It was a bright, clear, cold morning. The lake was fully frozen with just a skiff of snow on the ice.
When the temperature gets really cold (-20°C or lower) beautiful frost crystals grow up on the ridge. Today was one of those days. The ridge seems to be made up of piled rocks with air pockets between them. Warm air rises through the rock pile and frost forms on stones and vegetation as it exits.
Out on the Ottawa River, mist rose over the "warm" water. (No photo, but someone was coming ashore after a polar bear swim in the buff)
Small rocky outcroppings in the river were covered with frost, ice chunks along the shoreline had rubbed together and formed circles of ice.
I met some friendly faces as I walked the trail....
There were lots of birds around....
The robin flock had split up, some were down by the river, others were in their normal area by the Filtration Plant. All of them after (frozen, dried) buckthorn berries
The chickadees were very anxious to get some sunflower seeds, as were some downy woodpeckers. One downy landed on my shoulder and then flew into the car trunk while I was getting "gloved up" for the cold - so no photos
A pileated was working on a dead tree by the bridge
The turkeys were feeling the cold. Several were roosting on fallen branches, others were slowly moving around looking for food. None were anxious to come to me, they were all in slo-motion (or no-motion)
Golden eye ducks (male and female) were drifting down the channel as usual and then flew back up the river to drift down again as they dove for food - fish or crayfish
A few mallards were soaking up the sun sleeping next to the island separating the channel from the river. Seeing me, some decided to fly over and hope for a handout.... The female seemed to running on water to make her take off (click on the photo to see it larger)
Two seedlings, still hanging on to their tree, were backlit and looked like large flies
With the cold temperatures, and just a skiff of snow on the ice, skaters have been enjoying the Lake. Only one was brave enough to come out in the early morning frigid temperatures
