December Snow
First snowfall of December - Ondaora - 12/2/25 Nikon Z8 with Z 24-70 @43mm 1/250 sec, f/8, ISO 500
Pretty much right on cue, the first days of December bring our first snowfall. It’s pretty, it’s chilly, and it’s quiet. You can almost hear the snowflakes land when in a sylvan setting. Bird song is at a minimum, but when they do have a refrain to call out, it travels through the chill making it difficult to exactly locate where that song came from. Carolina wrens will remain here throughout the winter in most instances and while I neither heard nor saw one today, there was a sign that they were here earlier…..much earlier.
Carolina wren nest (maybe?)
This nest left over from the summer breeding season may well be from a Carolina wren pair. This nest is out in the woods and not near any of their favorite nest sites…..flower pots, old car bodies, nest boxes in yards, and so on. The fact that the entrance to this nest appears to be on the left side of the structure is what made me think wren. I’m no expert on bird nests, however, so I wouldn’t bet your house on it. But, whatever bird created this fine nest made it well enough to stand up to the weather and the snowfall which decorated it last night seems fitting for the season.
Mute swans - Doodletown Bight - 12/3/25
Swans are pretty tough and often spend the entire winter here in the Hudson Valley. Recently, they have been hanging out at a nearby pond, but the cold temperature have frozen the surface of the lakes already and when that is the case, the swans move down into the Hudson where the water remains relatively ice-free for much of the season. These two were keeping their bills warm by tucking them into their nice warm down vests and by finding whatever sunshine there was to be had.
Another hearty bird is the Blue jay. We’ve seen many in large flocks heading south throughout the fall, but a good number of them choose to remain right at home. Will this late hanger-on remain here or eventually decide to head for warmer climes. Only the bird knows for sure. As with the swans, this bird found a nice patch of late afternoon sun up in the boughs of a tree. The late day orange glow of the “magic hour” cast a beautiful hue on this bird’s pure white breast in contrast to the azure flight feathers. Mother nature is quite the artist with her palette of multiple colors which she may choose to change at any moment.
