On a gray winter day, I see green on the bottom of Blagsvedt Run and the flash of a Brook Trout’s crimson fins. A flock of Cedar Waxwings plucks purple berries in a Red Cedar tree. Their black masks, soft brown crests, backs and breasts, yellowish bellies, yellow-tipped tails and red spots like wax on their secondary feathers make this species look like fine art. A cardinal perches nearby, blood red against snow white. A Red-tailed Hawk soars overhead. A Blue Jay mimics him. The sky isn’t gray after all. On looking closely, I see shades of pink and lavender.

A Minnesota winter doesn’t offer the tropical splendor of spring, the magical arrival of baby birds in summer or the mesmerizing scenes of migrating waterfowl in autumn. But the narrow range of winter choices allows time to appreciate each bird, to note shapes, sizes, colors and behavior. Woodpeckers come in many sizes, but their shapes are unmistakable. Goldfinch throats vary from buff to yellow. Juncos appear in various shades, some with pinkish sides. Six times in six minutes, a Tufted Titmouse flies to the feeder, grabs a seed and flies away.

Read the rest of the Nancy's column in our January issue...