It was snowing off and on for most of Monday and Tuesday and the roads were messy, so I decided to walk around and look for birds in my neighborhood. We have had a total accumulation of “only” about four to six inches (10 to 15 cm), but people in this area are not used to driving in the snow. Another big problem is the refreezing that has been occurring overnight that has created a lot of patches of black ice. It is safer to stay home.
As I was trudging through the snow, I noticed a lot of bird activity at a run-off stream that goes through the neighborhood. At first I thought the birds getting drinks of water, but when I got closer, I was shocked to see that they were actually bathing in the frigid water—many were splashing about as they did so. Most of them looked to be American Robins (Turdus migratorius), but there were also some House Sparrows (Passer domesticus).
I am hoping to venture farther from home in the coming days, but for now I am content to search for subjects that are within walking distance of my home.
© Michael Q. Powell. All rights reserved.
Mike Powell 
Aren’t they brave birds!?😂
Blue Rock Horses Frederick County, Virginia bluerockhorses.com
I guess that for those birds, personal hygiene is high on their list of priorities. Maybe they too grew up with the saying that cleanliness is next to godliness. 🙂
🙂 Probably so! 🙂
Nice Mike! I guess they may not feel the cold!
I have been told that cold showers are good for you, but that has not been my personal experience. 🙂
You must’ve been thrilled to find this bird activity in the midst of frozen ground and freezing conditions, Mike. Thanks for sharing this moment with your words and excellent photo.
I get a chill just looking at them.
Nice shot more close to your home. I hope the conditios will be beter soon to go back to the reserve.
Good work with the Polar Bear Club birds, but be sure you watch your step–black ice is no joking matter.
Thanks, Gary. I am ok with walking and driving with snow, but do my best to avoid ice. Fortunately we have had enough sunshine that the roads are now dry, so it is less of an issue than it was a couple of days ago.
The image is interesting with the snow and ice… like a stylised, pared down look.
Thanks, Chris. Someone else commented to me that all of the bright white in the background made it look like an illustration, rather than a photograph.
What a fun picture! I love watching birds in the snow.
Thanks, Suzanne. A number of readers reacted to my Facebook post by telling me that they have birdbaths that are heated enough to keep them from freezing. The birds apparently enjoy bathing even when it is cold outside. Wow.
I wonder how they keep from freezing! There were a handful of robins eating holly berries from my bushes yesterday. I remember when I was a kid, we never saw robins in winter. Now there are always a few that never leave.
We had a small flock of them in our neighborhood yesterday and I think I may in fact post a few more robin shots tomorrow. How they keep from freezing is a bit of a mystery–I guess those little feathers provide a lot of insulation.