Winter sunlight filtered through the tall poplars of Carburn Park. The sheen on the far edges of the swiftly flowing Bow River revealed ducks and geese floating, dipping and walking on thin ice. Easily punching through the crusty snow with our boots, our group lined up on the shore to watch the antics of the birds basking in warm winds.
Traipsing through the woods on paths, we came to a tree selected by a porcupine for being well out of the way of predators and the curious. Curled into the fork of the trunk and a large branch, it occasionally opened its eyes to check if we were gone or not. Our leaving was precipitated by a couple of young deer, attracted to the birdseed offered by hand. Really, the bird seed was for the but the deer had a snack, too - placed on the path, not by hand!
The Park extended into the Bow River Pathway, where it meandered past the low islands and ice sheets that were providing winter habitat for birds – even some robins! A Downy Woodpecker flashed his red cap at us and disappeared around the tree trunk. With a good imagination
and strong eyes, an eagle was spotted far away. Returning to the Park, we passed the natural oval skating rink where people were gliding leisurely around the trees.
