April in January

Last Tuesday my neighborhood was covered in a fresh coating of snow—the most snow we’ve had all season:

Today it’s raining steadily and 20 degrees warmer and the backyard a confused mishmash of spring and winter. Even some of the grass is bright green:

Usually in winter the birds are fairly quiet, but this morning I have my little window speaker on, and there’s a goldfinch sitting in the bush by my window singing his fool head off like it’s April, not January. He’s been chattering away for almost 10 minutes now.

Among the pitter-patter of raindrops I also hear a White-breasted Nuthatch and some trilling juncos.