Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Frozen forcast...

The upcoming forecast shows temperatures below 0 for several days in a row. I wonder... how do the wild things survive this brutal weather? How do ducks dabble in the harbor without freezing their feet? How do the tiny Chickadee's at my feeder stay warm and alive during the long, dark winter nights? I looked out the window today and saw a Robin. A Robin! In the middle of January. Then I realized he had a whole flock of friends with him. Where will they find bugs or fruit to eat under the foot of snow outside?

I think there are lessons to be learned from watching nature. The wild birds don't complain or whine about their fate, they just keep on the business of living. And they do it beautifully.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I'm not sure about the other animals in your post, but the Chickadees are the most amazing creatures. During the summer/fall they stash food in over a 1000 different places and know where each storage place is, until spring when their memory starts fresh again for the new season.

As far as how do they keep warm, those small bodies generate an internal temperature of about 104 degrees, couple that with the insulation of thier air filled feathers and a good hole in a tree and they stay pretty toasty when the temps drop.

Daryl said...

Thanks for your comment, Stephen.
I love the Chickadee's... such happy little spirits as they fly, deedling, out of the trees.

Daryl