I managed to get lots of walks in this week. The warming temperatures and smells of spring are enough to entice me to keep getting outside while the weather is dry.
March 15, 2021
With the last of the snow finally melting in the front yard, we are starting to see some spring growth.
I suspect these are irises and they will be a deep, rich purple when they finally bloom.
March 16, 2021
With the Laurel Creek Conservation Area showing lots of signs of spring, I ventured over to the Forested Hills ESPA to see how things are progressing. There is some clear melting, but there’s a ways to go still.
This couch rests near the top of one of the trails. It seems nature is slowly taking it over since it was dumped here.
March 17, 2021
It was a surprisingly warm day, so we took advantage of it and went for a late afternoon walk through the Laurel Creek Conservation Area.
The chickadees and nuthatches are fed from hanging feeders during the winter months. A handful of seeds can often result in having some eating from your hand.
March 18, 2021
Lilo and I went for a good long walk today. The trails were either wet and muddy or slick with ice. In one spot, there was about a twenty foot stretch of wet ice. I just stood still and let Lilo pull me across. I carried my large Sigma 150-600mm lens, which weighs about five pounds.
We had seen these Woolly Bear caterpillars earlier in the week and were surprised to see them so early. I did a bit of research and Wikipedia informed me that they actually winter over as caterpillars. Their bodies, organs, and blood all freeze solid and then thaw in the early spring. They will eventually become the Isabella Tiger Moth.
March 19, 2021
We’re spending a lot of time at Laurel Creek, with the weather warming up. Signs of spring are everywhere and Lilo loves all the fresh smells.
This dog would live in the forest if she could. Puddles and sunlight are two of her favourite things and she gets an abundance of both on these walks.
March 20, 2021
With the first day of spring, the small ponds are finally melting and will be ice free this week.
The season has kicked off with warm temperatures that will remain for the rest of the week and I intend to take full advantage of them.
March 21, 2021
Another warm and sunny day, so I took a walk along a section of the Walter Bean Trail in Kitchener. The trail is pretty wide, but not nearly as nature-immersive as I would have liked. I could hear a lot of birds, as the trail runs parallel to the Grand River.
I caught sight of this Red-Tailed Hawk halfway through my walk. I saw it perched in a tree, but as I raised the camera a runner went by and the hawk took flight.
The couch this week Joel. No one cared much for it.
Love those small ponds in the forest. We have one across the street, where the spring peepers are deafening.
Great photo of the hawk!
Interesting juxtaposition: rotting couch in ESPA!
Oh the number of shots I’ve lost due to people or noises! You still got a great shot of that hawk!