Tag Archives: mountain chickadee

Cold Spell at Ginty Creek

The coldest it got was -34C (that’s -30F in American.)

frozen river at Ginty Creek.This was taken about 1.00pm; the sun does not get very high these days.  It sets to the left of Finger Peak.

1a sunsetThe bird feeder is well-attended by chickadees – about a dozen altogether.  There are black-capped…

1b BC chickadeeand mountain chickadees, recognized by their white “eyebrows.”  This one appears to have a double set, but it is frost on the black part.

2. mt chickadeeInexplicably, on the coldest day, an Oregon junco appeared.

3. juncoThe last time I saw them this year was in August.  They usually do not show up until the end of March.  A couple wintered here once before, but it was a mild year.  What this poor thing was doing I cannot imagine.  They like to feed on the ground so I have thrown seed down for him.

The barn I burned a couple of weeks ago is still smouldering like a little volcano.  There were piles of manure that were too difficult to shovel out.  The cold did not stop it.  It needs a heavy snow- or rainfall.

4. smouldering barn

One morning, there was a bit of cloud.

5. cloudIt faded away as the sun rose, but the temperature was much higher.

6. later lightBy afternoon, it reached minus 5C, practically shirt-sleeve weather.  I hiked up onto the north bluffs.

7. north bluffsThere are only a few centimetres of snow, and it is light and fluffy, so I did not need snowshoes.  I love this low winter light.

8. grasses

 

 

9. mugwort

 

 

10. rootBut the days are very short and I had to head for home.

11. river bluffs

 

 

12. late lightThat sunset was the last clear one.  Since then it has been mild and fairly cloudy although, even in the afternoon, the temperature has not climbed above freezing.

13. sunset

 

 

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