It is winter in Vermont. The snow has finally come to the delight of many and to the little kid in all of us. The birds have been in a frenzy, snagging what they can to keep their preserves up during this cold, brutal, season. Our feeders have been very active this winter. To the delight of our fellow birders for the Christmas Bird Count, aside from the usual chickadees and Blue Jays, Common Redpolls, a Brown Creeper, and a Grackle made their appearance at our feeder. The shy, lonely Grackle came by almost daily to feed, and when the first snows came, he seemed to be unsure of this cold, wet stuff that was in the way of his ground feeding.
He would scamper from branch to branch in our lilac bush to get near our feeders. Eventually he braved the snow, just like the rest of them, and we admired his solitary tenacity to our daily feedings.
His blue-black feathers shined in the light and was a nice contrast to the white snow that covered our island. We looked forward to his visits, along with all our other feathered visitors.
This was the last picture I took of the Grackle. The sky was a clear and crisp blue. The picture doesn't give his feathers that nice sheen, but it does make him look like he is part of the shepherd's hook - iron and permanent. Just a few short days later, my wife texts me to let me know that what appeared to be an immature Red-Tailed Hawk had possible killed the Grackle and had carried it off.
This is the picture my wife took through the screened window. We know it is all part of the circle of life and everyone has to eat, but it won't make losing one of our daily feathered visitors any less sad.
We all lose friends and loved ones, sometimes way too soon. We start thinking of ways we could have been more a part of their lives, how we could have been a better friend. Unfortunately it is sometimes too late to be able to do anything when we think these things. We must make that effort to make sure no more time is lost between loved ones from this point on. So write that letter, send that e-mail, pick up a phone, or plan a visit. Cherish those moments you have and treasure them forever.
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