This morning, I looked out the window and saw that a beautiful frost had descended over my yard! Days like this have always been among my favorite parts of winter – not counting the part where it ends!
Winter blues aside, I couldn’t wait to go out and see what birds I could find and photograph against that gorgeous, glittery backdrop! As soon as I could, I dashed outside with my camera.
It was so quiet out there, and everything was white. Tiny flakes of ice were floating in the wind as if it were snowing, even though the sky was perfectly clear and an airy blue. The lighting was excellent for photography, especially compared to how cloudy and grey everything normally is during the winter. I didn’t see many birds, but I could hear perfectly whenever one called, because it was so quiet and muffled by the snow. It was too cold to stay out for too long, but it was amazing to see my yard transformed into this little wonderland, literally overnight! Here’s what I found:
A male Ring-Necked Pheasant that’s been hanging around for a few weeks. This time, he was perched in a crab-apple tree, but flew away before I could get close enough for pictures. Failed to photograph.
An unidentified white/light grey raptor I couldn’t identify (and neither could Audubon Bird ID), soaring overhead. Perhaps a goshawk? Feel free to comment if you have an idea what it could be, I could use some help! Failed to photograph.
A few chickadees. Got one or two photographs, but no winners.
Four Northern Cardinals, three males and a female. Very active and zipping around chasing each other for the most part. Got mostly poor photographs.
A Northern Flicker, zipping past my head. Failed to photograph.
Unknown woodpecker species. Failed to photograph.
A male White-breasted Nuthatch braving the cold to search for lunch on a tree.
Okay, so not very interesting. But still, it was worth the cold just to get out and see all of the beautiful trees and plants, fluffed up with frost! I’m happy that I was able to go out and see it before it all melted, which had happened by ten o’clock. Whether the birds liked it or not, I couldn’t tell. They certainly appreciated me filling the feeders first, though!
In conclusion, a beautiful day to help me enjoy winter while it lasts! I’m still looking forward immensely to springtime, though. Thanks for reading!