![\"\"](\"https:\/\/redmeadow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/12-1-swans.jpg\" "\\"12-1-swans\\"")
<\/a>A pair of Tundra Swans on a mountain lake, with Common Mergansers.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The mergansers are so much smaller than the swans. They were running around on the water, making waves.<\/p><\/div>\n
About fifteen miles from us are a group of recreational lakes, a good place to see lingering waterfowl in any open water.\u00a0 Everywhere there was shade, ice covered the lakes.\u00a0 And you could tell just by looking at the color that the ice was anything but solid.\u00a0 It might support your weight for a while, just long enough perhaps to get you far enough from shore into deep water.\u00a0 But where the sun could reach the water, it was open and occupied by birds, and rising fish, all enjoying the false spring.<\/p>\n
<\/a>In fact the weather was so mild we took the GT out for our drive, instead of the Outback. This will be the last drive of the year for this car. It will be cooped up in the garage until the roads are ice free again in the spring. Maybe next year we will get some snow tires for this car.<\/p><\/div>\n
On the curve of the road right behind our parking area, the freeze and thaw and heavy rains of the recent weeks were causing rocks to slide down the cut bank and into the road way.\u00a0 It was a spooky sound, rocks sliding down the hillside and skittering across the road, echoing off the mountain sides in an otherwise silent landscape.\u00a0 It was eerily quiet, no bird sounds except the slap of running Merganser feet at the far end of the lake.\u00a0 No other vehicles were on the road.<\/p>\n
The rocks scattered on the roadway made continuing on that particular road too dangerous and we took a side road as soon as we could, heading for higher ground and less shade.\u00a0\u00a0 By going up and over we could make a loop and return home.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Sitzmark is a ski area for downhill skiing. Nearby is another area for cross-country ski enthusiasts.<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/a>The chair lift does actually get up to where snow lingers. Short ride down, though. I imagine coming to an abrupt stop when the snow ends, about 10 feet past the upper end of the chair lift.<\/p><\/div>\n
Sitzmark does have a chair lift, and a ski shop (sorta), and a place with tables to sit down inside and have a cup of hot cocoa.\u00a0 Normally by this time of year it is open for business, usually around Thanksgiving.\u00a0 If the temperatures for the past week or so had been a bit lower, they’d have had many feet of snow to play with and this place would have been buzzing with activity.<\/p>\n
We continued driving along, looking for birds, in particular Snow Buntings and Common Redpolls.\u00a0 We didn’t see any of those, but did see a flock of Mourning Doves, a Raven, and a couple of Butteos.\u00a0 These Butteos, to be precise.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The high grasslands are a perfect place to find soaring Rough-legged Hawks.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>These northern latitude birds come down into this area during the winter months. It's always a treat to see them.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Hard to say if this was a pair, one was soaring and this one on top of the telephone pole was definitely admiring the display of mastery of the art of flying.<\/p><\/div>\n
The rest of the drive was uneventful, just nice scenery and gorgeous clear skies, and warm spring-like temperatures.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Back home, our invisible bunny friend who lives by the carport was in residence.<\/p><\/div>\n