a cold but sunny walk on Sunday afternoon southwest of Bern. Since last week finally some few centimeters of snow. Crows and buzzard flying by, not far saw a fox chased by a dog.

Some kilometer from Bern down the Aare river at the little lake of Niederried: As winter is still very mild (14°C!) a lot of migrating birds dont travel south, so there are not as much ducks as in other years. In the high trees Grey Herons already occupied 8 nests. In the air permanently the bright sound like small bells from a lot of teals around.

On weekend to Simmental again. Still mild and snow just above 1100 m in shadow. On a walk watching for half hour a fox looking for mice. Higher above a dozen of chamois were crossing a slope. In Google Earth at 46.6483 N 07.361E (the hut below at 46.646 N 07.365)

At the mouth of Saane river into the Aare beavers gnaw at 4 big trees with more than 60 cm in diameter but so far no one yet fell down. Not yet saw one as in Europe they are mostly nocturnal animals .
More up the Aare river 4 Moorhens feeding at the riverbank and let people pass in just a few meters.