Winter's Blanket

For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere, winter is just another season we look forward to and are prepared to greet.  However, if you live in Minnesota, this year's snow is starting to pile up and beginning to stress the wildlife who must fend for themselves if they want to survive winter's brutal grip.

I live in the Minnesota's farm country, where snow covered fields, once lush with corn, wheat, or soybeans provide food and nourishment for creatures such as deer, raccoons, pheasants, wild turkeys, and a host of others.   As this winter marches on, these poor animals are having a hard time finding the food that is so necessary for their survival.  This need for survival is driving them to seek food from other resources.  I have seen this first hand as one cold morning I noticed a pheasant under our bird feeders in the front yard.   It isn't that unusual to see a pheasant or two throughout the winter, however when 1 or 2 turned into 5, then 7, then 13, then 17, and finally today 22, I knew we had become a haven for them.  From the first time I saw just the one appear in our yard, I began putting out cracked corn for them every couple of days.  I guess word spread among the flock quickly, and now we enjoy a host of Ring-Necked Pheasants.

I'm amused as I watch these feathery friends scurry from one protective pine tree to the next.  With heads held high and eyes surveying the landscape, they run, cautiously pausing, then dart to their destination.  It's a scene I have watched for weeks now and never tire of it reruns.  I hope winter surprises you with unexpected visitors and keep feeding those birds!