Where did January go?

Tuesday 30 January and only eleven months to go! Today was my last vacation day so I ventured out despite -24 overnight and a bone cracking -18 this morning.

My main objective was Carolina Wren with the possibility of a Eastern Towhee. Both birds have been in the vicinity of Rue Higgins in Chateguay for a while but neither showed yesterday and today was more of the same.

Red-bellied Woodpeckers were being very noisy, I counted three calling all at once, they also showed sporadically and I only managed a record shot. I spent about two hours searching and sitting but the cold eventually got to me and I had to get the car warm to try to restore feeling to fingers and feet.

On the way home I passed a hawk (well falcon actually) atop a lamp post and it turned out to be a Peregrine. Using my finely honed Quebec driving skills I reversed back over a bridge and took a few against the light shots of the bird from the rear, then I came back on the other carriageway and took a few frontal shots. Neither are great, I think the cold shakes beat the image stabiliser but you can see what it is.























Record shot of a Red-bellied Woodpecker.





















American Tree Sparrow, small flocks have suddenly appeared and several were feeding in gardens in Chateguay.

This Peregrine was fine while I was in the car but when a cyclist went past it was off pretty quickly, much to the relief of a nervous pigeon on the next but one lamp post, I don't think it dare move!