Four Bluebirds

Four bluebirds - two females and two males - made a brief stop at our bird feeders yesterday. That was a first. In mild winters bluebirds do stay around southeastern New Hampshire. Typically I see them in the trees bordering the nearby Mitchell fields along Bald Hill Road. Bluebirds eat mostly insects, with fruit more prominent in their fall and winter diet. The bluebirds that stopped by yesterday were mostly observing, one looked down at the ground, like a robin sensing a worm.

Given the mild winter of 2011-2012, it would not surprise me to find a worm on a warm afternoon. Some days it gets quite cold, but then it warms to 40+ degrees. The woods are bare and a little dull without snow. I began collating my seed order yesterday and measured my garden. It is hard to believe that the outdoor planting time is still three months away.

Snowmobiling and ice fishing are not my thing, but I appreciate that those who depend on these activities are having a tough year. Thin ice and bare trails prevail.

My winter spirits were lifted last evening when I drove home after a meeting, as the wolf moon was rising. I heard no wolves (or coyotes, which would be more likely here) howling, but the moon was a gorgeous light orange color as it emerged on the horizon among slivers of clouds.

Snow, sleet, and rain are in the forecast this week....perhaps a tease that winter will arrive before spring.