A Winter Mystery

While much of the weekend looked like this, the animals and their humans hunkered down and tried to stay warm for the most part.

Bella stayed in her usual spot.  Even though she has access to three different shelters, she seldom uses them. 

The sheep usually only seek shelter in the very worst of the wind and snow.  Most winter mornings we are greeted by these big, snow and ice covered bumps in the pasture.

The crows are always nearby, hanging out, watching and waiting.  They watch for Bella and Samson to fall asleep after their long night of guarding the farm.  They wait for them to turn their back, if only for a moment, so that they can fly in and steal a nugget or two of dog food. 
And on these frigid mornings, when the whole farm seems to be a frozen, snowglobe, they also wait for their chance to swoop in and pick off big chunks of ice that have frozen on the sheep’s backs.  They quickly fly away with them and head down into the hollow, so that we have never been able to observe what it is that they actually do with them.  Are they after the ice for the water, or perhaps for the hay seeds that may have frozen inside?

joining The View From Right Here for Rurality Blog Hop

A Murder of Crows

After waking up to yesterday’s gothic-like weather of constant rain and fog, it was no surprise to hear a very loud flock of birds causing quite a ruckus.  It sounded like they were down in the hollow, but on the way to the old barn to get a load of hay, here they were.

Hundreds of crows literally covered the hayfield.  Many of them were visiting the puddles in the barn lane for a quick drink.

Holding my breath like Melanie Daniels in ‘The Birds’ (wink), I tried to slowly drive down the lane.  The crows stayed ahead of the ranger, constantly taking off and landing, all the while filling the air with their loud, racous cawing.   Some took to the trees, covering the tops like leaves.

As I got closer to the old barn, the crows flew faster and farther, heading down in the woods towards Wolf Creek.  By the time I backed up to the old barn doors to load hay, only a few remained in the tops of the trees… still scolding me loudly for disturbing their great gathering of crows.

If you haven’t had a chance to see Nature’s ‘A Murder of Crows’, please do so.  It is fascinating.  You will observe crows in a whole new manner.  You can watch it on-line here.