I didn’t go for a walk today. It’s been snowing off and on since last night, and although there isn’t a lot of accumulation, I still decided to stay in. I messed up my right knee pushing off the wall in the pool Wednesday, and it will take a while to heal. Prior to this episode, I’ve been on a roll since last spring when I think I quit wearing a brace on my knee to hike around. Inevitably this means I get overconfident, think I am invincible and then I screw it up again. Back to earth.

So I have a few photos from visiting the Portage on Tuesday and Thursday. But first, a look at the yard this afternoon. These photos are from my phone, I didn’t feel like scaring off the birds with the big lens.

First, a look at the snow through the kitchen window. Then, on the back porch, realizing the squirrel was on the new feeder. It’s a flimsy feeder but the birds really like it. Advertised as squirrel proof, it’s not, no matter where I have put it. My yard is a squirrel playground with all the trees. So I move the feeders around to cause the squirrel to change its strategy for a while.

The feeders were full this morning. But the birds have been very busy emptying them, except for a few moments when a Cooper’s Hawk flew into the yard, under my radar. I was out shoveling a little snow in front when it swiftly passed in the corner of my eye and flew over the roof.

And now for the Chicago Portage. There was sunshine but little else at the Portage on Tuesday.

I managed to capture three familiar sights: a Black-capped Chickadee, Canada Geese flying over, and a flying White-breasted Nuthatch (just barely),

The last thing that caught my eye was some very still fungus.

On Thursday the 4th, there was more sunshine.

The American Goldfinches were foraging near the fence that separates the Portage from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and the Des Plaines River.

There were no flocks of Northern Cardinals, only a pair or two.

Even Dark-eyed Juncos are not always available. This one was kind enough to sit for a moment.

But then, the last bird I could get excited about turned out to be a Fox Sparrow.

I may go for a walk tomorrow depending on how I feel. We are supposed to get more snow on Tuesday and beyond. And the temperatures will be plummeting toward the end of the week. Looks like winter is here for now. But I still have plenty of leftover photos from last year’s warmer months to cheer us up in the not-too-distant future.