Friday, December 18, 2020

Before the Storm

There was a lull in my busy December chores before the Northeaster arrived with 18 inches of heavy wet snow. (Heaviest since 1993!)   I put up my photo blind behind the house and was entertained by a few of my favorite winter birds.  Here are three that I liked.

















This little Dark-eyed Junco was foraging through the leaf litter.  I wonder what they find.  This image appeals to me because of its attitude but also for the feather detail.  It won't be doing this today with the heavy snow cover. Instead, it will be foraging in our garden beds among the dead flower stalks for insect eggs and such.  We don't "clear cut" the stalks but leave them standing.

 Another favorite is the Tufted Titmouse.  Here is my hippie-hoppie version.

A final visitor is the White-breasted Nuthatch.  They seem  to prefer foraging downward.  I don't think I have one image of one going upward.

Now, if I can just get the edges of my home's roof raked today, maybe I can return to the blind for some of the increased visitors to my feeders.