Endstation (Part 2)

In December I took the opportunity to retrace my steps around Stadtwanderweg 5, but under very different circumstances!

Freezing fog had coated the grape-vines with a thick coat of hoar frost

The vegetation was transformed into a veritable winter wonderland

The few remaining uneaten red berries (haws) from the autumn were frozen solid

Even the forest understorey did not escape the icy grip of winter

The same woodland trail from about the same position as in the post below

Naked, frosty trees and scrub loomed out of the murky mist

Oh, a party of Santas out on a seasonal hike around Stadtwanderweg 5 also!

The wildlife was very different too. Gone were the birds of summer, replaced by species driven down from dark and frozen Lapland and Russia; birds like the Fieldfare and Redwing.

Most dramatic of all, however, was a massive flock (several hundreds) of beautiful Waxwings.

I photographed this waxwing in Lapland last May; I wonder if he was in the flock I saw in Austria?