Early afternoon, mid-week, and late February combined to present a very quiet visit. One ice fisherman on Muskrat Bay, two walkers and three chickadees who dropped by to say hello once. The only noise was the quiet rustling of the ice flowing down the river rubbing against the grounded ice.
What few ice fishing huts/tents that are out in place will likely be coming back to shore with the warming temperatures
While the "in-land" waters are still ice covered, there are areas of water on top of the ice
The River on the other hand is full of flowing slushy ice. Some of the ice from colder days is still frozen in place, while the slushy ice pushes its way up onto the ice grounded in the shallows.
Sitting, or standing, didn't seem to be yielding fish at the end of the line. (Despite using a digital fishfinder to help find the fish)
A few rabbit tracks were evident in the fresh snow
Last fall's chewings by the beavers were still looking very fresh
The dogwood branches were certainly standing out in the bright sun against the white snow
The black and white chickadees certainly showed in amongst the red brush
Last year's grasses were emerging from the snow, fall flowers including fall asters were still carrying their seeds and the burrs were standing by to catch a ride on your pants
A shrub I found growing in just one spot some 20 years ago and hadn't noticed for a long time is still there. Nine-bark seed pods stood out in the bramble
Both the buckthorn berries and the bittersweet were looking dried out after the winter
The basswood tree seeds seemed to be everywhere
In the meantime the maple tree buds have set and will be producing leaves sooner than we might think.
The picnic branches are close at hand, ready for the visitors to come and enjoy FOPI's wonderful facilities
