Mavimet's Weblog

It seems amazing to me that I could be on a 2nd post for a day and I haven’t even had breakfast yet – but that is what happened on my 2nd day in the park this time.

I was just leaving Graying Lake at the end of the last post, so there was the drive back to the lodge.  Of course, I am still driving slow and watching for wildlife, but now there is a bit more traffic around.

My only sighting on the way back was a pair of deer – a mom and her baby from this spring.  They were nice enough to pose for a couple of pictures for me.

I wish I hadn’t cut the mom’s ears off on the last picture.

I had a wonderful omelette back at the lodge for breakfast and then I checked out to slowly start my return trip home (with a few stops on the way).  My plan was to exit using highway 19 to the East Gate, which is a nice long drive with lots of possibilities for sightings.

First stop was the Wishing Well road.

More of my “not great” pictures, but I believe these are Common Goldeneye.  There were quite a few of them further out too.

I took the little drive from there that brought me through the woods and back to the highway.  I was going to go to the Spruces, but I passed through a construction set up, on the way back from Grayling Lake earlier.  I would have had a delay there again as it started before the Spruces.

Then we have some forest and stream views from #19.

Please click on a picture to scroll through larger views.

I didn’t see any cars the whole time I was on #19 and it was nice to just drive and enjoy the scenery and the birds.  Unfortunately, the birds were on the road, which meant I had to take pictures through the windshield and those seldom turn out.  Two of them were nice enough to fly into a tree, but even one of those made sure that branches were in the way.  I believe I got some poor pictures of Ruffed Grouse and Spruce Grouse and 1 good picture of a female Spruce Grouse.  I also got more poor pictures, but decided to spare you having to see them.  😉

I managed to miss the Lynx family – yes FAMILY – that someone else found and photographed the same day I traveled on this road.  😦   I don’t know what time they were seen, so don’t know if I missed them by minutes or by hours, but it sure would have been amazing to see them.

The rest of the ride home was uneventful, except for a stone chip on my windshield that happened on the Yellowhead Highway around Gladstone.  This was my second stone chip within 2 months after 45 years of driving without it ever happening.  I went in to get it fixed before going home since the other chip turned into a huge crack overnight due to a frost and I knew frost was possible tonight.  This one was fixed without having to replace the whole windshield, so my insurance covered it.

It snowed in Winnipeg while I was gone.  Winter is here.