By Sunday morning, February 16, in the South Taconic Mountains at 1,700-foot elevation, roughly four inches of powder snow accumulated on ground already covered with an intact snow blanket. Every branch, twig, and evergreen leaf sported a white brushstroke before snow changed to freezing rain.
Red-bellied woodpeckers (they really do have a red belly) are rather recent winter visitors at the little feeder that I have stocked seasonally for many years. The wire basket that holds a store-bought suet cake is suspended from a second storey eave of a cabin nestled in an eastern hemlock, beech, and maple forest on the South Taconic Plateau.
An avian community gathering place, hairy woodpeckers, about the same size as the red-bellied, join smaller downy woodpeckers, tufted titmice, juncos, chickadees, and nuthatches taking turns at the suet, fruit, and seed cake for a nourishing snack. The birds perch in the hemlock tree to the left of the feeder—see extended branch in the windowpane—until a spot opens up. A few birds manage to feed at the same time.
Arching grey birch will spring back to their familiar erect posture. The background of ice-coated trees will sparkle on sunny days.
Yellow birch might go by the name “golden birch.” Notice the delicate scattering of hemlock tips on the snow, pruned off their twigs by strong winds. In the foreground, tan-colored beech leaves still attached to their stems, as is their habit.
Mount Washington State Forest, East Street, Mount Washington, is welcoming public land for hiking in all seasons. When weather conditions allow, cross-country skiing and ice-skating.
Delight in the moonset in the west on upcoming early mornings: pictured here, the gibbous moon going down in mountainous terrain on February 18, 7:15 a.m.
Sunrise trees blazing, February 18, 7:20 a.m.
