It was cold and windy on Christmas morning, but I nonetheless spent some time trekking about at Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge and captured this shot of a beautiful little Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata). One of my Facebook viewers has posited that the berries the warbler is eating are poison ivy, though I cannot confirm that identification.
In my church, Christmas day marks the beginning of the twelve days of Christmas (many of you may be familiar with the song), so I am continuing to think about Christmas. I am saddened each year when I see Christmas trees confined to the curb the day after Christmas—I am not ready to move on.
Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for a blessed new year.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Like you, I enjoy extending the season through the entire Twelve Days. I usually don’t take my tree down until at least January 1, and sometimes I wait until Epiphany. It’s nice to enjoy the music and decorations, and even the visiting and gift-exchanging, once the chaos of pre-Christmas is over.
I’ve never seen a poison ivy berry, but I’ve read that they’re white, so it’s a possibility for these.