DID YOU KNOW ??

Sometimes I am so amazed by what I am seeing that I am transfixed. Running to get a camera didn't enter my mind. I am so sorry, I wish I were better trained. I kept thinking in the back of my mind that surely I could find a representation of what I was seeing on the Internet. Everything is on the Internet. Evidently, not this.

I have told friends and family familiar with snow events what I saw and they have all said they have never seen it. I am hoping you all have and it is common for then I didn't miss recording a rare evolutionary event.

We recently had a rather deep snow, 9 to 10 inches that was powder fine on first fall. It was a dry snow that would have made a skier gleeful. As you probably know, I spend our few snow days a year with my nose smushed against the window glass enjoying the view, especially the actual act of the snow falling. Something I have yet to tire of.

I had my bird feeders full and the over 200 birds were buzzing. Then I noticed some birds that had landed on the snow away from the feeders. They sank, almost out of sight. I was stunned. Who know birds sank in snow? Those tiny almost weightless creatures were not supported at all by the snow. It seemed to suck them in.

I was getting ready to put my fish net to work as I prepared to go out and scoop those little darlings out of the snow before they froze. Fortunately, I then saw them hop out of the holes and fly off.

What I saw next is what I wished I had recorded. Some of the birds had devised a plan for landing on the fresh snow. They pulled their wings over their heads looking for all the world like Count Dracula with his cape. This arched cape of feathers, with tips pointing down and resting on the snow, keeps the birds on the surface. They could then peck at the snow and waddle a bit before flying off.

The only thing I could find on the Net was this picture of the angel image the birds leave in the snow with their Dracula stance. This is reportedly the image caused by a Blue Jay. My little sparrows, wrens and finches didn't leave a discernible image.

Now after the snow settled, the birds were able to scamper across the surface with out sinking. The same thing happened with Mighty Dog, without the cape effect of course.

His first forays were unhappy ones for he sank to where his little butt hole was below snow level. Completely stymied, he was unable to relieve himself. We were faced with either a painful bladder, constipation or breaking house training rules. None of those were acceptable.

I was able to shovel him a path to the carport where he set up his toilet. Aahhh. By the second day, he could partially navigate the snow. He could take a dozen steps across the surface before one leg would sink in a soft spot leaving him seriously tilted and with a startled expression. He wasn't happy but functional.

His little brown dropping stood out starkly on the white snow till its warmth caused the snow to melt and swallow them from sight. Day three, the snow had hardened enough that Mighty could now run across the surface of the snow with no problems. He was rather cocky about it. The birds no longer even left tiny claw marks.

The snow was relatively short lived. The end of day four almost saw it vanish. We have 60's in our future forecast so unless we get another storm, my chance to capture that bird phenomenon is slim. Has anyone else seen this?