It has been a cold, snowy week and a half of Fall-Winter. It’s hard to still call it Fall when we have over a foot of snow on the ground with high temperatures in the teens and lows in the single digits or below. Winter’s march into our lives has not been contained to the northern states–its icy presence has been felt by most of the country. Perhaps Old Man Winter is teaching us a lesson for our hubris of making the holiday season come early. Christmas decorations before Halloween? Black Friday shopping deals in early November? Forget about Thanksgiving? Then Winter it shall be!
While it seems like the snow has been here for more than ten days, it is only the beginning of our long, hard winter. The icy temperatures wash the world in a cool, blue color. Early morning shadows from the rays of the brave sunlight through the trees, create a dazzling quilt of stripes and sparkles. Blue-white is the new green.
Low pressure and moisture-laden clouds overnight paint the trees with frost. The Artist doesn’t hibernate in Winter.
The stars of the snowy, winter season are the birds. Our three feeders bring them close to the house. They provide great color and entertainment as they zip and dive from tree branch to feeder to snowy ground. The cardinals are seldom seen during the green season but are one of the first to arrive when the feeders are full of black oil sunflower seeds. The male is brilliant with his large crest, black face, and scarlet feathers. He knows he looks good!
The female cardinal, as often is the case, has a more subtle, but equally beautiful coloring. They make a handsome pair!
Black-capped chickadees and dark-eyed juncos are two of the most abundant birds to visit the feeders. The black-capped chickadees dart to the feeder, pick up a seed, and quickly fly away. The juncos, with their dark gray topsides and white undersides, spend much of their time on the ground cleaning up the seeds that have fallen. But when the traffic has cleared, they will linger at the source.
Purple finches occasionally visit the feeder, looking more rosy-red than purple. They seem to be calm little birds who are not afraid to really get into their food.
The shrill call of a blue jay demands attention. Actually, almost everything about him demands attention. He’s flashy in his blue suit with crest, black collar and necklace, and white and black spotted wings and tail. The other birds scatter when he swoops to the feeder where he will shovel the snow and seeds around with his large black beak.
These are a few of the common winter birds in our area, but this morning I caught a glimpse of one who usually makes his way south for the winter. This little puffed-up robin doesn’t look too happy to be in Minnesota in this frigid weather. I wonder if the early snowstorm derailed the migration plan. At least he has some luscious looking crab apples to eat!
The below-freezing temperatures and thick blanket of snow came early this year and are probably here for the duration. Mother Nature humbles us and lets us know that we are not in control. Each season has its drawbacks, challenges, and hardships along with its beauty, gifts, and inspirations. The birds are one of our beautiful gifts. Their unique characteristics and personalities remind us that we’re all in this together at the feeder of Life.
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