#579 In the Field: Birds of the North Country, con't . . .

Please see the previous post for more information about this subject.
The focus of this post about North Country birds is the chickadee.
The upcoming series of blogs will spotlight birds who remain in Ontario's frozen
Lake of the Woods region during the long winter.

Trish and I have left the island studio and cabin in Canada for
the season and as winter approaches, my thoughts go there.   Everything will soon be sheathed in glittering snow and ice
and I envision sweeping stretches of frozen lake, a howling
wind, and the cabin buried deep in snow under the big white pines on the north point of the island.









 I remember the chickadees in the dense woods behind
the cabin and hope they see some sunny hours . . .
it is the birds I notice most when the seasons change.


Although many birds migrate or move south
out of the frozen Lake of the Woods region
in Ontario, some, like the chickadee stay
throughout the frigid cold winter.




Below, is a drawing from my sketchbook of the hardy little chickadee.

When blizzard winds blow, the little birds will find refuge and fluff their feathers to preserve body heat.
 In very bitter weather they will dive into a snowbank to get warm . . . the air in the snow makes a warmer cover.
Ice is the culprit: When a bird's wings are ice-laden, it cannot fly or forage for food.



Below, is a watercolor-tinted etching of a Boreal Chickadee.

Below, is a sculpture entitled, "Winter Birds".

Winterbirds
5"H 8"W 6"D


Both Black-capped and Boreal Chickadees can be found in Ontario's Lake of the Woods region.
The Black-capped is more widespread than the Boreal, is more colorful and has a shorter tail than the Boreal.

Below, is an image of an original etching entitled, "Winter Birds".

Go to the BLOG INDEX on the right for more information. 

Blog, text, photos, drawings, and sculpture . . . © Sandy Scott and Trish