Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

     Winter in Ontario means snow. Sometimes not so much, sometimes the stuff that buries houses.
    We spent last weekend in Ottawa with my daughter, Caroline, her husband, Andrew, and our two grandchildren Sam and Will, who are now by the way, both taller than their grandpa. Shouldn't there be a law against that?
    We arrived on Friday, early afternoon, and all was dry. We did hit a couple of snow squalls on the way from Waterloo to Ottawa, but nothing serious.
    Overnight, however, from Friday into Saturday, several centimetres of snow fell, and the landscape was transformed. On Saturday afternoon we decided to go for a walk at Petrie Islands Park, one of our favourite spots to do a little birding; an area that over the years has been extremely productive.
     There was still open water and a lone Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon) had decided to tough out the early winter and was still making a living. That may soon change as temperatures begin to dip and even the Ottawa River freezes up. Ice was forming along the shore.

     American Beavers (Castor canadensis) have been busy laying in winter storage, and there was evidence of their depredation everywhere. 

     The extent to which a family of beavers can transform a landscape is nothing short of amazing.
     In terms of birds, the most exciting find was a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers (Dryocopus pileatus) who obligingly alerted us to their presence by a volley of their loud staccato call. This is a spectacular bird by any standards.

     In fact, birds in general were sparse, not unexpected given the time of year.
     We had a great walk, however, with much to interest us and returned home well satisfied with our afternoon perambulation. 
     The next day was a little colder, but still very pleasant, so we all decided to set off again, this time in the woods surrounding the neighbourhood where Caroline and Andrew live, and combine a bracing walk with the dog's daily exercise.
     Here, at the trailhead, are Andrew, Caroline, and Nalla, their faithful companion.

     The woods were snowy and very appealing, with crisp sounds underfoot, snow laden conifers,  and the cheerful accompaniment of chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches.

     Someone seems to have made it a Christmas project to install bird feeders deep in the woods and adorn them for the season.

     The feeders were empty, however, otherwise there would doubtless have been a constant parade of birds.
     Nalla revels in a romp in the woods but never gets too far ahead without checking back to make sure that her human charges are not lagging too far behind.

     We returned home after a couple of hours for a welcome glass of wine (maybe two) and one of Caroline's always superb dinners.
     When we left Ottawa on Monday morning the temperature was minus 18°. Winter has truly arrived, whatever the calendar says.
     Yesterday was the day for our regular Tuesday Ramble with David and we elected to walk along the Mill Race Trail. Mary is away in Florida, Franc was feeling under the weather and Carol had other plans so we were just five.
     Snow is not confined to Ottawa as you may see.

     Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) is a year-round resident and both males and females were common.

     This pair of Mallards (Anas platyrynchos) seemed unfazed by the snow, which was falling heavily at times.

     Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) deals with winter with aplomb.

     The trail has such a different aspect from season to season and in some ways winter is the most appealing.

     One certainly doesn't have to worry about mosquitoes biting!
     We lost count of the number of Downy Woodpeckers (Dryobates pubescens) but they were very common indeed.

     This Muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) had not yet retired to spend the winter under the ice, perhaps in a comfortable beaver den, warm and dry.

     As naturalists in a northern land we celebrate winter and all that it has to offer. I urge anyone who dreads the advent of the season to get out and enjoy it - dress warmly, keep your eyes and ears open and a whole world will reveal itself to you.
     And for those of you who have just read this blog post, enjoy this wonderful compilation.