Food and Shelter

After some promising signs of spring, winter is back in full force.  Sleet, like tiny frozen styrofoam balls, fell all day Sunday and piled up, covering the ground.  By yesterday morning, it was a solid mass of ice, laying under the cushion of snow that fell overnight.

In the wee hours of the morning, Don fired up the wood furnace, and by the time I got up, it was already cozy inside.  Church was cancelled on account of the weather, and so we busied ourselves at home.

Outdoors, the birds were very active, searching for food to keep themselves warm.  Cedar waxwings have been here for a few days.  They fly with the pinpoint precision of the Blue Angels, as if some inner radar tells all of them the exact spot in the air at which they must pivot.  They swirl in the sky in perfect sync, praising the One who gave them flight.

Yesterday they gathered on a tree limb, facing the wind, displaying their red wing tips and the yellow on the end of their tails.  As their name indicates, they  appear to have dipped their feathers in bright hot wax before they started their day.  In a moment, like falling leaves, they cascaded down to the birdbath and drank their fill, thanking the One who provides for them.

On a branch outside our window, one particularly fluffed up bird shivered against the cold, and periodically, opened his mouth.  He seemed to be catching the sleet, and appeared to be somewhat surprised by the result.

   

He glanced my way, as if to say, "How cool was that?"

As the daylight disappears, they retreat to their quarters, often in the cedars, 

where they wait for the light of a new day, entrusting themselves to the One who shelters them.

You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things, 

and by your will they were created

and have their being.

Revelation 4:11

He cares for those who trust in Him.

Naham 1:7

Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday

Midwinter Freeze

On a recent morning before the freeze, 

a yellow-shafted flicker was hard at work punching holes in our yard, 

the red heart on the back of his neck pumping in rapid fire motion 

with every thrust of his beak.

If he was looking for a fat grub for breakfast,

he didn't come up with one while I was watching.  

It wasn't for lack of trying.

In this 10 second video, he strikes the ground about 30 times.

A couple of days later, the cold came, and the ground, hard as stone, locked up its treasures.

Deer, dressed in their winter coats, dug through the snow for food...

and made way when the Prince of the Forest appeared.

Birds fluffed out their down coats to obtain the highest possible insulation.

Steam rolled in from the lake at the Theodosia Marina...

turning every surface into a confectioner's masterpiece.




He supplies snow like wool, scattering frost like ashes.
Psalm 147:16





Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday
Saturday's Critters

Early Birds

It was still dark on a recent morning when Don stepped out on the front porch on his way to feed the creatures, as he does early every day.  Even before he glanced up, he could sense something watching him.  On the top of a rock pillar about 12 feet away stood a screech owl, still as a statue, peering down.

Don backed slowly into the house and woke me up to tell me about it.  Suddenly wide awake, I stepped into my slippers and grabbed my camera.  I flashed one shot from the doorway, took a few steps, and flashed another.  As I moved closer, the beleaguered bird granted just one more portrait photo before flying silently into the darkness.

Our visitor a few days earlier had not been so quiet.  The rat-a-tat-tat of a woodpecker had called me to investigate. At close range it sounded like a jackhammer on the front porch.   To my relief, I found a downy woodpecker snatching goodies from a mud dauber's nest that we should have cleaned off after the first frost.

In the summer, mud daubers, a kind of wasp, build nests of mud and lay their eggs, then stuff the chambers with spiders that they have paralyzed.  When the eggs hatch, the larva find their Big Macs already packaged and ready to eat.  This time, however, the woodpecker had beaten them to the take-out window.

Meanwhile, from the stands, 

a normally noisy bluejay watched silently
and was probably wishing he had called in his own order.

Oh well, an acorn would have to do.

Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday

Hunger

Click on any photo for a larger view.

After waiting 'til March last winter for a decent snow,

we got an early start this year.

Sleet came down most of the day Thursday,

covering the ground with tiny styrofoam like pellets,

and Friday's snow piled on top.

When the thermometer headed down, 

we found our appetites sitting on the high side of the teeter-totter.  

We weren't alone.  

The corn and sunflower seeds we feed the creatures 

disappeared almost as fast as we could toss them out.

Blue jays wore their heads on backwards...

and Cardinals perched near the feeders like Christmas ornaments,

waiting for their number to come up.

Fox sparrows thought nothing of the cold, knocking the snow out of their way with swift kicks.

The crows were emboldened to come close to feed, even perching on the deck.

Barley's appetite stays at its peak year round...

but his energy soars when the snow comes.

While all the creatures outdoors have voracious appetites,

so do we.

Pass the popcorn, please.





Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday
and Saturday's Critters

Silver Linings

The winter weather that crippled much of the country last week skated through here with barely a whisper, leaving behind less than 1/2 inch of precipitation, in the form of rain and freezing rain, followed by sleet and snow. 

Still, it's all we've had this year.

 It was enough to create some silver magic in the hollow..

...and bring our favorite visitors clustering around for a handout.  

There was something for everyone.

This cardinal thought he was quite dapper, 

but he didn't know he had a sunflower seed hull on his beak.

How embarrassing!

There were even cat brier berries for the bluebird.  Yum!

If any of you want to truck some of your excess snow down to the Ozarks,

there's a photographer here who would love to take it off your hands.





Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday

The first photo is wearing Kim Klassen's wonderful texture, 1402

Winter Blues

Our blue skies have been occasional lately, at best,

but the winter blue that has been giving us the most pleasure has feathers attached.

This beauty wore her best down jacket,

  fluffed against the cold...

and kept one eye out for intruders.

We didn't know that left turn signals were required for bird navigation.

This one happened so fast that I didn't notice it until I reviewed the pictures.

"See you later... I'm outta here!"

Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday

Birds and Berries

The air turned sharply colder yesterday, 

and birds came to the feeder in a steady stream.

A winterberry branch, propped above the feeder, provided a good perch.

Cardinals eat the berries, stripping away the shiny skin faster than you can blink. 

Titmice, and the other small birds, haven't tried the berries yet, to my knowledge...

they're more interested in the sunflower seeds below.

Blue jays put in an appearance,

 and, as is customary, there was a short squabble...

but this time the victor was worried.

"Did I make her mad?"

Linking with Wild Bird Wednesday

and Camera Critters

Changes

Just when it looked like autumn had pulled the curtain on all its finery,

some of the oaks brought their orange and gold garments from the wardrobe 

and took center stage.

Behind the curtains, ladybugs have been looking for warm places to hibernate,

some finding shelter inside nearby houses.

This one, not quite ready to give up summer, 

was taking her last swim of the season in our birdbath.

I fished her out, 

and she gave her head a little shake as if she'd misplaced her Swim-ear.

When she threatened to dive back in,

I moved her to the raspberry leaves,

where she looked much more comfortable.

She's on her own, though, when it comes to winter shelter.

A blue jay's distinctive call can be heard from the bandstand.

Though the birds like to perch on the winterberry trees,

the berries must not be ripe yet,

because nobody's biting.

As surely as the scenes change,

there is one thing that is always constant.

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22, 23

Linking with:
Soli Deo Gloria
Wild Bird Wednesday
Mandarin Orange Monday

Puzzled

We've seen this bird in our bird feeder a few times this summer,

and we can't identify it from our bird book.

It's made good use of the birdbath, too, and dripping wet in the sunlight,

it's colors are more intense.

We're guessing it's about the size of a blue jay, or maybe a little smaller.

Hope somebody can help us out on this.