Another appearance

A stranger this winter season, a female Black-backed Woodpecker appears on the same fallen tree that I saw one (or maybe it?) in October. Sturgeon County.

Northern Moment

A view at midnight from our deck , Coyotes from all around started howling as the sky lit up with the streaming Aurora. Quite a northern moment. Sturgeon County

Flight

This recently de-antlered male moose made a run for it when confronted by a neighbor blowing snow off his drive, traffic on the road, and me and the dog appearing on the scene. Sturgeon County.

Surrounded

Old building. Westlock County.

Still standing

An old building left to stand in a large field in Sturgeon County.

Using up the cache

Another cold day in the polar vortex and a squirrel stocks up on energy from its cache of deep frozen pine cones. Sturgeon County.

Surviving the polar vortex

Unfortunately I disturbed this Coyote as it tried to recover some morsels from what is remaining of a deep frozen moose carcass embedded in the snow and ice of the Sturgeon River. Sturgeon County.

Cooler

A warming trend during a cold snap (it was up to -27C with a -41C wind chill when I took this photo) and bright sunshine found this GHO back on one of its regular roosting places. Sturgeon County.

Finding space

A gloomy day in the woods finds this squirrel perched in space amongst the tangled undergrowth enjoying a meal of pine cone.

Cool

A cool owl on a cool (-20C) day in Sturgeon County

Road Runners

White tailed Deer come bounding up the road in the gathering evening gloom. Sturgeon County.

Sublime light

The low winter sun in the hour before sunset gently illuminates the downtown Edmonton office towers. Taken from Sturgeon County.

Sunray

A ray of sunlight breaks through the forest cover to illuminate a Pileated Woodpecker. Sturgeon County.

Winter light at sunset

A colourful sky during sunset. Sturgeon County.

Winter Morning Sun

The morning sun casts a slight yellow hue onto this GHO as it basks on a chilly (-18C) morning. Sturgeon County.

Remarkable

This unremarkable photo of Bohemian Waxwings in a tree is actually quite remarkable when you take a close look at the tree and consider this photo was taken on January 6th. Spot it? Sturgeon County.

Patch of light

Winter afternoon sunshine on foliage. Sturgeon County.

In deep

A squirrel deep in the woods. Sturgeon County.

Winter Afternoon Sun

I returned to the same tree where I saw Grey Eyes during my morning walk with the dog. He was in the same spot taking in the late afternoon winter sun, and I took a longer focal length lens. Sturgeon County.

Itch

A relaxed Great Horned Owl deals with an itch behind the ear as the dog and I watch from the frozen river below. Sturgeon County.

Grey Eyes

The second of a pair of Great Horned Owls makes his (?) first appearance since the spring (for me). Overlooking the Sturgeon River in Sturgeon County.

Spiky seed pods

Hanging in the dogwood shrubs on the banks of the Sturgeon River. Sturgeon County.

Mop head

This lichen looks a bit like my covid-19 induced hairstyle

Lichen

In the woods of Sturgeon County.