Temperatures were all over the place this weekend as a lovely spring day gave way to a nasty winter storm (and we shifted over 40 degrees F in just over 24 hours). And the storm glazed everything in ice. This was no doubt a rotten deal for the backyard birds and they displayed all of the typical signs of dealing with a raw cold. For one, they fed like crazy. All our feeders were well depleted when I made the homeward trip. And for another, they were often puffed up, like this Yellow Rumped Warbler, to put some air between their skin and the outside conditions. And for another, they rested between feeding runs in branches or brush piles where the local temperature could be a few degrees warmer. I'm sure most are well equipped to get through the night, but I feel for them. What a crummy night lies ahead!
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