The sun was up and the breeze was down, so I ventured out onto the ice today. I’m certainly not the only one who has done so, either; judging by the great proliferation of tracks, many people are using the ice these days. There’s even a skating rink that’s been cleared off out there (with a great surface, too):

Now, the animal tracks seem to be the most interesting to follow, leading through strange nooks and crannies, and often intersecting each other in interesting ways. But a note of caution: one must remain alert to the conditions underfoot when following such tracks, especially when they might be the tracks of animals that weigh significantly less than post-holiday humans. Today, one such pursuit was abruptly halted by a quiet creak in the ice below, along with a neat fissure in the snow covering – clear signs that a diversion in course is perhaps a good idea.

Speaking of critters, the lot appear to have been busy as of late. As we can see, not all of the recent waterfront developments are necessarily man made:

Not far from here, I noticed a pair of woodpeckers working over trees in tandem, and exchanging some communication between them while they were at it. They seemed to prefer the sunnier side of the trees – I wonder if the heat can soften up the wood a little? Anyhow, Britannia’s birds seem a most challenging subject of study: hard to find, and even trickier (for a novice like myself) to identify with any certainty.

But for all its pleasing diversion, bird-watching remains is not without its own perils. Indeed, the traversal of rough winter terrain with one’s eyes steadily trained skyward can be a risky business. I was lucky to have ended up on my rear only once (and that in a mostly-dry creekbed), but not, I guess, quite lucky enough to avoid certain tree branches that protrude at unfortunate angles through the ice and into the sensitive anatomical bits of innocent passersby. Quite a thing, really, but not much you can do about it, except to keep calm and carry on.

Before we go, I can at least give you an update on last post’s Drainpipe excitement. As you might expect, the torrent left some impressive ice formations:

Northward, towards the bay:

And one more view:

Do pardon the dimly-lit photos, but I’m just getting the hang of the most recent in a long line of hand-me-down cameras (this one is number four!).

With any luck, I’ll have some more exciting news about Britannia’s drain pipes when next we meet. Until then, take care out there.