The days are getting longer and the sun a little stronger. Here in Western New York, at the moment, we have snow on the ground. The past few days have been snowy and cold. This winter the temps have oscillated broadly and we actually had a green Christmas. March is ahead and usually we get a nice Nor’easter to start…ides of March…and end relatively calm with days warmer and warmer.
We have Northern Cardinals year round, but I think of them as Winter birds. For me, it’s because they come closer to the feeders near the house which are out of the wind. Over coffee I can observe as they huddle out of the wind and snow. On a clear day, after a snow, they are so brilliant with the crimson against the white or icy blue depending on the time of day. When the weather warms they retreat to the edge of the property with the males singing to claim territory and I don’t get to see them up close.
This piece was done on various segements of a Minnesota map dyed with watercolor. Nothing says “Winter’s Bird” like Minnesota. I’ve been to Minnesota (Apple Valley) years ago, but not this area. I chose Montevideo to be part of the title because of it’s placement in the piece. It’s west of Minneapolis, but closer to the border with South Dakota. It’s where the Chippewa and Minnesota Rivers converge. Montevideo is also the county seat of Chippewa County and has a population of 5,102…Salute!!
