Tuesday, February 16th

This morning's icy weather ...

I took these pictures quite early (roughly 7:30 a.m.) as I tended to the birdfeeders - dumping out the snow that had fallen overnight, adding extra mealworms and scattered mixed seed. Above is the bank of trees on the east side of our property ... I love watching the sun rise behind these evergreens, and look how pale and frosty everything looks!

I know you can barely see it, but at the very top of the tree beyond the roof is a cardinal. He was singing his dear little heart out this morning! Oddly enough, despite all the snow and ice around me, the temperatures were on the rise and there was a feeling of Spring off in the distance ...

And yet ...

Everything was glazed with ice!

Happily, the mealworms we put out yesterday seem to be a hit with the bluebirds! Below is one on top of the table (where I scattered some mixed seed and "bluebird nuggets") and in the foreground are two lovely goldfinches.

This is also attracting the blue jays! And squirrels and juncos, too ...

And here's my dear little red squirrel, scavenging beneath the rhododendron.

Now, crazily enough, we are in for a very rainy afternoon ... heavy rain is on the way as well as temps in the 50s! It won't wash away all the snow, but will leave behind some black ice tonight and tomorrow morning so I hope everyone is safe on the roads.