Walking the Whitemud Ravine

The suns warmth lured us down the Whitemud Ravine this afternoon.

 First bridge who should greet us but this sweet chipmunk. They scurry so fast I never seem to be able to get clear shots but this wee one was generous and posed.

 The willows are in blossom, such a joy to witness when snows recede.

 A curious little vole?

 A fine looking Beaver.

 Theres a bit of snow and ice on this hillside and a few icy sections on the trails as well as the expected mud, thought the paths were mostly dry.

Comma butterfly.

Butterflies were out in numbers flitting in the warmth and once in awhile I was gifted with a momentary landing whereupon was able to quickly captured the image. 

 Milbert's Tortoiseshell Butterfly. Very tiny at this time of year. I have noticed the summer ones to be twice the size. 

Mourning Cloak butterfly. 

Afternoon Walk Along The Ravine

Walking the ravine today brought a few sweet surprises, first of which was a beaver gnawing the ice away from its river entrance. This being the best shot I could get as for the most part the straw you see in the foreground was blocking his face. Its kinda ironic that he was frightened into the river by noisy people exclaiming how much they loved seeing beavers on the river.

So we continued on. Where we stopped so I could rest had seed scattered about so there were plenty of red breasted nuthatches and chickadees. A downey woodpecker made a momentary guest appearance while we munched our homemade ginger cookies. It was really neat watching a nuthatch check Gerald out real close. It came face to face with him two times. I thought the bird was going to land on him. Maybe he liked the look of Gerald's cookie better than the bird seeds.

On the trail back we saw a photographer across the river looking up the bank and lo and behold was a pileated woodpecker hammering away. Once again not a great shot due branches between me and her. The brilliance of her skullcap is so deliciously vivid, aren't the colors of nature grand. I have so many birds I want to paint portraits of. Bird watching has become an enjoyable addiction. 

I sure am tired now though, I never can seem to gauge what I can handle and what becomes too much. If I over-do I get wiped out,  which sadly immobilizes me for a few days of rest. But the pleasure I gain watching birds and the excitement of seeing the beaver and the pileated gives my soul such strong nourishment.