Here for the Winter

Today is a delightful day. Not only snow falling several hours this morning that has continued into this afternoon which now coincides with what the weather folks are saying, “Snow this afternoon.” But also a diminutive bird that I only see in the winter, and for the most part only at the birdbath, has made himself known. I first caught sight of him preening in the apple tree, after taking a bath, in the snow.

Diminutive, indeed, smaller than a Chickadee. And that “Ruby Crown” is not always visible, though depending on which direction the little bird is looking, I can usually see it. It is only on the male of the species though. They are short distance migrants, moving from far northern North America as well as the western mountains to southern and southwestern United States and Mexico during October and April. Makes a day special when I get to see one.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.