We have been lucky to have two and sometimes even three Brown Creepers hanging around the area this winter. They have been the first to arrive to the trees in the morning steadily working their way up and down the bark of the spruce and pines on their daily quest for sustenance. Tiny birds weighing on average seven grams and at most fine inches in length they are well camouflaged yet their presence looms large and is a welcome sight in the quiet of the winter forest.
A Snowy Egret for a snowy Monday morning, at least in our little patch of the globe.
While these guys are definitely nowhere close to our area this time of year spring migration is only a month or two away.
The days are getting longer the temperature warming ever so slightly and a snowy Monday will give way to a sunny Tuesday.
Just imagine spending the day eating one blade at a time. Slim pickings when all the grass is beneath the snow and winter just keeps going on.
Yellowstone National Park 2018.
We watched as this Townsend’s Solitaire spent the better part of their day defending and consuming berries on a small patch of juniper trees.
According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology “During the winter, the male and female are both strongly territorial, defending patches of juniper trees against other solitaires and other birds. They feed largely or even exclusively on the juniper’s ripe, fleshy berries for the entire nonbreeding season.”
That sure appeared to be the case this day as this bird sat watch and every once in awhile darted into the tree and grabbed a berry.
One study suggested a single Solitaire would need to eat between 42,000 and 84,000 juniper berries to survive the winter. I don’t think this small patch contained enough for this bird and sharing would be out of the question.
After a quick bite they were back perched and on the lookout. It has been observed that violent fights may break out in defense of the winter territory, because owners of large, berry-rich territories survive the winter at higher rates than solitaires on small territories with few berries. This day all was calm and the owner of this territory had it all to themselves.
To find out more about these inconspicuous but fascinating birds:
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Townsends_Solitaire/overview
http://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/townsends-solitaire
https://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/Species-Account/nb/species/towsol/overview
Who Me?
An Ermine stands tall and looks a bit perplexed when asked a simple question?
Do you per chance know where have all the rabbits gone?
We started the winter with several in the yard but have seen none these last few weeks.
Have a wonderful weekend.
As the sun rises on a new blanket of snow questions arise.
Who- a rabbit and someone ins search of a rabbit?
What- did the rabbit escape, the chaser give up?
When- when eyes were closed and sleeping sound?
Where- At least one answer to the story at hand.
A nice story with so many possibilities written in a language all can understand.
Time flies especially and especially on the weekends with the speed of a woodpecker pecking.
Well, you know what I mean.
Happy Monday and have a great week.
A nice morning treat was a visit by a Goldfinch this week. Not a regular in the winter here by any means. This guy flew in and stayed just the morning before moving along on his way. Wherever that might have been. A splash of color on a overcast February morning.
A male Redheaded Duck enjoying the late afternoon sun on a chilly winter afternoon.
Eating berries in a single gulp is as easy as one, two, three. If of course your a Cedar Waxwing.
Pick, flip, swallow and repeat.
Denver, CO.
For the next couple of weeks we will be posting some of our favorite posts from the past as we take a small respite from the digital world.
nature has no boss 
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