A Very Big Snow.

 2-5-21 SHORT HILLS: The forecast big snow was a very big snow. We measured 16 inches at the table on the patio, but that doesn’t take into consideration that the first levels are compressed by the upper levels so the true amount would be about 18 inches. We were trapped in the house and yard until the driveway was shoveled and plowed two days later. Now we have a narrow pathway to back out of the drive and huge piles. 

It has started to melt, but very slowly. There was an inch of new snow this morning, but it has melted. There doesn’t seem to be major tree damage from the snow.

The feeders have been swarmed, and I have some bird pix to post, some from before the snow. At one point, all the feeders birds vanished. When I looked out the window, there was Peregrine Falcon in the tree above the feeders. He/she moved to the holly tree and I went for the cam, but the falcon was gone by the time I got back. After fifteen minutes or so, the birds were all back. 

By the time February rolls around, I’m done with winter and am ready for spring, especially when the snow is as deep as this. The days are noticeably longer and the sun a little higher is the sky at midday. 

The meterologist is at work, that black thing behind her is Bally the dog rolling in the snow.

Red-bellied woodpecker pecking at the suet.

White-throated sparrow and junco below the feeders.

Song sparrow came to the party.

Val asked how do birds stay warm in winter. Besides calorie loading, they fluff up their feathers to make a down coat. This cardinal looks twice as big as usual.

Three birds easily confused are the Chickadee, seen here and...

The White-breasted nuthatch. This one's eye is in the white part of the face, while the chichadee's eye is in the black cap. The nuthatches also have longer beaks and often hang up-side-down.

The red-breasted nuthatch has the red color and a white stripe on the head.