Tree Sparrow, a winter visitor from up north.  We used to see many-now see few, part of the world wide decline in song birds.

 River skating with the granddaughter.  ( I walked).

 The local streams are beginning to ice up.

 

 Trumpeter Swans, Whitewater Valley.  Still a lot of open water due to Mild temps.

 

 

 Beaver Lodge and cuttings, Root River.

 

Snowy Owl.  Snowy Owls are Owls of the Artic Tundra, but in a few rare years some wander south into S.E. Minnesota.  During the winters of 2012-2015/16 we saw quite a few-we have not seen one since. 
 

 Screech Owl.  Owls are interesting creatures.  We found this little(8 inch tall) Screech Owl in our old barn a few years ago.  They make more of a horse neighing call than a screech.

 Great Horned Owl.  For several weeks we had a Barred Owl hunting at our place.  Crows love to mob and harass owls.  Yesterday the crows found a Great Horned Owl just south of our house.  I did not get a photo of that one, but this is a photo of an exceptionally light colored Great Horned that I took several years ago.  Most Great Horned Owls are very brownish.  The one pictured her is probably a lighte phased Great Horned that drifted down from much farther north.

 White Pine ridge along the S. Branch of the Root River in Forestville Park on a warm December (52 degrees) day. 

 White Shooting Star.

 Male and female Purple Finches at our feeder.

 

 Found this Barred Owl in Forestville late yesterday.

 We have had Rime Ice/Frost on our prairie plants the last two mornings.

 Barred Owl (photo by A. McCaslin).  We have a Barred Owl hunting and vocalizing very close to the house each night for the past few weeks.  Probably hunting mice under our bird feeders.