For awhile now, birds have been somewhat scarce as is usual up here in winter, and I’ve been thinking that I would just have a few sunset/sunrise pictures and nothing more to post.

Except a few for a few days last week there haven’t even been noticeable sunrises or sunsets, just more or less light coming through the fog and clouds. In looking back through my photos, however, I have found a few bird and moose photos, including a few taken today. Although Downy Woodpeckers are our usual yard woodpeckers, a Hairy Woodpecker visited last week and busily ate peanut butter before disappearing.

Of course, there are the Common Redpolls, with 30-60 being around on and off most days.

To keep the redpolls on the alert a Sharp-shinned Hawk lurked around the yard and on the porch a couple of days.

Down the street two days ago, a mama moose and her yearling made an appearance, nibbling on the neighbors’ trees and bushes and ignoring passing cars and the neighbor across the street.

Today when I drove out west of our house to try to see a few birds for the Great Backyard Bird Count, and to try to find the Northern Hawk Owl that has been seen out toward the airport, I first saw many Common Ravens and at first I thought that was all I was going to see.

But right where previously reported, the Hawk Owl was perched up on a snag almost invisible at times in the rapidly falling snow. It flew to another nearer snag, watched me and preened as I photographed, and stayed until I finally decided I had enough snowy photos.

Soon after that I found a grazing moose, which I again felt obliged to stop and photograph.

It is still snowing, and I gather that a total of a few inches is expected today.