I've always loved a snow storm. I get excited at the thought of it happening. The bigger and more threatening the satellite image, the better. I revel at the idea of staying inside all day (I intentionally chose to leave out that part about shoveling). Well, I got my wish (a few times over actually), and in between periodically checking work e-mails, I snuck outside because there was an absolute feast going on at the bird feeder.
First, let me tell you a bit about this place. The house I live in abuts a town forest that, while not huge, is connected to other reservations and protected areas that accounts for some significant space (at least around these parts). Every once in a while (though, sadly, more often as of late) you'll spot deer or a coyote. At night in summer you can hear squealing fisher cats on their hunts (or see one moseying around your front lawn). What I most enjoy, though, are the birds. My grandparents always fed them. My grandfather kept the bird feeder full at all times (a huge, triple-barrel one, no less) and the birdbath full of fresh water. My grandmother scattered raisins around the yard and sang to the robins from her kitchen window as they hopped around snatching them up.
First, let me tell you a bit about this place. The house I live in abuts a town forest that, while not huge, is connected to other reservations and protected areas that accounts for some significant space (at least around these parts). Every once in a while (though, sadly, more often as of late) you'll spot deer or a coyote. At night in summer you can hear squealing fisher cats on their hunts (or see one moseying around your front lawn). What I most enjoy, though, are the birds. My grandparents always fed them. My grandfather kept the bird feeder full at all times (a huge, triple-barrel one, no less) and the birdbath full of fresh water. My grandmother scattered raisins around the yard and sang to the robins from her kitchen window as they hopped around snatching them up.
The bigger and more colorful birds that come around are beautiful--blue jays, pairs of cardinals, red-bellied woodpeckers--but my grandfather always said to make sure that the little ones were taken care of and wouldn't you know, those are the only ones my camera caught (despite a giant blue jay being just a few feet away). You can barely make them out in the wonderland that was my backyard. The sight, for the snow alone, is still impressive.
The little birds in these photos are a mix of sparrows (they always come in big groups), titmice (they have an Elvis-style pompadour on their heads), and nuthatches (the crazy little things scale up and down tree trunks).
There was a male and female cardinal (I love when they come in pairs), plus three blue jays. Unfortunately, one thing this blog has already shown me is that I need a new camera. One that will take several photos in a row, has some kind of zooming capability, and allows me to blow photos up to wall-size if I wanted. Sadly, that's secondary to a new computer (we're a little behind the times technologically over here). So please bear with me re: photos.
I also have to apologize for the delay in posts. This storm happened January 12th and here I am just writing about it now. Perhaps the dirty snowbanks are leaving me for want of a scene like this outside again...just one more, though. I'm anxious to get gardening again.
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