Open water on Christmas day. Westhawk Lake is a meteor lake, which means it's very deep. We've been to this location a number of times during the winter over the years and have never ever seen open water. Usually there's a snowmobile trail (or several trails) crisscrossing the lake. Not this year. With the unseasonably warm weather we've had, the lake was mostly open water. I'm actually surprised that we didn't see at least one boat on the lake. It would have been suicidal to do so, but I was sure that some yahoo would loved to be able to say "I went boating on Christmas day".
Closed trail sign. If you can see the open water behind the sign, it's obvious the trail is closed, but I guess you can't be too careful when the conditions are so unusual.
Pine Grosbeak - Male. There were lots of females around, but I didn't get a good shot. I love seeing these guys when we are here. We occasionally have grosbeaks in our area, but not this type. These guys prefer coniferous trees; we mostly have deciduous ones.
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Where is this lake? It is so amazing to see such wintery weather when everything around here is green and grey (the skies).
ReplyDeleteIn Manitoba, Canada. Near the Ontario border. It's not so wintery to us...this is more like spring or fall. ;)
ReplyDeleteWow, the balmy winter weather has reached Northern Canada too. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteThat is a very handsome Pine Grosbeak. We don't usually see them as far south as Chicago. Although... it's been a weird bird year. Snowy Owls showed up on the shore of Lake Michigan a few weeks ago.
What a beautiful bird! He looks almost tropical with all those pink feathers.
ReplyDeleteThat picture of the lake is beautiful. There is something very stark and lovely about a beach in winter -- maybe moreso when you can see the water!
ReplyDeleteI've seen a lot of posts about the warm weather. I had no idea since it's been a pretty normal winter here in Oregon.
ReplyDeleteThat lake is so pretty. A meteor lake - haven't seen one of those. Love all the shots. Not sure what your warm winter so far will mean for summer temps. It's a puzzle.
ReplyDeleteLove these photos...The bird is so pretty!
ReplyDeleteMarie, this were great. I like them all, but the bird is my favorite.
ReplyDeleteWe are enjoying a warmer than normal winter, but I do think it is on its way. Love the bird.
ReplyDeleteit would have been a wonderful spring day here as well. 6C
ReplyDeletesee, your photo of snow at the lake is a wintery, christmassy photo. Beautiful! Book Savvy Babe
ReplyDeleteGreat photos. I love that smart little grosbeak.
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of Westhawk Lake so I had to check it out online. Well, I can certainly understand why you've visited there numerous times over the years. It is extraordinary! I love your photos and the Pine Grosbeak is certainly striking a very regal-looking pose.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots! I love photos of water in all its forms. The bird is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog....and I like how you noticed my grandson's "two-handed" approach to eating the cake.
We live so far south, I'm amazed that the like ever gets solid enough for snowmobiling. I love the photos!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful colors in the grosbeak pic. The warm weather is causing major financial problems for the ski resorts here in CO. No snow, no skiers, no $$.
ReplyDelete:)
Three beautiful shots! That bird almost looks as if he's received a little dusting of snow..
ReplyDeleteThat grosbeak is so NOT gross!
ReplyDeleteAnd the signs -- you know, sometimes signage is so funny. Because the reasons for them are so obvious -- as in this photo.
But we live in a world of over-compensation and litigation.
Do we really need a sign saying "Escalator Out of Service" when we can clearly see that it isn't....... escalating?
Lovely photos!