A rare chance to see birds in snow

With the snow falling this morning, I headed to the Mercer Meadows Pole Farm hoping to get some good shots. These years, we typically get only a few snowfalls, so when the white stuff comes down, I’m extra eager to get out with my camera.

The gate to the Cold Soil Road parking lot was locked when I arrived, so I drove over to the lot along Keefe Road and was welcomed by several dark-eyed juncos as I started my walk. A photo of one of them tops this post.

I enter the park from the Keefe lot only occasionally, and I had to trudge through about four inches of snow. Another inch or so would fall before the storm moved off.

I didn’t see any birds as I passed through a short stretch of woods. Tree branches were bending under the weight of the snow, a pleasing sight.

As I continued, I spotted a song sparrow perched atop some grasses near one of the wooden bridges along the trail. The bird posed for a good minute or so, giving me the clearest shots I’d get. With a heavy overcast sky, it was difficult to see through the viewfinder, and I felt as if I were shooting blind for a good part of my visit.

Farther up the trail, I entered another clearing and watched three female Northern harriers fly overhead. The third came relatively close to the path, and I tried my best to track it and keep it in focus.

I was grateful to get a few fair shots of that last harrier, and it took me a bit to understand that I also managed to capture some of the snowflakes through which it was flying. My first thought was that it was digital noise, as I was shooting at ISO 3200.

From there, I walked back to the car, snapping photos of a few more juncos congregating near the parking lot. Although I saw relatively few species, I considered the trip a success. I hope to get back tomorrow, when the sun is expected to shine. 🦅