This morning we woke up to branches hanging low, laden with snow, the ground carpeted, the trees cloaked in white. It had snowed quite a lot, it frosted the trees and stuck to everything. The forest was white and thick. We can usually see straight across to the neighbors house, today all we could see was a wall of white.
The stunning beauty quickly drew us outside (resulting in not a whole lot of school getting done) to play and do some birding. The trail through the forest now felt like a tunnel surrounding us. I gasped every time I looked left and right, and licked the snow off the branches.
I did some birdwatching and photographing around the feeders while my siblings took a walk. There were a lot of Hoary and Common Redpolls, as well as chickadees. The landscape right now is perfect for photographing, the trees burdened with fresh snow, like a blanket on the evergreens. I was just imagining how a Cardinal on one of the snow covered evergreens would make an amazing picture, or a Purple Finch.
William and I headed out back, hoping we might see the Long-eared Owls. We know usually where they are, in a strip of spruce trees separating our property from the neighbors, so we headed there first. Sure enough, out flies one. It flew a short distance into the evergreen stand, where we quietly sneaked up and got our shots.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4ozerZpIO8UeWGpiMU0qPSRPV24dlrwgF7ihqY-7fG4kL6rRng-6gKZMpSZSrZcWXDX6SB92V6dG_gswot0vKUYtV8CTXwkJcjdWt7wrqYeKrsFL94TOE_A3RbGfApmdn0vy93HcK5JFH/s1600/IMG_9373.JPG) |
Clothes line coated in snow |
I sat on a chair very near to the finch feeder, where several redpolls were eating.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9LEHrIwNuVdu5RYAnd0MwmOWZDJijqLlPEwEclm1LTGOaTc4KKCdwAng4j2JIQ4rfle26P8r8_HOFck6vahRI_dmw9zic7NgcNxA4WrwTfHZX6ORd-fIjcOVT7ERICO3h9yWDqNUdt9hV/s1600/IMG_9392.JPG) |
Common Redpolls |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwCOy1Mx0IKnyf4cdfTwNI-mXB_adMNw2oAWICi25M3WAC4nADjF5x-I4d9rZF8cZEi6sda2pQTd0lR2hVNRi-biZ_a4Tw9S-yYmgS2iJwFCB4D_AyxQ73adsChstTlIr3K9gEoPNndEs/s1600/IMG_9400.JPG) |
Common Redpoll |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw401vT7h5IG5_g5fd99ov1qSjfiZGlMsan-b3_Eg88C1nhCoDLK0ZWPX2a8-xxJHivLyXWZ9ax1YX47k4lJZ2nJg0RcFFv2MZdYDaM95iceZ2IrwvWrv-m8wiEZQVASmoXfMdLGiLjrfV/s1600/IMG_9410.JPG) |
Common Redpoll |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLta1__gSjW01NPfmabIdA05Ia6QyF0U9EsGIR18Xzf72iLgQ9kADpvCfH85gEoGDaYwFMhF-rW2P4HOJ4-HhUnl2v4U1JBURCM3A0HUEAAlhyK688pItnbQkws9Qbiz4GDJAbn_AHmX1j/s1600/IMG_9441.JPG) |
Common Redpolls |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtoJoTDev0oHycPbi2VnnIljkzqrgTC7o5Dq1dFgKGjozS8_5rEwcLEWzWA0eLZ6VDOLQ1CXlLwbo1IYzxX4zE9ev5IPNoACEZxL8IsjOOjJXdGZ_KLZ7bHFfpTQ-kODwKnvZVO_eKs-HK/s1600/IMG_9469.JPG) |
Common Redpoll |
A Downy Woodpecker came to the suet, I stood up and walked closer to it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIB1bvxNhQBvSYqCdabUPdZNTcb774b79sxdyADrztA7X9uUi5FKOD9qGwBjHkn6yBrbdah9X4NGIScAsyhtkkdyLQesW52cfyy9yAMRxUNcsVQ6Z2KkVVFKclMy3fSMeeg78O6YjRKuXu/s1600/IMG_9506.JPG) |
Downy Woodpecker |
I love this picture, a chickadee in the light falling snow.
This photo is very good, it is completely uncropped, and the lighting is only very slightly changed.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvu_7stFrMmctlNDrzzJde1x4nHtJXEa4Buma8cUfNXv2_6iG0S6sIfK1b7XMjSopyUK0kCQTu70oL1e_4igGK3GZxinuZcwByqqgZa9AY6Sl8PNT8LODKyK0iVkE4MC54iWcenUVMNCK5/s1600/IMG_9561.JPG) |
Common Redpoll |
This is what I was trying to get the whole time. A bird on the spikes of snow. I really like this picture.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwvjAvCA3tFxmSK8jVXW7Bnw3hn00g4tRLKix6ER4m_7lqF1k41f_PihMKI3frboYx0PEqdXKlrbzxSw3ib5YzCP-nQcj2otQiPCiJu_bJfhXpFPm3MDtGxjjUZKttIhyphenhyphenQv-Q-F3qTbHDK/s1600/IMG_9579.JPG) |
Hoary Redpoll |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4KAmLbYp0CmUQ7lhmk_h99DxsAXElnG6Gsqtm20VuVgVKzYNajlT5hM52_D_r1aUhfaLu1nyvoQn4GbE8BbwkiH4NekWmebd7I8DywKg3wvQd6AIU1xQsdfMnzeEXgI4bqlv5U-Nl45Hw/s1600/IMG_9592.JPG) |
Black-capped Chickadee |
This is what the whole forest looked like. No branches, just peculiar wires of snow.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHVUb2OrOvQAgZEfRJhabHBfHWuWU9L39t8jifJA0ol2OLtqAPLZllSroGsrFEcKIhKmGjPkom_8SHU3h4it0eFOatEU2PsVi3QoCcBrd7qjj5zuUoP-K_xn1yxuknKXupTtHmmrRkAU2/s1600/IMG_9605.JPG) |
Not time for nesting now, eh? |
It looked like there was ice, but it was actually just slush.
Our dog watched us as we photographed the owl.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZSel0tWR4ne7JYhER2zRGyoPWlBOMdslgjg-fx6t_qvZ9dRCiLGcpVotxX-4j_czXBbT1U7jsFfUS_f8Bt_ATgMnrLL3Tdao85yWhO1WhZlBognWLUKGkZVDtk_2Si56tCkjOzKluQRD/s1600/IMG_9625.JPG) |
Winzy, our dog. |
Now for the owl pictures, these are probably the best Long-eared Owl photos I have taken.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_Yi6UQU20h9iJE-AWQby8OGHYr9eR1cX-Tid5eXmJaWK96iNi7PVxWiZntb077Y7s7c8g85TROC-mBwAlf_L9gCOik4eiks47PRG6t75P4SPuBc4um_4CfoHZBgRTcYhZXrsi8VpJSgb/s1600/IMG_9631.JPG) |
Long-eared Owl |
It getting ready to fly.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipVyXV0DmQNyueWeURMMs5eqzBJYkqv64sAgqdeFi7D9AWK9QhaYE5j6EnYpo6RHdnQ24EjP2jcU653ZBhiE5BB59dR74lPUhSDWB2YUv5c_NM_9RgCMgiJx8u2jWvCUU8I9MaOoX6wwjl/s1600/IMG_9632.JPG) |
Long-eared Owl |
It flew to a different perch, then I handed the camera over to William.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXooW7pjdyP-DOsl9IFqUhKcJFoX_dL5luLRIeozVS_QSqyKP7Ojvlw5V1TFqat64swIIV8bA2crGLf1Ln30B835ywLMZivUaQ_6Pzw4uRFM_c-GZkfvFGpn3ANm6Y2ZJQ0WwLlU6oYsoU/s1600/IMG_9664.JPG) |
Long-eared Owl |
We took turns until my other brother came walking up and it flew.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWBSapTAbp-wPRCR83O_O0-lbshLLlyI-ZKkRFjZ2v6nMfHHeZMD_ciuM25O_6KItQAfG2E6CGon6ky7-4NATWjxXBpHgUPWVHVHCQrvvSbP2eLSYfBDBRMhBSXGW2Ik9xi_d8io-AMpi3/s1600/IMG_9694.JPG) |
Long-eared Owl |
By now, when I am finishing this post, the splendor of the forest is dissipating and it is melting away, so I'm glad I got out there in the morning.
Let me know how your morning was, and what birds you are seeing!
I have been seeing geese and ravens as well as multiple sparrows coming back... the blackbirds and robins also are trickling in! First gulls including a California Gull! Btw: Great Post!
ReplyDeleteNice!! Thanks!
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