irresistible urge

When the sun popped out this afternoon I had this irresistible urge to get some bird shots. I planned to go to one of my favorite places, Carlos Avery Wildlife Management Area. I had seen reports that the roads have been closed since our last snow storm. A phone call to Carlos Avery confirmed this (651-296-5290). I was told the roads would not open until the ground frost was gone. When is that going to be??

The starling in this picture nevertheless called my name (I'm not lucky enough to have an owl calling) so I headed towards Centerville, Peltier Lake, and Rice Creek where the following pictures were taken.