It is snowing in the realm today. In this part of the world there is a skepticism about the weatherperson's ability to accurately predict the weather, so when it actually happens as foretold there is a certain amount of surprise. We awoke to a winter wonderland with flakes still falling gently and the wind had produced deep sculptured banks and valleys.
Quite lovely to look at from the window but it required a bit more effort to shovel a path and find the cars. Our street, being a side one, will probably be plowed around midnight tonight effectively sealing each homeowner in their driveway; a not altogether pleasant start to tomorrow morning should one have to leave said driveway to go to work.
Our street abuts a busier street which is also a bus route, meaning that it was plowed early this morning to prepare for the day. It also means that with the amount of snow that actually fell, (still surprised) there is a sizeable berm at the entrance to our street, making for an exciting time accessing the rest of the known world. Aaah, winter.
The birds are busy in the yard so the storm must be waning. The wind swept a bare spot on the ground in front of the window so sunflower seeds have already been tossed out. The squirrels are beginning to appear having stayed longer this morning in their tree hole havens or leafy dreys in the treetops. (That is 'drey' as in squirrel nest, as opposed to 'dray' as in cart, or the horse who pulls said cart, or Dre, as in Dr.)
The juncos are here in a group, picking up seeds and then retreating to the safety of the tree or denser shrubbery. The chickadees zoom in for one seed then sit on a branch where they hold the seed with their toes and peck at it until they puncture the shell. There are several here today which means they are dining out because other options are less available at the moment. During breeding season seeds like this would make up a small part of their diet, their preference being bugs and spiders. In the winter the balance shifts as bugs are hiding, and spiders sleeping in nooks and crannies that are presently, like today, snow-covered. I am hoping that they notice the 'vacancy' sign on the little birdhouse and someone will move in before long.
Interestingly the Red-breasted nuthatches that have been around all winter, seem to have noticed the wee house. I read that their preference is to nest in cavities which they excavate themselves, a practice which I thought only applied to woodpeckers, and most often in an aspen tree because the bark is softer. They apply resin from a conifer tree to the entrance of the cavity as well as inside, and sometimes use a piece of bark to do this which is pretty remarkable. This may be some kind of security measure, which is pretty ingenious.
They seem to be most interested in the shelled peanuts at the feeders but will take sunflower seeds also. In the summer, like the chickadees, they will feed primarily on a variety of bugs, which they will also feed their young. They generally travel on a tree in a downward spiral which seems to be characteristic of nuthatches. Even at the feeder they feed upside down. This does not seem like it would aid digestion but there must be some reason for it that is particular to them.
We have been fortunate to see nuthatches this winter, and it is largely due to our big spruce tree. The larger White breasted nuthatch prefers deciduous trees; the smaller nuthatches, the conifers. I am hoping that even if these feisty little birds leave us to find an aspen tree closer to the river to nest in, that they will return if we keep the feeders full.
(White-breasted nuthatch)
(A Red-breasted nuthatch that visited in the summer of 2016)
Glimpse of red and blue
A presence on the spruce bough
Welcome in my heart
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