A little cold....but the Nutcracker's were fine

This morning we went for a hike in Big Cottonwood Canyon.  There was a light covering of snow and ice on the trail up to Donut Falls.  It was a chilly 27 degrees!    We enjoyed our hike, and especially seeing a huge bull moose just 20 feet off the trail.   He snorted, looked very carefully at us, his big eyes focused intently and then with a huff and swish of the big clump of hair hanging below his throat, he settled down in the snow to rest.

The birding was light, but I enjoyed watching a group of Mountain Chickadees grabbing a breakfast snack and then watching several Clark's Nutcrackers flying around.  Their gray and white plumage stood out against the green branches of the pine trees, and their big bills searched for something to eat.  One flew across the canyon, fluttering as it went with the contrast of the dark wings and lighter body standing out.

Nice morning!