Ημερολόγιο της/του mamestraconfigurata

The river is almost completely frozen, and we had a bunch of snow last night. While walking down by the river at Churchill Drive, a Bald Eagle (it was about 5 m. up in a tree) took off, and circled around the river while I struggled to get my camera out. By the time I had done that it was somewhere on the other side of the river. Foolishly, I put my camera into my bag, walked about 10 m., and a second one flew out of the tree beside me across the river. I went down onto the river, but could not see them in the trees on the far bank. They are so big!!

It's been kind of quiet around here lately. The river is solid, and when I go out there at my normal time (around 1000), I haven't heard many birds. I heard a chickadee this morning at -26C, but there seemed to be only one. I suspect they have moved into residential neighbourhoods where there are more bird feeders. Saw a flock of crows (one or two sounded like ravens) this morning at dawn. I've heard the "croak" of ravens when it is still dark. Yesterday I saw what may have been a bald eagle. It's details were obscured by the bright sky, but it was not a crow/raven, and I saw yellow legs. I tried to follow it, but could not find it again. Lots of mammal tracks down by the river - squirrels, mice and rabbits. It's going to stay cold for the next week or so, so I hope the animals stay safe.

It's been very cold the past week or so. When I have gone down to the Red it's been at or below -25C, and not much has been out. Over the past several days, I've heard one or two chickadees, an occasional Nuthatch, and have seen one or two crows. Today (at only -20C), there were several chickadees, and at least one Nuthatch, which seemed bothered when the chickadees moved in. managed to get a shot of a chickadee, although it's not a great shot. -20 is not a good time to be waiting and adjusting a camera with bare hands. http://inaturalist.ca/observations/9284695