A quick glimpse of a Long-tailed Weasel

Well, we've just had half a morning of very heavy snow, which has now become lighter. More snow is expected on six of the next seven days, too. To say that everyone is really fed up of all the snow that has fallen this winter, is a huge understatement. It's good for the farmers. though, who definitely needed the moisture.

Knowing that we were in for a whole pile of new snow (up to 30 cm), I decided to join a group of friends yesterday morning for a birding walk at the east end of Fish Creek Park. Some of the paths were not too bad, but there were large patches of ice on others, resulting in one person falling. Now that ice will be hidden beneath the fresh snow, so be careful out there, people.

For me, the highlight of the walk was seeing a very distant, fast-moving Long-tailed Weasel. It had been a long time since I last saw one. They are such curious little creatures.

Other sightings included a Brown Creeper, one of the local Great Horned Owls, and a few of the usual suspects such as Black-capped Chickadees, Nuthatches and Downy Woodpeckers. The light was so bad and I took very few photos, but it was good to get some fresh air and exercise and catch up with friends.