Raptor's snow dive

You might look at this picture and wonder …. “OK  McDougall – what gives?”    Don’t worry, I wondered the same thing.    Only I said:  ”OK  Murray – what gives?”.     Well, under the heading of  HOW VERY COOL:   Murray tells me this is a plunge hole in the snow made by a raptor.    The winged warrier was looking for lunch - most likely a rodent done-rare.    The wing marks are small, so Murray surmises a Saw-Whet Owl  on the hunt.    Great Grey Owls have been known to catch their prey under 10 inches or more of hard snow.    I repeat – how very cool.

And while you are looking at this next picture below .. think about what kind of seed to feed the need … of the Chickadee that is.

Chilly Chickadee

Our local bander of birds wants to remind us that hardy chickadees like chopped/unsalted peanuts.    If you look closely, you can see the tiniest of icicles forming on this beak.    No wonder – poor thing!    The temperature was ”minus ridiculous” when he stopped by for a snack.    Oh, and one more thing — feeders close to kitchen windows make for great viewing.

DID YOU KNOW?    Chickadees drop their body temperature at night by 10 to 12°C below daytime body temperature, to conserve energy.

‘YOUR’ FRESH AIR PHOTO DOES NOT HAVE TO BE FROM THIS WINTER … IT COULD BE FROM LAST SUMMER – OR YOUR CARIBBEAN CRUISE.    UPLOAD YOUR PIC TODAY!