This morning, we woke up in a white world. There was no snowstorm or thick layers of snow that you could immediately build a snowman with, but a thin white layer that covered the sidewalks and streets. In the garden, it even seemed a bit whiter, as if the snow had been given a bit longer to stay there.

Birds Waiting For Food

When it was light enough and I opened the curtains, I immediately noticed how busy it was in the garden. Birds flew back and forth, looking for something to eat. The penny dropped immediately: of course, they could find much less food now that everything was covered in a cold blanket. They were probably already waiting for my familiar routine, their round of food.

But first, it was Skipper time. Our morning walk is sacred, and I make sure we avoid the postman. Skipper has his thing with her electric three-wheel scooter, so I prefer to choose a moment when we don't encounter her. So I went outside early, so Skipper doesn't have to wait too long and we could walk at our leisure.

Skipper Loves The Cold

The world felt fresh and quiet, and Skipper visibly enjoyed it. He loves the cold, his thick fur makes him almost immune to low temperatures. He also absolutely loves snow and it's a joy to see him so happy. I do enjoy that, but I enjoy the cold a lot less. Fortunately, walking does warm you up, but I was still happy when we got back after a long walk, and I could enjoy a cup of HOT CHOC.

Feed The Birds

But before I could get that HOT CHOC, it was time for the birds. Their enthusiasm was noticeable. While I was still busy spreading food, they already landed at the feeding places. It seemed as if they hardly wanted to give me time to lay everything out properly. I quickly grabbed my camera, hoping to take a few nice pictures, but they were suddenly a lot more shy. Posing was not on their to-do list today.

Because my fingers looked more like ice cubes than fingers after a while, and because that HOT CHOC seemed to be calling me, I went inside. From the warmth, I set up my camera again. With some patience and a lot of luck, I was able to take a few pictures. Not perfect, but nice enough to be happy with for today.

I Learned Something New Today

During my photo moment,t I discovered something new: we have goldfinches and common finches in the garden! Now I am not a bird expert, so I had to look up what exactly I saw. When I looked them up on Google I discovered what kind of birds they were. And yes, then I knew. They are both songbirds, from the finch family. Logical, given their name, but they have their characteristics and facts. However, they are more or less the most common songbirds in the Netherlands. And when I read that I felt quite blond that I had not recognized these birds immediately. My excuse is that I never really cared about birds until I bought that Nikon P1000 and bird photography suddenly became more within my capabilities.

By the way, I also learned that I spotted a female goldfinch today, and the common finch was also a female. The male goldfinch stands out because of its beautiful colors. A bright orange chest, a black cap, and a white stripe on its wing. The female is a bit more subtly colored, with a light brown chest. Goldfinches are mainly known for their soft and melancholic song. It is as if they go through life a bit dreamily. They mainly eat seeds, but in the spring they also enjoy young shoots and buds.

The male common finch has a reddish-brown chest, a blue-gray head, and striking white stripes on its wings. The female is less colorful but is just as charming. What I found funny to learn is that common finches have ‘dialects’ in their song. Depending on the region where they live, their call sounds slightly different. They are real seed eaters, but in the spring they switch to insects, which is very useful for feeding their young. Learned something new today!

Burn The Cold Away

After my bird adventure, it was time to continue working on my pyrography piece of Rowan. It is going slowly, but good work takes time. Today I burned a small part of the background, around Rowan's ears. I have only just started, and don't have much to show yet, but every detail brings me a little closer to the result.

After that followed some household chores and an extra walk with Skipper. And now? Now our weekend starts. Time to relax, and who knows... maybe the birds will come to visit again tomorrow.