The snow is deeper than my knee-high boots.  It is warm, on the verge of rain.  Snow continues to fall; wet, heavy snowflakes inches across.   Thankfully there is no wind.  For the third time I shovel off my young evergreen tree that is pinned to the ground and the walk to the house.  This is not a day to stroll in the woods as the boughs are covered in heavy wet snow.  Bucket size plops slide off the evergreens, leaving craters as they hit the ground.  Everything is outlined with a thick layer of sparkling blue snow.

The squirrels are tunneling to get to the birdseed underneath the feeders.  They pop their heads out like prairie dogs along the way.  I haven’t seen the birds; it’s probably too wet.  They will come when the snow stops.  We know what is coming next; cold always follows the snow.

Copyright kittycooks, December 25, 2009.  34 degrees. 

Balmy dampness hangs in the air, hinting of the storm coming up from the gulf.  With a mix of school age excitement and grown up concerns we await the predicted 20 inches of snow.

We've had notice for two days.  The pantry is stocked, the bird feeders are full, and the command was given: pick up your yard toys or they will be buried till spring.  The snow is coming.  Now we wait. 

The deer are hunkered down next to fallen trees in the ravine behind my house.  They know.  So do the birds, who have been feeding all day.  The evening sky is strangely pink, reflecting the lights of the city in the low clouds above.  I am ready to retire; when I arise the snow will be here.
Copyright kittycooks, December 23, 2009  25 degrees.

There it was, in the silver maple right across the street.  A bald eagle surveyed my street for over an hour.  I am miles from the Mississippi and a 15-minute drive from the nearest lake.  While it is not unusual to see eagles flying over, it was a thrill to have one visit so close.
I have visited the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN to observe the eagles.  Many spend the winter there, fishing and hunting ducks in the ice-free spots on the Mississippi.  It is quite humbling to see dozens of eagles working so hard to find food on a winter’s day; they often miss their target.
The recovery story of our national bird is inspiring. Bald eagles were on the verge of extinction and became classified as endangered in 1967.  DDT was banned in 1972 after Rachel Carson published Silent Spring and raised public awareness to the dangers of this pesticide.  Her book highlighted the fatal thinning of raptor eggshells and spiraling reproductive decline from ingesting DDT through the food chain.  Lead shot was banned in 1991 reducing another leading cause of death; lead poisoning occurred when bald eagles consumed unrecovered hunted waterfowl.  In 2005 the classification was reduced to threatened and in 2007 the bald eagle was removed from the endangered list.  Today, eagles remain fully protected under the migratory bird treaty act regulating hunting, collecting of feathers, or disruption of nesting.  In 1950 there were only 415 nesting pairs; currently scientists estimate 9789 nesting pairs in the United States. 
Bald eagles reach maturity around 5 years, at which time both male and female will display the characteristic white head feathers.  They pair up monogamously for life of their partner and can live up to 30 years in the wild. 
Eagles symbolize strength, courage, fertility, and creation in cultures around the world.  May the great thunderbird forgive us and recover from the harm we have done.
Learn more about eagles here.

copyright Kittycooks 2009

The birds are flocking to my feeders due to the snowstorm blowing in tonight.  Did you know birds can feel atmospheric pressure change in their bones hours before the storm?  This persuades them to fill up on food before the snow begins.   They will hunker down in the evergreens and thickets as the storm blows through.  Remember to fill your feeder with fresh seed and brush away the snow after the storm to help our little friends.  
The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count occurred on December 12, 2009, in the Minneapolis area.  But if you are a casual birder, home schooler, or classroom, there is still plenty of time to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count scheduled for February 12 - 14th, 2010. You can participate in as little as 15 minutes one or more of the days, fill out your report, submit it online, and help scientists throughout North America track migration patterns and activity of birds.  Check out their web page here:  Great Backyard Bird Count
Enjoy your day!
Copyright kittycooks, December 13, 2009  11 degrees with 0 windchill.