Blizzards of 2010: Peak of the Storms

Yesterday's post showed amazing sunlight and brilliant blue sky.  These photos show the near-peak of the storm - very tough photo conditions with little light and falling snow causing focus problems.

I say near-peak because at the peak of the storm, only the most near-field trees were visible.  

Storm or no storm, the birds need to come to the feeder.  The white-throated sparrows were numerous around the feeder, even at the peak of the storm.  The sunflower seeds or the suet provides the nutrition to shiver which allows them to stay warm.  

To stay warm, the birds also fluff up their feathers as shown in this photo of the white-throated sparrow and the northern cardinal.

The northern cardinals - males and females - always standout in the snow.  Their bright red feathers as a background ensures that foreground snowflakes are seen.

So here is the quiz for the day - how many birds can you count in this photo?  Can you identify them?  As always, click on the photo to get an expanded view.

Blizzards of 2010: The Morning After in the Colvin Run Habitat

The 2009-2010 winter season brought three major snow storms - all resulting in blizzard warning being issued - to the Colvin Run Habitat.

I'll show a number of photos from the two February storms over the next few posts.  Yes, it is a month after the last storm, but who has enough time for photography and posting these days.  A month after the storm and today is the first day that there is no snow remaining in the Habitat.

All of the photos in this post were taken the morning after.  

Nothing like lots of sunlight and snow reflected light to get some great photos.  In the next few posts, you will also see less than perfect photos taken during the peak of the storms.

Enjoy!

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.

Pileated Woodpecker: Seldom Seen Visitor to the Habitat

Three years have passed since the last Colvin Run Habitat sighting of a pileated woodpecker. But this is the first time that this woodpecker has visited the suet feeder.   

When I first glanced out the window this morning, I thought that this crow-sized bird was, well, a crow. But with a quick second take, I caught the distinctive red crown. Note that these photos show two individual birds.  The woodpecker in the first photo is a male - has a red mustache. The woodpecker in the second photo is a female - has a black mustache.

Of course, the ever-faithful and daily-visiting Northern Cardinal was a bit jealous and insisted that he get into the photo.