The Inglewood Bird Sanctuary March 31, 2026

It's spring, I know it, they know it! Life goes on no matter what the forecast!  Today was the only opportunity over a spread of a few days that I had the time to get out & about.  It was not the nicest day, it was cold, it had snowed, it was dark and grey. But, it's spring so I jumped at the chance to be out there, at The Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.  I arrived to see the lagoon partially frozen again.  A layer of white covered everything. Yet, it's spring, they know it, life goes on....the wildlife were having a blast at -17C on this last day of March.  

The Canada Geese are back claiming their partners and their territory. I saw couples settled in usual spots in the snow on the water's edge.  Soon the pair will be perched on the bridge railing. They were vocal!  

The White-breasted Nuthatches were chasing each other!  

This one stopped to give me the eye!

I moved on!

I now know where to go to watch the Red-breasted Nuthatches!

They are in the process of chipping out a new cavity in the tree.

The male House Finch sits beautifully on the snow.  

There were a few males and females in the area.  

The air was filled with their quiet high-pitched songs.  

Ain't no cold nor snow gonna stop them!  

The number of Wood Ducks hanging out here has increased since my visit two weeks ago. 

This guy was in all his glorious colour. 

He put on a song and dance show that impressed this lady!

Soon after they flew off into the trees!  

To me it always looks funny when they are perched on tree branches with the birds.  

Little Robin Redbreast

sat upon a bush

(I like Mother Nature's frame!)

This weather is nothing thinks the Black-capped Chickadee!

Life goes on for them here even in the dead of winter when it is much colder.

There was no sign of a single Richardson Squirrel yet the Mountain Cottontail 

was hippity hoppity because Easter's on its way!

The coyote took over this spot where two Canada Geese were hunkered down.  

I watched the coyote lay down and roll around.  Then it spotted me!

Then I spotted another coyote on the back side of the lagoon watching me.

Then a third came into the picture!  

While on the backside of the Sanctuary, I stopped to check out the Inglewood Bald Eagles.  One was perched on a tree a short distance down the river.  The other was sitting in the nest, no doubt incubating eggs.  The nest is a distance away, this is the best shot I could get with my lens on full zoom. Not only best wishes to the Carburn Bald Eagles plus the Douglasdale Bald Eagles, but also to the Inglewood Bald Eagles.  

My hopes were to be out crocus hunting but that will have to wait awhile. It's spring, I  know it's spring, they know it's spring yet the snow doesn't care, life goes on with it falling when it wants.  We have been warned we will need to shovel again Thursday after another blast!  Hold tight crocuses, your time will come and I will be there for you!

take what you get, brush it off, then.....

.....make the most of your day!

I needed a gentle reminder this past short while so made a note to myself!

Some days it takes a little extra effort to go forward but not on this day! Confluence Park looked and sounded inviting!  I wore my real hiking boots for the first time this year, it was time for my feet to get use to them again.  With no ice nor snow, with the creek running freely, paired with the Robins singing loudly, this was a wonderful walk.  If I did nothing else on this day, I would have been content with the fulfilling feeling I arrived back home with! 

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On this day, I bundled up to brace against the cold wind and slight sprinkles of sleet.  Our plan was to cover roughly ten to eleven kilometres while we brain-stormed at solving our world's problems. I tend not to notice my surroundings on these kinds of walks but today was different!  Oh the distractions, of the best kind!  I had my first crocus sighting this season, March 24th, the earliest ever!  This collection was growing on the upper slopes of Hanson Ranch.  These are just two of the dozens of photographs I took.  If I saw nothing else on this day, I would have been content.  We continued on, taking the weather as it came, reaching our goal of eleven kilometres, then going for a reward afterwards. 

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A white out blizzard was what faced me when I opened the curtains on this morning.  There would be no going anywhere!  It was what it was, I brushed it off, then went about my day.  It was the perfect day to turn on my fairy light tree, settle in near it then paint until my heart was content.  With tulips on my mind, I used a tutorial I followed the other day and did a mosaic with a tulip instead of the Canada Goose. This was my third try!  It looks simple but it was not!  This crocus painting was a third try too! I used  yesterday's photo as my reference.  I was happy with how they both turned out. After those two, I was ready for something simple.  The line and wash of birds and flowers took all of thirty minutes and I got it right on the first try!  All these were accomplished while also attacking household chores!   

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After staying inside yesterday, I needed to get out the next day!  After brushing the snow off my vehicle then cracking the ice off, I ventured out onto the roadway but did not go far.  Heading back to Nose Creek would do it for me.  No one had been yet so I broke trail in the deep snow. Thankfully it was more on the fluffy side.  At -23C, the park was quiet, any wildlife had gone back into hibernation.  I saw a flock of Magpies and one.....

.....male Mallard Duck!  It did not matter to him what the weather was like!  He took his bath!

He shook it off!

Then went about making the most of his day!

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Today was on the cold side, but I can take that, so I took it, once again brushed more snow off my vehicle,  cracked off more ice, then went about my day finding a way to make the most of it!  I arrived at Carburn Park to find no new snow and it is only roughly a twenty minute drive down the Deerfoot 500. The Carburn Bald Eagles had been on my mind after all the new snow. I was happy for the Eagles to see this area did not get the snow.

The Bald Eagle is still sitting in the nest. 

It was too when I was there last. 

I chatted with the guys who are also monitoring the activity.  

The other Bald Eagle was grooming on a tree not far away. 

Our chatting came to an abrupt stop when a shift change took place. The split second the Eagle in the nest flew off, the other Eagle stopped grooming and flew to the nest. Here it is coming in for a landing.

It is just about ready to land on the nest! 

When the Eagles are not side by side, 

I cannot tell the male from the female. 

The Bald Eagle settled into the nest and went about its day incubating the eggs. The Canada Geese had been settled but in a flash they all took off to fly to better grounds to continue going about their day!  

That gentle reminder did the trick!  No matter what gets thrown our way, I do best if I focus on finding ways to brush it off, go about my day, doing what I can to make the most of it!  

a wake up call March 22, 2026

I got a wake up call this morning!  I should say early this morning!  In fact, I should say at an ungodly hour of this morning!  When I heard the notification ping, I looked at the clock, it said 2:30am.  Should I?  Shouldn't I? I should and I did!  I got up, looked out the window, sure enough the Aurora Borealis was dancing across the sky.  Time to head downstairs to bundle up then go out onto my deck.  I brought a chair with me. While I was watching the sky, I was also brewing a hot beverage.  It was cold out yet I was staying out! These are two of the dozens and dozens of special seconds in time that I captured while I sat out for just over an hour. This Aurora Borealis dance was not just a one and done, it was full of energy and seemed to last what felt like eternity!  Stars filled the sky too!  

I was so happy I went with "I should and I did"! The only thing now was it was still an ungodly hour of the morning yet I was wide awake and the hot beverage didn't help with making me drowsy.  It was time to unbundle and settle into another chair, inside, at the table, with my watercolour paints.  Should I?  Shouldn't I?  I should and I did!  I began to paint, or I should say sketch first then paint.  I saved a tutorial showing how to paint mosaic style.  This is my version of the video I followed on how to paint this Canada Goose. It was a fun project.  I was pleased with the outcome. I was so happy I went with "I should and I did"!  The only thing now was it was still early, very early, but it was not an ungodly hour of the morning by now.  Yet, the sun still had not come up.  I looked outside and could see nothing, thick as soup fog rolled in.  Should I?  Shouldn't I?  I should and I did!  

I bundled back up again, headed off in my vehicle to the Nose Hill parking lot with hopes I could hike up the hill before the sun came up. I made it!  What was strange was I drove up out of the fog along the way.  There was so fog up on Nose Hill yet I looked back at it hoovering over the area below as the sun came up. 

following the path

Bundling up was necessary, it was cold!  A light layer of frost covered everything, even this deer.  This one along with a few others were settled in a sunny spot.  Soon the frost would melt.

The resident Northern Spike!

The backdrop is the snow-covered Rocky Mountains. 

a left covered in frost

The backdrop is the tarn filled to the brim yet frozen.

a few twigs covered in frost frozen to the ice

the trail back to the parking lot

It was such a gorgeous early morning up on Nose Hill. The weather was fresh and clean and invigorating.  It felt peaceful.  I was so happy that I went with "I should and I did"!  The only thing was, it was now still only mid morning.  I drove home, unbundled, got cozy on my sofa and fell asleep!  All in all, I am so happy I answered that wake up call!

wonderfully wide-eyed

A simply painted cheerful daffodil was the task accomplished before heading out the door to find even more cheer.  Just like the tulip, daffodils represent re-birth and new beginnings. It's that time of year as spring has sprung, where everything seems to come alive.  Before heading out the door, I took a quick glance at the flower and thought while it looks lovely on its own, there does need to be something else with it!  I will think again about that another time!  For now..... 

.....it was time for a visit to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary!  What a difference a week makes!  Last week's visit to the Sanctuary was like full on winter!  This was my view on this morning as I turned the corner onto the main trail. WOW! I was wide-eyed! I see new beginnings with all the open water in the lagoon and the trail clear of ice and snow! 

How wonderful!  This was my first sighting this year of a Bohemian Waxwing!  I did see where many have been sighted.  It's that time of year where they are passing through this area heading up to the far north where they will spend spring and summer. 

Well, the male Wood Duck sure looks wide-eyed!  

I was when I saw it, being my first sighting of one this season. 

Some Northern Flickers spend the winter here, but over the past couple of weeks they have been arriving by the dozens. Their calls echoed through The Sanctuary while their frolicking added entertainment which was wonderful to watch.  

"What are you looking at?" says the White-breasted Nuthatch!

It is all relative, while its eyes are tiny, they are still as wide-eyed as can be!

The Mountain Cottontail had a buffet for breakfast!

The Richardson's Ground Squirrels were out in full force. This was the first time I saw one this season. They are a rodent which gets a bad rap! They are cute though! AAAAH!  I just had a thought! I know what this Squirrel needs, it needs..... 

.....to be in the painting with the daffodil! 

I knew there was a Squirrel there yet it took a bit to fully find it!

WOW!  It perfected the art of camouflage!  

The male Mallard Duck was a bit more skittish than the female 

as they worked their way from the ice to the water.  

This is my favourite photo!  Talk about being skittish!  It was hilarious watching this deer cross the ice. Do you see what I see? Just be a little more wide-eyed and you will spot the deer at middle left watching.  It watched and it waited!  I wonder what a deer sounds like when it laughs! Instead of crossing the ice, it just needed to walk the short distance along the edge.

This was a day where I was bug-eyed and wide-eyed for the entire visit here!  

As each day passes, there will be more and more reasons to be wonderfully wide-eyed!