Snow

Snow today. Just a flurry by New York standards, but a big deal here. Large wet flakes swirled in spirals through the air. A mixed flock of birds at the feeder, which is not far from the tree pictured here last spring with a male cardinal in its branches. Included in the flock was at least one Brown-Headed Nuthatch, a species I'd never seen before moving to Georgia. Here it occurs along with the more familiar nuthatch that has a black head. The brown is a plucky little bird that doesn't let anyone bully him. There was a brilliant male cardinal too, though he seemed more interested in driving off the two female cardinals than he did in eating, or were they immature males--not sure what to make of that. Picture this area colored white and animated by busily feeding birds. Chickadees, yellow finches, a plump house finch that liked to hog the feeder. The cats enjoyed the show and Max, our ancient Pomeranian, enjoyed puttering around in the snow, something he hasn't done in almost three years. The winter weather seemed to give him added energy.