January should only have about 20 days, not 31. I find it to be my gloomiest month. Its nasty biting winds, cold days, even colder nights, and shorter daylight hours all drop January lower on my most loved list. Even after a few days of diligent birding at month’s onset, I may not add another new species to my annual list for another 30 days. Most ponds are ice covered and if snow covers the ground, after a day or two of thawing and freezing, I can’t even walk quietly in the crunchy snow. It’s hard to sneak up on a bird, fox, or deer in those conditions. But I do venture out. You never know, there just may be a rarity or two pushed south from even more harsh winter conditions to our north.

What I often do now is return to my saved photo folders on my laptop to review some of the things I got to see and photograph in less harsh conditions.

Maybe seeing a few of these nature beauties will “warm you up” a bit and remind you that April isn’t too far away. Well, maybe longer than we want, but let’s think warmer.

Hope you can enjoy them and hurry January along.

Test Your Outdoor Knowledge: What is the largest bird in North America? A. Trumpeter swan; B. Snow goose; C. Wild turkey; D. California condor; E. Canada goose.

Last Week’s Trivia Answer: Sadly, only 45 nesting pairs of barn owls are known in Pennsylvania.

Email Barry Reed at breed71@gmail.com