Outstanding Location...

... for a Formica Rufa, red wood ant, nest.
Sheltered by a tree so it doesn't get buried in too much snow. On the south side of the tree to get maximum sun. This one is next to a lake so it is totally open to the sun. There is plenty of wild forest around, providing lots of food, and building materials for nest. The ants eat insects so they provide an element of protection for the forest around. I looked carefully but there was no activity on the surface of the nest, so the colony is collected in the depths of their mound, waiting for the warmth to return.
I'd walked here across the lake on another snowshoeing trip. Today I walked 6 kilometers, almost all along snow mobile tracks. Most of my outer layers spent the whole trip in my rucksack as it was warm in the sun. More light, more colour, longer days, more warmth in the sun - spring felt quite close today.
The extras are inspired by Shelling's blip yesterday.