Never Say Die, Part One

Here in upper Midwest of the US, we will remain snow-covered for at least the next few days.  I sincerely hope all the snow disappears as the temperatures warm next week.  But before we ease into spring, I want to share the following mini-drama that unfolded outside our windows in the cold, cold, heart of winter. 

January 22 dawned a cold bright day.  During the night the temperature had dropped to -22F (-30C).  As usual, I had ventured out soon after waking up to replenish the birdseed at the feeders.  When the air is this cold, each inhalation freezes the moisture on your nose hairs -- not a very comfortable sensation; I try not to breath at all when I go out.  The official snow depth at the airport weather station was 18 inches.  Being a child of the south and more suited to the tropics, I am a real wuss about winter; it freaks me out that you could die just from being outside too long.  I don’t know how the wildlife manages to survive the winters here in Minnesota.

Anyway, Dennis and I were cozy inside with a fire in the fireplace, relaxing on this Saturday afternoon.  My camera was handy for my usual winter weekend armchair birding.  Dennis got up to do something and I heard him calling from the bedroom which looks out onto the hillside behind our house for to me to grab my camera and come quickly.  A hawk was manteling over its prey.  It was a red-tailed hawk, but we couldn’t see the prey.  The view from the bedroom window was partially blocked by shrubs, but the hawk was also visible from the den window.  That is the window I fixed for photography by removing the screen and also the mini-blinds that are situated between the double panes of glass.  This window looks out directly over the side yard, but I could manage shots of the hawk with the camera aimed through the double layers of glass at an extreme oblique angle.  It doesn’t make for the best optical setup, but it is what I had to deal with.  Here is what we saw:

It sat there, motionless for a bit, then rearranged itself, bent down toward the prey and came back up with 

something dangling from its beak.  Whatever it had was struggling to escape.  Now we can see that it is a grey squirrel.  If you enlarge the photo below you can see the talon around its head.

The squirrel is not going to give up easily.

Meanwhile life goes on as usual, with deer passing through the yard, oblivious to what is happening 30 feet up the hill.

The hawk, however, is vigilant and surveys the surroundings frequently.

It seems to hear the ultrasonic focus on my camera, and gives me a good stare.

All of this has happened in only 5 minutes.  I took a break from the window, and when I returned 2 minutes later I was surprised to see this:

The hawk has let loose of the squirrel and fluttered to the side.  The squirrel is motionless in the cold snow.   

The hawk stays focused on the squirrel, at the ready to make a move.

Looks up at me as if to say "Got it!"

End of Part One

A "Wintry Mix" ;-)

Last weekend I took a few photos out the window because it was just too cold to venture out.  The high temps have been in the mid-teens F (~-12C) or colder, with lows below zero F (-18C).  But the sun was shining brightly for part of the weekend when I took these shots. 

Male, Red Bellied Woodpecker

Male Downy Woodpecker



Male Downy Woodpecker

The woodpeckers have discovered the "Finch Lovers Blend" that I been putting in the Nyjer feeder.  I have seen red-bellied, hairy, and downy woodpeckers all spending alot of time at the feeder.



A red-grey hybrid?

Smaller than a grey squirrel with a wash of red over its back and tail.

 These little squirrels are bigger than reds and smaller than greys.  They have a fair amount of red on their backs and tails, but have the overall shape and demeanor of a grey squirrel.  Not sure if they are hybrids.  I will have to do some research to find out if that is possible.

Blue jay on the new tray feeder.

These last pictures are of 3 white-tailed deer bucks that seem to hang out together.  Normally bucks are fairly solitary, but these guys seem to be buddies.

8 point buck

3 amigos heading back up into the woods

The buck on the left has 8 points and the one on the right has 10 points>

I didn't get a good picture of the buck whose rear end is showing, but it had 3 points on one antler and 4 on the other.

A final look across the yard before disappearing into the woods

It was coming on dusk when I took these photos, so they aren't the best. I have seen the bucks together several times in the evenings.  As the days begin to get longer and it is actually light when I get home from work, perhaps I will have better opportunities for photos.

White Christmas in Georgia

We went to Georgia to visit my Mother for Christmas.  The 4 of us (Dennis, my brother Arnie, my Mother, and I) stayed for 3 nights at a cabin in the Richard Russel State Park on the backwaters of the Savanah River.  It snowed while we were there, giving the region its first white Christmas since 1831!

Snow falling heavily.

I took lots of photos of the snow clinging to the plants, transforming hillsides and verges into wonderland.

Snow-covered weeds become works of art.

The white snow sets off the red leaves.

The pine trees were splendid in their cloak of snow.

My brother and I hiked along the Blackwell Bridge Trail, with some very steep terrain providing a good view into the snowy woods.

Here is the Blackwell Bridge, an old train bridge that used to span the Savanah River.  It was moved to this spot as part of the trail system after Russell Dam was built on the river.

Arnie on Blackwell Bridge.

The trail through the woods is just ahead.

Here, the trail is overlooking the backwater stream that Blackwell Bridge crosses.

A small footbridge crosses the stream.

How appropriate - Christmas Fern in the snow.

Frozen drops of water on the tips of beech leaves catch the light.

Little robots we constructed from a kit sent by my sister in California.  The box said "for kids 7 to 97" so we qualified.  ;-)

Dennis, Mother, and I in front of her snow-covered house.

View of the neighborhood from Mother's front steps.

Star of birdseed that we hung outside the cabin.  The juncos and sparrows loved it.

Christmas dinner of Cornish gamehen, mushroom rissotto, asperagus, cranberry/orange relish, cabbage/apple/fennel slaw and sparkling prosecco.  Cheers! 

A little more pepper?

We drove around my hometown of Elberton to see the Christmas decoration.

Pretty lights and greenery with red ribbons.

Reindeer made of lights graze on this lawn.

We had a lovely time, made all the more special by the snow.  I hope each of you had a wonderful Christmas.
 

Peace on Earth

Good will to all,

Wilma

Crows in the Snow

Very busy at work, several looming deadlines are keeping me from posting.  I hope to get back to it shortly.  I still have a number of Belize Birds lined up to write about.