On the Road: Singing birds and tinkling ice

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However for the sound like shattering glass, all was birdsong and whispering breeze.

I used to be parked by a blended stand of aspens, saskatoons and poplars with all of the home windows rolled down within the truck. Chilly -18C air was rapidly changing that which had been warmed by the heater and eliminating the warmth ripples that I knew would plague my pictures. And with that chill air got here the sounds of the mini forest round me.

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I used to be within the hole between the Wintering Hills to the north and the Chimney Hills to the south. Subsequent to me was a dry slough surrounded by aspens and willows and a few spring seeps that watered stands of tall poplars. A lightweight dusting of contemporary snow coated the bottom whereas ice from frozen fog clung to just about all the pieces round me.

There was simply the slightest breeze, simply sufficient to vibrate the dry leaves, and with its whisper got here the sound of birds.

I’d pulled over right here to take photos of the frost however as I sat with the home windows down, a flock of redpolls flew from a area up the street and landed among the many timber and shrubs subsequent to me. I may hear them chirping and chittering so I turned my consideration from the frost and hoped that they’d come out from among the many tangle of branches and permit me a few photos.

There have been chickadees within the timber as effectively. And a woodpecker. And magpies as a result of, in fact, there are all the time magpies. A raven flew by, croaking because it went. With the sound of the birds got here the mushy hiss of dry leaves shaking within the mushy breeze. Then got here the crashing.

It was out of the blue throughout me, a clattering, tinkling sound just like the aftermath of a rock by way of a windowpane. I knew immediately what it was, in fact, however I nonetheless seemed round to see if I may discover the supply. And there it was, again within the tall poplars rising behind the thicket in entrance of me.

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It was ice, ice that had shaped on the branches from the freezing fog that was now being shaken unfastened by the breeze. I may see it falling, skinny sheets cascading down and dislodging the ice on the branches beneath. I attempted to {photograph} it nevertheless it simply too fast and unpredictable.

The redpolls have been simply as fast and unpredictable however I managed to get centered on a few them. By then, although, I had been sitting in that -18C chilly for near half an hour. Time to fireside up the truck, rewarm myself and drive on.

I rolled east after which north throughout the highest of the Wintering Hills earlier than dropping down towards Dorothy and the Purple Deer River valley. The mist was thinner up right here and the solar was breaking by way of, brightening the snow that had fallen the day earlier than. It lay like a cottony blanket over the fields and hung in drooping drifts over the coulee edges.

The temperature, already chilly, dropped as I descended into the river valley however with the solar now shining it was snug. A bit unseasonal however not too horrible.

However, oh my, did that shiny solar trigger plenty of glare! I nearly by no means put on sun shades however with the sunshine blasting again at me from that contemporary, untrammelled snow, I actually wished I’d had a pair with me.

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However, imply because it was, it did make the cottonwoods down within the valley stand out in opposition to the snowy badlands round them. Thank the deity of your alternative that autofocus exists, although. Between my watery-eyed squinting and the magnified brightness coming by way of the lens, I wasn’t positive if I had something in focus or not.

Issues have been simpler, although, over in East Coulee.

I like driving by way of these outdated coal mining cities right here within the valley, rolling slowly alongside the cottonwood-lined streets near the river and seeing the delight that the residents place of their yards. And to marvel in any respect the birds.

The city was constructed, by necessity, near the outdated Atlas coal mine, and the location that was chosen is on an historic floodplain dominated by riverine forest. Cottonwoods are the most important timber however there are balsam poplars and aspens which have blown in through the years plus moisture-lovers like saskatoons, chokecherries and water birch.

All of which make for a stunning house for each the individuals and the birds.

Of which, the latter vastly outnumber the previous, even in winter.

I may hear birds in every single place as I drove slowly together with the home windows down. Stopping to {photograph} a very magnificent cottonwood, I may hear glints, sparrows, magpies, starlings, chickadees and, effectively, a loudly barking canine. However it was close to the top of a riverside avenue the place the jackpot was hit.

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I’d initially stopped as a result of I’d noticed a gaggle of Eurasian collared doves — not native however fairly — that flew off earlier than I may elevate the digicam. However as they winged away, I seen the sound round me. It was the identical sound as I’d heard among the many frosty thicket a few hours earlier than however multiplied by 10.

It was coming from a yard simply a few homes forward so I crept the truck ahead to test it out. The yard had a minimum of three fowl feeders that I may see and the timber round them have been thronged with birds.

Once more, there have been redpolls, dozens of them, in addition to chickadees and English sparrows. Sparkles flew in for a fast sunflower seed or two whereas little downy woodpeckers took their winnings and have been stashing them in cavities on the cottonwoods.

Down right here away from the glare within the open sagebrush nation again down the river, the sunshine was candy and dappled however, man, it was a problem attempting to pick these tiny birds among the many branches. However who doesn’t like a problem, particularly one accompanied by an avian refrain.

After a couple of minutes with the birds, I thanked each them and their feeder-filling benefactors and rolled on. Forward was Rosedale, one other mining city parked in a riverine forest the place I’d hoped to seek out a number of extra birds.

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And I did, although not many. There was the standard contingent of magpies and sparrows however there have been additionally a number of collared doves that weren’t fairly as camera-shy as those again in East Coulee. I’d additionally hoped to seek out some deer right here. Unusually, I hadn’t seen any in any respect up that time however just about each time I’ve been to Rosedale, I’ve seen some.

Not as we speak.

The wind had freshened a bit and the final of the mist had blown away so I made a decision to cross the river and head as much as the north fringe of the valley to look again down. From up there you possibly can see Rosedale and the Star Mine beneath and effectively up the connecting Rosebud River valley towards Wayne. The whole lot besides the clumps of tall sagebrush seemed blue, the clear sky overhead tinting the brand new snow on the badlands, however a minimum of the air was clear and I may pick autos on the Wayne street 5 km away.

It was getting time to possibly begin closing this circle and head again house so I made a decision to drop again into the river valley, head a bit east after which come out onto the grassland north of Dorothy. Would possibly see some deer, possibly even an antelope or two. So I in the reduction of by way of the badlands — so fairly with the brand new snow on all these honey and chocolate tones — and rolled again out of the valley once more.

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Of deer and antelope, there have been none. Nor have been there horses or cattle. Of obvious white snow, there was lots so I hastened again towards Dorothy, stopped for a couple of minutes to look down in town by way of a niche within the snowy hills after which continued on my method.

Again on the south aspect of the river and atop the Wintering Hills once more, I finished to shoot the solar on the drifted snow among the many huge wind generators and to search for extra birds. There have been tracks by a patch of ice-clad buffaloberries however they who had made them remained unseen.

On this aspect of the hills the air was a bit much less clear and I used to be out and in of mist on the flats round Deadhorse Lake and alongside the street previous Chancellor and Customary. I watched fastidiously for snowy owls however noticed none. Nor, surprisingly, did I see any deer. This needed to be the primary day in a really very long time that I’d spent a day within the nation and never seen any deer.

The solar was practically down now and the brisk wind was chilly as I finished by a farm yard to {photograph} horses and a pony within the dying gentle. And never removed from them, among the many cattails alongside Parflesh Creek, I finished once more because the solar dipped behind a financial institution of cloud on the horizon and was gone.

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And as I sat there trying by way of my lens, I may hear clattering throughout me. This time, although, it was dry cattail leaves shaking within the wind and making a sound extra like any person dropping an armload of kindling than falling glass. The birds, although, had settled in for the evening so the sound of the cattails was all I heard.

Which was a wonderfully wonderful technique to finish the day.

And the month.

March is right here and with it, hopefully, some model of spring. Quickly there can be geese and geese to paddle within the meltwater ponds — if there are any — robins and bluebirds and meadowlarks to brighten the forest and plains.

That, although, is much forward. So, rolling up the home windows and cranking up the warmth, I headed on house.

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