Northern Cardinal and Carolina Chickadee

While observing foxes and bluebirds last weekend, I also took photos of the frequently seen cardinals and chickadees. Enjoy.

Two Foxes on the Snow

Over the last ten days, a red-tailed fox has been observed running across the lower meadow at the Colvin Run Habitat in the morning. The lower meadow remains covered with snow - from the snow storm we had two weeks ago - and as a result the fox is easily seen.

This afternoon, a fox was observed quickly coming out of some brush. The fox made a quick stop and appeared to look back (first photo). This fox then ran hard across the snow with an urgency.

With the first fox out of sight, a second fox came out of the brush from the same location. Clearly larger, this second fox walked casually and even took time to mark some shrubs.

After the marking, the second fox walked across the snow. Ten minutes later, the second fox return to the original brush.

New Year Eastern Bluebirds Enjoy Suet

Like the American Robins that were observed in the last post, the Eastern Bluebird is seldom observed in the Colvin Run Habitat during winter months. In the last week, a small flock of bluebirds were seen feeding at the suet feeders.

The characteristic upper bright blue stands out in the stark winter sun. In the second photo, this male was kind enough to turn around to allow this shot of blue feathers. Also note the other male in the right side of the second photo.

Christmas Robins Enjoy Holly Berries

In the week leading up to Christmas, the Colvin Run Habitat saw two snow storms - the first storm delivered 20 inches, the second storm provided another inch of snow. On three occasions - during and after the storms - a flock of American Robins visited the Habitat.

The flock numbered at least a dozen. While some robins are known to winter in the mid-Atlantic area, it is rare to see them in the Habitat during late December and January. These robins spent all of their time feeding in the holly and dogwood trees. Although earthworms are the mainstay of robin diet, these robins were feeding on the bright red and orange berries in these trees.