Outdoors

Late winter brings strange weather into this area. This year, January brought much warmer weather than usual, giving everyone spring fever. February thus far has turned out to be colder than average and has brought back-to-back snowstorms with scarcely a break in between.
The only thing that you can be positive about is that it will change. Whatever it is like at the moment, it probably won’t be the same 10 minutes from now or tomorrow. Usually our mornings dawn clear and bright because the skies often clear overnight, however, even that is not a certainty.

We’ve been blessed with spring-like weather during much of the month of January, while the high country has had plenty of snow for the ski resorts. Who could ask for any better weather for all of us? Now I can’t help but wonder if we will have to pay for this fine weather with too much snow in February and March. I hope not.

One of the most interesting winter birds found in our area is the little brown creeper. This delightful little bird is actually a permanent resident that lives in the area year-round.

While they are not abundant, they are regularly found in their preferred habitat above 7,000 feet to timberline. The brown creeper is a rather solitary bird during much of the year. During the nesting season, a pair tends to stay by themselves in their territory, keeping their nest well hidden and not associating much with other birds or man.

Today is a very spring-like day, with high winds and temperatures in the high 40s. It’s not spring, but it is giving me spring fever. This is the kind of day on which my husband Bill used to say, “Let’s drive down to the Rio Grande Valley for a few day so of early spring birding.”