House Finch enjoying the sun's warmth

I rarely get out any more for an actual walk, especially in the winter months. This winter has been brutally cold with so much snow, which has now turned to ice, thanks to the comparatively mild weather we've had recently. Today, the forecast is for snow again, sigh. Anyway, I managed to push myself out the front door yesterday (28 January 2014) to go for a walk in Weaselhead with friends. The morning started off unpleasantly cold, but gradually warmed up. The pathways were covered in ice and one person did fall, unfortunately, so I was relieved I had my ice grabbers on my winter boots. We had a few nice sightings, which gave reasonable photo opps, including several House Finches, a Downy Woodpecker, and a beautiful little Snowshoe Hare who was well camouflaged against the snow and was hiding in a tangle of branches. At the end of the walk, a Coyote was spotted, hunting in the field by the parking lot. A most enjoyable walk in good company : )

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_Finch