Kurt Plinke, Artist and Naturalist

It's been a while since I've entered on this blog.  Today, we're all stuck inside and my workshop, set for today, has been rescheduled, so I guess I have a little time.  We are really getting snow here at the studio, and across the Eastern Shore. We are expecting at least fifteen inches of snow today, and the winds are supposed to kick up to near blizzard conditions later in the afternoon.

These kinds of snows, ones that come up the coast from the south, are the real snow-droppers in our area.   Nor'easters, they are called, and when they slow down over our area, we can really get dumped on.  It looks like this is going to be one of those days.

I always think about small birds on days like today.  All of their food sources are buried deep beneath a thick layer of snow.  I've already gone out once to fill the feeders in my backyard, and a huge number of birds are using the feeders, despite the wind and snow. So far, I've mainly been bringing in White-throated Sparrows, Juncos, Song Sparrows, House Finches, Cardinals, Chickadees, Titmice, Red-Bellied Woodpeckers and Blue Jays.  I expect an influx of doves and blackbirds as the day goes on.  A Cooper's Hawk has been scoping out the feeders, too.  I imagine that by tomorrow, there will be poofs of feathers under the trees near the feeders.  I guess that Coops have gotta eat, too.

With any luck I'll settle in, stay warm, watch the feeders and paint for the next few days.

A chickadee at one of my window feeders.