Friday, February 28, 2014

Mixed Signals

Today, it's pretty damn cold- currently the mercury is at 11 °F (-11.7 °C) in the City of Y______. Another winter storm is bearing down on the region, with snow accumulation predictions ranging from six to eighteen inches. This afternoon, though, I heard the herald of spring for much of North America, the trill of the red-winged blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus):





It's a serious case of mixed signals- the landscape and the air are stuck in the deep freeze, but the feisty little birds are singing a different tune. I don't expect a thaw anytime next week, and I sure hope the early blackbirds don't suffer from the brutal cold. I'm sure looking forward to seeing their beauty after the snow:





3 comments:

  1. That stupid storm is keeping me from getting back to W.V.

    I never meant to stay in Ohio all of February, btw!
    ~

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  2. Jr has been keen on tracking "prints" this winter...http://instagram.com/p/lA5EulAM-Q/
    ..dad is ready for warm weather

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  3. I saw a woodpecker on the way to work on my bike this morning. Second one I've seen in a week -- definitely starting to feel more springlike.

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