“One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.”  Lewis Carroll

Do you feel a restlessness called cabin fever, from being in a confined area? Wouldn’t it be great to get out and interact with nature on these cold and snowy days?

As I am looking out the window the whirling snow has stopped falling. We all need a time and place to look out the window at the magic a snowy day brings to the landscape. The winter woods are beautiful.

The snow quilts the ground and their around the bowl-shaped snow at the base of the bare bushes I notice a great deal of movement. Hmm, I wonder, what is going on?  My eyes search the winter landscape. What do I see?  Tiny, new baby birds flitting and flying low around a tree and in the near-by bushes. It seems they are having a wild wonderful time whirling and diving in and out.

Although there are many flying from ground to branches and criss-crossing they do not bump into each other. I smile, what are these baby birds thinking? The antics of these fluffy, flying baby birds intrigue and amuse me. I just wanted to capture one!

And then, they were gone. I hope they come back to their playground.  The birds were so active, small and far away I could not tell what species they were.

Birds are cheerful symbols of nesting, and nurturing. They are colorful and free-flying and a comforting embrace of nature. Winter means snow, but not the absence of birds.

I could not believe this. In the silence of the blunt winter sun, in the back yard, out flew two red cardinals. My window is only a few feet away from the lilac bush they landed in.

The cardinal is especially beautiful against the white snow. These birds are colorful members of the finch family. The male is known for its bright red coat, and the female has tinges of red on her fine brownish feathers. They spot a distinctive tuft atop their heads. Cardinals are common in Maine. They are year-round residents who prefer edges of woodlands, bushes and gardens. 

I wondered why the baby birds do not freeze with temperatures so low. I learned that in winter, birds will fluff up their feathers to trap body heat.

Great distractions in the depth of a Maine winter are the many, many events hosted by the Gilsland Farm Maine Audubon Center. Their mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.

To celebrate winter join the society for their 4th annual winter carnival on February 18th and enjoy outdoor and hands-on activities for all ages. Plus, learn how you can become a citizen scientist and help protect wildlife and habitat in Maine.

They will have a scavenger hunt, story walk, snow science station and great snow shelter. You can rent snowshoes and explore the trails at Gilsland Farm and enjoy arts and crafts indoors. There will be music, refreshments and more. It’s free for Maine Audubon members. For registration, please connect with Beth Paul at 781-2330 ext. 273. or by mail at 20 Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth, Maine 04105.

A resource for communities in southern and western Maine, Gilsand Farms environmental center offers hundreds of year round public programs plus day camps, a Maine Audubon Nature Store, a child’s Discovery Room and a Teacher’s Resource Center.

Gilsland Farm Audubon Center/ Maine Audubon is situated along the Presumpscot estuary just five minutes from Portland. The Maine Audubon headquarters features a modern environment center and a 65-acre sanctuary with more than two miles of trails winding along ponds and through woods, meadow, orchard and salt marsh.

Our state is an interesting place to live!