Snowbirds and a Christmas Coyote
The oppressive grey-clad sky which seemed to have been with us forever finally gave way to warmer weather today and some much needed blue sky. I heard snowbirds (dark-eyed juncos) in the pollinator meadow and I was in pursuit of a photo. The same snowbirds which frequent my feeder at home, but these were nowhere near as tame. They were hiding behind branches and keeping a safe distance from anything moving. I concentrated on trying to get a clear shot through the criss-cross of twigs and managed to snag a few photos before the juncos moved on. Disappointed that I hadn't been able to get a clearer shot, I released my attention from the bushes, turned around and noticed what looked like someone's dog standing in the snow-covered meadow. I half expected to see the dog's owner walking a few feet away holding the dog's leash, but there was no one. This was a wild dog and a beautiful one at that. A coyote that appeared to have been hunting for small prey through th...