Breezy Afternoon

Birch tree catkins blowing in the breeze

Temperature: -14°C, but much colder with the wind (17.7 km/h NNE).

Every now and again a gust of wind picks up a layer of snow from the ground to send it swirling away, while, at the same time, small clumps of snow fly off the swaying trees, creating a brief flurry. 

Windy Days

There have been some fierce wind gusts of late that tear through the forest and cause the trees to sway precariously. The roar it produces can be a bit unnerving.  I tried to do some work outside yesterday morning while it was relatively calm, but went back inside when the wind picked up.

By the looks of it, we are in for another windy day.  

Winds of October

On the way to Fort St. James

the pavement
near the road's edge
is covered with autumn's gold
helped by a vigorous wind
the cascading leaves collect
in shallow drifts
below the trees they adorned
just days before

as we drive
we begin to anticipate
seeing the loosened leaves
come alive
skipping and dancing their way
across the street
with every passing car
they lift and swirl
for seconds only
before they come to settle again
in some other spot

If we happen to be the passing car
I look back to see
that we have caused
the golden leaves to dance

~April

Cottonwood Trees at Stuart Lake

Fort St. James, B.C.

It was very windy and bitterly cold when we arrived at the lake. We hadn't thought to bring our hats and gloves, but went for a short walk anyway. My fingers became numbed taking pictures, and we hurried back to the warm car to have our picnic lunch inside.

The lake was extremely choppy, and the gulls had a difficult time flying against the wind.

Sky Watch

This was the way the sky looked at nine this morning when I was outside sitting on the steps.

Swirling clouds urged on by the wind,

disperse and spread out across the sky.

A Feather,

a slender branch of new buds,
and a playful wind.

Riverside Park

A strong arctic wind was blowing today, and the cold was numbing as I stood near the river taking pictures. It was hard to hold the camera steady in the windy gusts.

I wanted to see how the river was doing in the spring thaw. It was very swift, and the few ducks I saw simply moved with the fast flow. It was funny to see them zipping past. The islands and the river bank are still encrusted with snow and ice. There were flocks of geese flying overhead, but none of them landed on the river or the islands. There was also one lonely sandpiper at the water's edge and several gulls.

Nechako River

290 km (180 miles) in length,
drains into the Fraser River at Prince George.
Supports 20 fish species, including sockeye, chinook, coho,
rainbow trout, bull trout, lake trout, burbot,
mountain white fish and white sturgeon.


Two very brave ducks

Another view of the river

A feather in the withered grass

(please click to enlarge)

Came across this sign as we walked on one of the trails along the river bank. It reads:

The white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America.

The Nechako white sturgeon is unique from all other sturgeon in British Columbia.

A large Nechako sturgeon can reach 3 metres in length and live to almost 100 years old!

There are now less than 600 white sturgeon remaining in the Nechako watershed.
White sturgeon do not begin spawning until they are 15 to 30 years old. The lack of young sturgeon in the Nechako means that an entire generation is already missing.

There is more about the Nechako White Sturgeon recovery initiative at their website.

A Different Direction

These are the days of long walks over the countryside.
Today there is a very gusty, west wind blowing,
a gift from Mother Nature to help dry the land.
It was an invigorating walk with the noise
of the wind in our ears and everything
being blown this way and that.

I was trying to show the wind in the grass.

A little farther down the road we heard sounds
coming from a stand of trees, and then we saw
the Flickers, several of them flying from tree to tree,
engaged in courtship ritual. Such excitement
and a rare sight!

Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
"Red-shafted" (found west of the Rockies)
Male and female

Male, with tail feathers flared.

He's peeking around at her.

Northern Flickers

The winding road where we walked.

We were returning to the car, thankfully
with the wind at our backs.

A grove of windswept trees.

A lot of runoff is occurring now.

Fast flowing here and pooling
in the field.

Robins

It is a very blustery, cool day. I saw at least twenty robins
in a flock near an open field. Also saw my first two bluebirds
of the season, but they were too quick for me to take a picture.
See previous post for the "first robin" picture.


back view

on a rock

two in the ditch

on fence post

home tweet home

on a hillside

A favourite old children's poem

What the Robin Told the Wind

The wind told the grasses,
And the grasses told the trees.
The trees told the bushes,
And the bushes told the bees.
The bees told the robin,
And the robin sang out clear,
Wake up! Wake up!
Spring is here!

Nature Notes

Saturday, March 1, 2008

Today is a blustery start to what is supposed to be a promising new month, considering that it is the month of the spring equinox. The wind is whooshing through the tall trees, causing them to sway. At the present, it's bright and sunny, but it could change if the clouds continue to roll in.

After lunch I went out and did my very first "gardening" chore of the year. It was only +6C, but it felt warmer in the sun, and I was in a sheltered spot out of the wind. With a shovel I lifted the softened snow out of the compost bin and separated the clumps of compost material that had accumulated over the winter months. I think perhaps I am getting spoiled. In the thirty years I've lived here, I've never been able to do anything about the compost until much later. It's just in the last few years that the weather patterns seem to have changed, and the winters haven't been quite so cold as they used to be.

Sunday, March 2, 2008
7:20 a.m.
-1C

This morning I was up early enough to witness a beautiful sunrise. I hurriedly put on my boots and coat and went out into the frosty air. The little redpolls were grouped together in a patch of gravel on the road, and it was quiet and still except for the sound of a few chirping birds.

Just as I was going to take one more picture of the sun's stunning display, I heard another bird loudly calling behind me. It flew over the driveway and straight to a hydro pole. It was a Pileated Woodpecker!! He clung to the hydro pole near the top (not a safe place to be) and commenced hammering away, powerful beak on dead wood - a resonating sound that ruined the early morning silence. W----- and I were both worried about the danger this large woodpecker was in, and we wished he would get off that pole pronto. Thankfully, he didn't dally long, and, to our great relief, flew to another spot.