Fabulous but FREEZING! -Tifft Nature Preserve in Winter

The sun came out after a recent Buffalo snowfall and the Pilafs fell for it! We decided to do a bit of hiking, photography and bird watching (Yes, JT still thinks he’s a birdwatcher) because it was so beautiful outside. What we didn’t plan for, however, was the temperature. It was FREEZING! Note to self: Dress warm and in layers in winter, even if the sun is out!

Tifft Nature Preserve

Just south of Buffalo, across from the Buffalo Harbor, is the Tifft Nature Preserve. When we arrived, we were happy to see many people enjoying the wintery weather. Families, couples and singles were using the trails for cross-country skiing, snow shoeing and hiking.

Some were straying slightly from the walkways to take photographs and feed the birds. All this activity fooled us into thinking we would be warm enough on the trails. We weren’t. It was still cold!

While strolling the area, we were excited to see that not all of nature is sleeping in February. Just off to our right, tip toeing through the woods, were two young deer checking us out. We watched them for a nice long time and were amazed at how easily they maneuvered the woods and frozen lake. The sight brought us peace…but no warmth; there was no warmth.

After our time with the deer, a couple came by and gave Dra some birdseed. Unfortunately, this put JT in charge of the camera. Note the photo does not include the bird that landed on her hand for a little snack. Nope. Thanks, JT. Get back to looking for birds and pointing them out to Dra.

JT was happy to add 4 new birds to our Big Year list this outing: Song Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, Downey Woodpecker and a Bald Eagle. He also saw several birds already on his list, so although chilled to the bone, he was smiling.

While looking up, we saw the man-made homes for the bats, and while looking down at the snow, we could see the tracks of many furry critters that were out and about. One passerby told us she saw a porcupine!

Soon, JT needed to be in the car with the heat on, so we headed back to the parking lot.

Before leaving South Buffalo, we drove across the street to see what was happening at the Buffalo Harbor. There were some out on the lake ice fishing, a few families sledding on the hill and a group working on a parachute/ kite kinda thing.

Feel free to comment with what exactly was happening. We watched for quite some time and just saw kite action.

Soon, the sky let us know more snow was coming. So, we headed home to watch the bad guys play the bad guys in the Super Bowl. Have a great week. Dress warm! Go Bills!