Snowbirds
Snowbirds leap for tiny seeds of broomsedge. Their cold feet leave cuneiform slits and wedges in the soft snow, like crop circles that appear out of nowhere. There is play in their work, tiny swingers of birches. Their antics in a motionless world are reason enough to have hope for spring. Meanwhile, I will try to think kindly of winter. ~ Fragments, 11 Dec 2002
I wrote that two winters ago after watching the scene I describe, and I'm not sure I've seen such avian acrobatics since. This morning in preparing the 'winter' part of my upcoming presentation, I read this part of the script and scrawled in the margins "Watch for Snowbirds out kitchen window. Need this shot." Not half an hour later I glanced outside and there they were, close enough for a fair image and a keeper to include in my talk.
Comments
Don't these things happen all the time, whether we observe them or not, whether we're looking out the window or get distracted by everything else?
Posted by: Tom Montag | January 24, 2005 6:42 AM
Funny how I think of these little juncos only doing this when there is snow on the ground. Maybe it's true that, only when all their preferred foods are buried under snow, they resort to this high-energy leaping for a meal. Or maybe they do this all winter long, and it is only the backdrop of snow that makes their antics so conspicuous.
It is also true that, if I had not happened to observe this the first time several years ago, I probably would have been conceptually blind to the fact it could happen just outside my window yesterday. Experience does lower the threshold of expectation, and improves our vision significantly--if our busy and distracted lives don't blind us.
Posted by: fred1st | January 24, 2005 7:14 AM
This is a beautiful image. Juncos seem to only show up here when it's really cold outside. I think they prefer the highest mountains during normal weather but when it gets painfully cold (to us) they come down to lower altitudes. Sort of a primitive thermometer I suppose.
Posted by: fletch | January 24, 2005 7:22 AM
That is a real keeper Fred. I love to see animals in their habitat--not too close, and not too far away. Great shot!
Posted by: Marie | January 26, 2005 7:09 PM