Category Archives: Photography

Subarctic Spring

The Big Melt has been happening at a voracious speed, but Great Slave Lake is still very solidly frozen (it was recently tested 500 metres [1600 ft] from shore and was frozen to a depth of 2.5 m [8 ft]).

When I stopped to take this sunset photo, I could feel the cold emanating from it as the surrounding air has very quickly become much warmer (sunrise is now 5:40 a.m. and sunset is 9:30 p.m, so our daylight hours are long, and lately, quite sunny).

One of the unusual things about the subarctic is how long and warm our spring days become, even though much of winter’s impact still lingers.

Happy Monday, happy week.

April Chickadee

I saw my first black capped chickadee of the year. That’s a very good sign of warming temperatures!

They are so pretty and delicate looking, but are actually very hardy. They live through the cold subarctic temperatures of the Northwest Territories very successfully; they store incredible amounts of food and spend their winters sheltering in knotholes.

Their memories for recalling where they have food stores is prodigious, which is a main reason why they can survive so well up here.

I love hearing their distinctive “chick-a-dee-dee-dee-dee-dee” song and seeing them on their undulating flight paths from tree to tree.

Happy Saturday.