The last two mornings I have visited and hiked in the Greenwood Forest Fire Burn Area (and environs). Yesterday I saw nothing except white, but no birds or mammals. Today was the exact opposite, and wildlife was asking to be captured by my camera!

The most surprising event of the day was when a Red Fox Ran in front of me, but then came back to check me out. Color “red” curious. The fox walked within 8 feet of me, and looked me over. I guess I was boring because after a few moments it sauntered away (not run). I love the fact that I live near enough deep wilderness that mammals and birds are sometimes not scared of me.

And the fox decides to leave the boring human!

<Flash><We interrupt this post for an owl walk!> It is 7:15 pm and about 2.5 hours after sunset. My owls are hooting! (rather common this time of year). I have watched my local Great Horned Owls raise their families for five years … this will be the sixth. The earliest they have ever nested in February 8th. The latest was almost two months later in early April. My belief is the the severity of the winter dictates the nesting date. This winter is so mild I expect nesting to begin early, and maybe mild temperatures will mean triplets.

<Back to the post at 7:40 pm … a 25 minute hike in the dark>

Before I met Mr. Fox, I found this Black-Backed Woodpecker. I never would have found the woodpecker if I had not stopped to listen. My feet crunching on the snow during my hike drowned out the sounds of the woodpeckers. However occasionally I stop to listen, and this male bird was only 10 yards away from me, but in deep cover.

Moving on from the woodpecker pair (yes, I marked the territory of a pair for early this visiting summer), I found this Snowshoe Hare.

I love the “hop sequence of images!”

Finally, I said I was Birding in a World of White. The last two days have seen frozen fog flocked on all the trees. It’s gorgeous!

This definitely fits my January 10th Anniversary Hashtag theme of #365Birds01White