2022 Rides - Week Fourteen

Monday was a bit chilly, but nicer that it has been, and i was feeling motived so I went out for a longer ride up to the Chief Mistawasis Bridge and back down the other side of the river, hitting a few places I happen to know crocuses bloom (as I'd noted it was exactly one year ago that I'd found some last year) 

I saw this structure just east of the bridge. I'm not sure what, exactly, it is...? wasn't a light. it was a good way away from the road....? I wondered if it was some kind of platform for raptors to build nests on!? 

Or maybe it's a signal tower for controlling bird drones. 

I HEARD a meadowlark while riding. I climbed up and embankment to see if I could spot them. Some bird flew off - not sure what it was, but didn't look like a meadowlark. 

So heard a bird I could identify, but couldn't see it. Saw another bird, that I couldn't identify... 

Mostly stuck to paved trails as I was expecting dirt trails might still be muddy - or even snow covered. As this one was - at least the part I could see. 

There is a dirt trail across the prairie beyond the bank that was pretty dry, so I rode that for a bit. 

The mountain bike single track I could see was still covered in snow or turned into mud. 

checking out a few places I know crocusses bloom, I could see no evidence of the buds even coming up. 

There WERE tonnnes of juniper berries though! 

So Many! Everywhere!? 

As I'd gone out later in the afternoon, I checked in with Amanda to see if she was still at work, and she waited for me to get to campus and we rode home together. 

I'd had to sit and wait a few minutes for her to come out. When we went to leave I noticed my front tire had gone flat. I didn't have the energy to fix it there in the cold and wind. I tired pumping it up, and luckily it was a slow enough leak I was able to ride on it. (I did have to stop a few times - every Km or so - to pump it up a bit more).

On our way, we saw a beaver just north of the Bessborough Hotel. 

Amanda patiently waiting while I scrambled down the bank to take a picture... I'd scrambled down only for the beaver to slip under the water and swim away before I could get my camera out again.

Goose wondering WTF I was doing... 

We didn't go 50m before we spotted ANOTHER beaver. 

This one waited around a bit more. 

I scrambled down to the shore again, only to spot ANOTHER one a little further along!? 

THEN, we spotted a FOURTH beaver by the traffic bridge... I didn't stop to take pictures of that one. 

Tuesday I picked Keiran up from school on the tandem took them to an appointment downtown. 

Didn't really go anywhere by bike Wednesday or Thursday. I did get out for another, longer ride on Friday, though. 

Ice breaking up on the river. 

trail from Gabriel Dumont Park to Diefenbaker park finally drying up! 

Saw a motor boat out on the river?! 

Under the south bridges there were SO MANY geese!? including a few sitting in the sand like they do when sitting on nests!? 

I wondered if they COULD be nesting already!? 

I did find a number of pussy willows in bloom along the Meewasin Trail. 

One of my favourite signs of spring. 

Found another batch a little further along. 

Mallards on ice flows. 

This was teh water passing under the Circle Drive bridge - so windy the waves had little ripple all across them! 

Riding the PURPLE SURLY KARATE MONKEY! 

I DID find crocuses just starting to peak up through the ground! 

Should be blooming any day now! 

Once you see one, you start seeing them everywhere!? 

Chunks of river ice broken up and flowing down the river. 

Richardson Ground Squirrel

More ice breaking up. 

Saw a Magpie chasing some bluejays around. 

As I got home I spotted a woodpecker up in our tree, Couldnt' get a good enough look to tell if it was a hairy or downy woodpecker. 

Saturday morning rode with Keiran to their tap dance class. 

While they were in class I rode around the neighbourhood, looking for birds. 

people have reported seeing American Robins to me all week, but I've yet to see one. HEARD lots... but couldn't actually SEE any!? 

Pigeons 

lots and lots of pigeons. 

Later in the afternoon I went for another tandem ride with Keiran. We went downtown to the library. 

REALLY!? 

WE stopped by for a brief visit with my mom. 

Keiran is definitely taller than her now. 

Went looking for crocusses again, to see if any bloomed today 

Still just lots of buds... 

stopped and picked up groceries. 

Saw a Red Fox at Innovation Place. 

It was funny. it was sitting by the side of the road looking super chill as a few cars drove right past it... but when it spotted US - that's when it bolted!? 

More ice on the river at the weir.  

A little further along, I spotted something BIG out on an ice flow. I stopped and grabbed my camera and binoculars. It took off just as I was getting the camera out and soared off towards the train bridge... it swooped around there for a bit...

And then in came back towards us!

Swooped back and forth - but as we were on the east bank it was over the river and it was late afternoon, it was kind of backlit...

So most of the flying pictures were basically just silhouettes...

It finally landed on the island in the river between the University and CPR bridges.

The pictures weren't much better, but we did get a good long look at it through the binoculars.

As we crossed the University Bridge, we noted it was just staying put, so we rolled down by the Wonderhub/Saskatoon Lily dock to have a better look

The pictures weren't much better, but we did get a good long look at it through the binoculars.

When I'd first saw it flying it looked mostly brown and lacked the distinctive white head of a Bald Eagle so I I wondered if It was a Golden Eagle - which I have never seen in the wild. After a good look from this angle, it was clear it was pretty "scruffy looking" and mottled and maybe had white patches coming in on it's head - so I'm pretty sure it was a juvenile Bald Eagle.

Despite best intentions, I didn't go out for another ride on Sunday... it was even colder and windier... I did repair the tire on the Yuba Boda Boda, though, and soem other repairs it was needing. 

Then woke up to this Monday morning... 

Mondays, amirite!? 

Seriously, I've had enough.... thanks...