dogwood in January

Two varieties of dogwood brighten the edge of the wild wild woods.  Cornus alba 'Ivory Halo' displays dark rich red twigs in the winter.  Cornus sericea 'Cardinal' glows with bright crimson bark, quite brilliant in the sunlight against the snow.  They both provide a fine tangle for the red feathered birds (Cardinals, House Finches, Redpolls) to hide in plain sight.

waterplay 2

40°F is warm for January here.  The Bluejays took advantage of the thaw to bathe (and play) in the water bowl.

trees in January

Maple Acer rubrum buds

The trees sent out new twigs and lengthened their branches last Summer. During Autumn, leaf buds were set on this new growth.
Now, in January, those buds on the deciduous trees in the wild woods are dormant. 

The buds are actually embryos packed into a protective outer scale. Each tree species' buds are a different shape, size, texture, and color.

In Springtime, they will all open to become flowers and leaves.

Larch Larix laracina buds and cone

cold morning comfort

This morning was cold again,

with snow flurries swirling on light breezes.

Two Red-bellied Woodpeckers
Melanerpes carolinus,

one male and one female,

live in the wild woods.
They come to the suet blocks at the

feeder station to load up on fat

and supplement their diet of insects

gleaned from between the crevices of tree bark.

 

Today, the male rested a while

with his head tucked down

among the feathers on his shoulders.

All we could see of his head was

a small red circle.

 

Then, he popped his beak out

and took a look around,

making sure all was safe

for a few more minutes of cozy rest.

 

down underwear

When it gets cold near zero F, birds fluff their feathers out to hold their body heat among the down beneath their larger feathers.  This little Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens was seeking insects along the bark on the Boxelder tree, but paused to rearrange his downy underwear for maximum heat retention.

Common Redpoll

This week, some Common Redpolls joined the guild of mixed species in the wild woods.  Their perky attitude and bright red caps made them stand out among the other finches.  Usually nesting in the arctic tundra and boreal forests, they come south for warmth in winter. 

waterplay

A sunny day today, with temperatures between 24 and 30 F.  The sparrows decided to bathe.  The whole flock took turns, and they seemed to be having fun.

samaras

Instead of snow today, rain and fog.  But the Northern Cardinals looked especially vibrant as they moved around and nibbled on the seeds hanging in the Boxelder Acer negundo tree.  The Boxelder's samara "winged fruit" are an important source of food for birds and mammals because they stay on the tree through winter, when other food resources might be scarce.

snowy woods

Although the 14 inches of snow that fell here on December 8 and 9 made the bird feeders more difficult to get to, the Dark-eyed Junco, Downy Woodpecker, and Red-bellied Woodpecker were able to find their way through to seed, suet, and bugs in tree bark.

snow critter

   near the wild woods today --

FeederWatch

After several inches of snow overnight, the feeder stations are all more difficult for the birds to use with their usual carefree twittering.  The chickadees were the first to start burrowing through the snow shelf covering the seed spouts on each station.  The seed in the tray was totally snow covered.

I put a chunk of suet on the tray but
it soon became covered with snow. 
The intrepid Juncos made little tunnels to reach in and nibble the suet.  They are ground feeders, preferring to walk and kick loose the seeds they can find among grass and leaves.  I also put some fresh seed in a pot turn on its side in the tray, so they could get sunflower seeds there even though the snow is coming down more heavily.




The birds' water bowl is heated just enough to keep it open for them to drink. 

all-season cabana

My backyard "cabana" is an arbor for the hummingbirds in summer.  Now, with a frosting of snow, it is still the perfect place to sit and watch into the wild woods.

warm sun, cold day

The Northern Cardinals Cardinalis cardinalis in the guild this winter gather in the sunny brambles to warm up. These two females were taking turns nibbling at the suet block nearby.

Jays

The jays usually get the peanuts before the nuthatches or squirrels.

running creek

Above freezing, finally, and the creek is running through the wild woods. The birds prefer bathing in it rather than the heated birdbath.

dusk visitor

An opossum Didelphis virginiana came out of the wild woods at dusk to savor the leftover peanuts scattered on the patio.

another big blizzard

In the midst of a blizzard, we noticed a House Finch with a bald spot on his back. He seems to have some wing feathers missing too, although he manages to go back and forth between the tray feeder and shrubs on the edge of the woods.

the winter guild

Although not as social as other birds, the Pileated Woodpeckers do come to the feeders to snatch pieces of suet, usually preferring to savor it on a nearby tree against rough bark to help hold it in place while they lick.

the winter guild

Yesterday six male cardinals took turns splashing in the heated water bowl. Today, two robins enjoyed a short bath. These are two of the six or eight we've been seeing at the edge of the woods.

the winter guild

Among the birds in the wild woods this winter is the Northern Flicker. This one spent quite a while today seeking insects under the tree bark. Since the sun was shining on his tree, he took a break with feathers fluffed up, then demonstrated how far his neck could reach around back . . .