Wisconsin Snapshots: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

RECORD SNOW! That's what we like to hear! Four major snow-depositing storms in seven days. THAT'S what we're talkin' 'bout - big fluffy mounds of whipped-creamy snow, sparkling and icy cold. The first significant storms of the season are usually of the wetter snow variety, which causes a lot of icing. Then when an Alberta Clipper air flow follows on it's heels, you get PERMANENT ice. For the rest of the winter, from the looks of things!
The ice caused some problems at the bird feeders. Like totally sealing the lids up with ice I couldn't break loose, so this feeder is currently out of commission. I'll have to bring it in and put it in the tub for a day or so, I guess.

As you can see, the east face of the strawbale chickenhouse tells the tale. East wind off the lake meets snow advancing from the west. Which is strongest? Obviously, that lake effect is a serious contender.

The morning after the first storm, the birds let me know bright and early that feeders needed attention. They came right into the covered porch area, where the icy crystals were a little thinner on the mat, leaving their little tracks to let me know SOMEONE was not the early bird...

Our current favorite farm machine. In the spring, the tiller gets preference. As soon as the snow flies, the fickle humans quickly change allegiance and embrace the snowblower. This is a particularly fancy variety, note the hood. The problem with it is, as Brent discovered, if you are working hard you tend to breathe hard, and next thing you know it's all fogged up inside and you have to stick your head out the side to see anyway. If the wind is knocking the chill factor to single digits, you notice the ineffectiveness of the hood very quickly. Frozen nose and eyelashes are no joke! But that blower gets the job done - without it, the car and I would be attatched to the cabin until March or so...

A number of the feeders are nicely placed right by a window, where I can warm my buns at the stove while watching the outside action. This chickadee is one of the less flighty birds, doesn't mind being close to a human - especially if that human keeps the seeds coming in a timely manner.

Another regular visitor - White breasted Nuthatch.

Now even our youngest punk can tell you, this is a DADDY Downey woodpecker. See the red on the back of the head?

Nuthatches have some distinctive habits, like how they navigate trees. Sometimes you can't tell

if they are on top or bottom, just from a picture. This little guy traveled all up and down that limb on the underside. Related to spiders, I think.

Juncos have long been one of my favorite winter birds. We had Oregon juncos on the west coast, with an occasional Slate junco appearing much to the excitement of local birders. Here, we have the Slate juncos as the resident variety. This is the female...

and this is the male. Dark sooty gray on the back, darker head, sometimes almost black.

Today's snow added another 6" to our 6" base. This was a lighter, finer snow, very fluffy to walk through. Squeaky, too! Love it when the snow squeaks!

It snowed all day, letting up just before dusk. So many storms come through during the night, it was wonderful to have the snow coming down when we could actually enjoy watching it!

As you can see, we have a nice amount of snow now. Believe it or not, more is on the way. Expecting about 3" more this Saturday, and another 6" on Monday. Snowmobile time, yeehaw!

The Kettle Range Snowmobile Club have their trails all marked and flagged, they have just been waiting for the white magic. Now we'll have to start watching for the crossings on the roads, you don't want to tangle with one of those machines. The riders are usually pretty responsible, though, and they travel for hours at a time all over the countryside.

Before the snow ended, I had to go out and refill feeders. With the amount of snow we have now, the birds are going to be working the feeders hard. Difficult for them to forage in this stuff.

These feeders are a little further from the cabin, out by the sandbox. Which is totally disguised now, just a slight mound to show where it is under the snow. The birds really like this feeding station, I can count on action there all day long. The wooden suet feeder was made by one of the boys, I think it was Than, at Woodland Dunes during a kid's bird day activity last spring. The tube feeders were getting low....

I filled them up as fast as I could because the customers were anxiously waiting. When they are cold and hungry, they aren't nearly as shy about having me right by them!

There is a technique to getting seeds out of small slots when the feeder is rather small with little room to perch. First you line up with a tasty fat sunflower seed...

then you s - t - r - e - t - c -h way out, keeping a tight hold on that tree...

and grab that seed! Nothin' to it!

One of the lovely sights of winter - brilliant red cardinals and snow. This male is one of about half a dozen which have been hanging out here since the snow arrived.

They are as entertaining as they are decorative - but not as noisy as the Bluejays. That's the female flying off to the right, deftly avoiding a mid-air collision with a junco without even an air traffic controller on duty.