… of the river.
Winter has finally come to my small corner of the Concord River.
First snowfall of 2016.
Our first snowfall didn’t bring the right type of snow for a snowdog, or snowman, or even a snowgnome, but it did bring a pristine white covering, topped with rain that quickly froze into a candy coating of ice.
Ice crusted trees, and a couple of hardy Mallards.
Like the biblical loaves of bread, my small flock of about a dozen ducks has increased in number. About thirty arrived ahead of our first snowfall and mixed peacefully with the original stragglers, including Franny, the tail-less hen, and a drake (I guess I’ll call him Stumpy) who lost his foot along the way.
The feeders are busy. I’ve added a few extra suet and tube feeders to accommodate the extra beaks that come for their daily sustenance.
Red-bellied Woodpecker. Yes, it does have a red belly but the red crown is so much more vibrant.
Northern flicker. Bigger than the red-bellied, with a cool red V-shaped neck design.
Down woodpecker. Small but no slouch when it comes to getting at the suet feeders.
I can’t have a post without a picture of a Northern Cardinal.
A few days before the snow flew I received a visit from an unexpected guest–a female Baltimore oriole. She should have been long gone to the South America and I’m sure, since it was a female, she would have stopped and asked for directions if she was lost, so the only reason I can offer for why she was running late is that she missed her wake-up call.
Life pretty much flows along, just like the river. At times smooth, other times choppy as all get out. I’ll leave you with my newest home movie and a wish for a healthy, happy, and blessed 2016. Blessed be :}
White-throated sparrow. A winter favorite.
concordriverlady.com 
Thanks for the glimpse of home. Looks like winter on the Concord is peaceful and the river is behaving itself. Nothing but wild turkeys, vultures, and sand hill cranes wandering around my florida farm. The song birds stubbornly refuse to visit my bird feeder because I have a pair of hawks living nearby and a whole lot of grass..not many bushes to hide in for a tiny bird. Plants provide cover for snakes as well as birds down here in the outback. I keep plantings to a minimum near the doors and a shotgun handy. I miss New England, where the wildlife didn’t want to kill me.
Yes, the wildlife are stupid teenagers driving drunk, as I’m sure you have too. I’m glad my serene corner provides you with pleasure. Blessed be.