Anne Elliott's photos with the keyword: explore2009January26

Brrr .... back to the cold colours of reality! I'm sure that some of our little feathered friends (like this little White-breasted Nuthatch) are finding it hard to survive this winter. Despite the hardships, they dart here and there as if their life depended on it - which of course, it DOES.

No, of course not - just kidding! After walking all morning in -22C temperatures (with a windchill temperature of somewhere around -30C - thanks, George), I called in at one of my favourite spots and was lucky enough to have this male Hairy Woodpecker drop by : ). Though most of me was fine, my hands were so numb yet so agonizingly painful after just five seconds of being exposed in order to take as many shorts as I could bear to take. Why do we do this, LOL???? Oh, and we were SO lucky this morning to see the tiny Northern Pygmy-owl again - the second time this winter.

Common Ravens are usually so difficult to see up close - usually, they seem to be flying high overhead : ). So, I thought I would post a second image of one of these intelligent, omnivorous and highly opportunistic birds. We were discovered by this one, and presumably its mate, on the way to Lake Louise from Calgary recently. I find these all-black birds so fascinating to watch.