Cold in the Shenandoah Valley ... frozen bird bath

I knew it was cold outside today ... the mid-day temperature is a chilly 34 degrees and it has been overcast and dreary-looking all day ... but I didn't realize just how cold it was until my eyes wandered out the window to the bird bath located on the back deck. It's heated but we had not plugged it in yet for this season.

There, sitting on the edge of the bird bath, was a junco who leaned down and pecked at the frozen surface. As he was trying to figure out how to get to the water, a titmouse flew in and landed on the edge, leaned over for a few pecks, then jumped onto the icy surface and went skidding.

I laughed out loud, and then several other small birds joined them, trying to figure out why that water they could see would not make itself available to their parched beaks. One little finch jumped onto the surface and his feet began sliding sideways, spreading further and further apart, until he finally flapped his wings and flew off. It was hilarious and reminded me of Woodstock from the "Peanuts" comic strip ice skating on Snoopy's frozen water bowl.

It's the first time this season the weather has sustained cold temperatures long enough to freeze the birds out of the bird bath. It's now plugged in, new water has replaced the ice, and the birds have been splashing and enjoying.

The variety of wild birds are an enjoyment and have been for years ever since we first hung bird feeders outside the farm house windows of our home school classroom when the kids were little. We still feed and water them, a small price for the hours of enjoyment they have provided over the years.

Winter is right around the corner in the Shenandoah Valley....