty laid back.

 The hen was pretty shiny and had captured  attracted a mate

 The male was very watchful

 A couple of teal swam by.

 Geese like grass!

 Geese really like grass!

 I semi missed this Mule deer while watching the river. I should have looked behind me!

There were lots of Yellow Bellied Sapsuckers around. This one beat my shutter speed.

All in all it was a good 2 1/2 hours wlk. Daphne got to play fetch the Kong in the dog park, and I got lots of fresh air.

Got up this morning to snow! :-{

Another walk-about

It was a nice, sunny afternoon and I went looking for some well composted horse manure for the new raised gardens in the back yard. Of course, I took the camera and found a field where the Sandhill Cranes have been hanging out for a while. Thank goodness for a long lens as they were pretty spooky. 

 They have a tremendous wingspan although you wouldn't know it when they are standing.

 The pond next to the field had a few mallards in it.

 Last years cat tails look pretty grubby after a winter.

 There were a couple of Red Tailed hawks soaring overhead. Hard to track with a long lens!

Tomorrow, i will go for coffee with the guys and then head out to get two loads of manure (unless it's raining)!

Time to Check Out Who Is Back

I decided to head out and check the ponds for Snowbirds (the original type, you know, those that head south for the winter).

 The Mallards are returning and don't seem to mind a little ice.

 They are already paired up and looking for a nesting site.

 The geese have been back for several weeks, and have now moved from the fields to the ponds.

 The Mallards are all prettied up in their breeding plumage.

 There were even a couple of San hill cranes in the field.

 They are definitely well camouflaged.

I am still looking for the good beaver shot, and I did find a couple of promising spots today. I need it a little warmer, then I can sit out for a few hours.

It's great to have spring here again!