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With the cold this week they seemed to be in a feeding frenzy.

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There had to have been over a thousand waxwings in the campground which would alternate between feeding in the mountain ash and soaking up the sun in the spruce branches.

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The hundreds of mountain ash trees in the Grand Marais campground were heavy with berries this year. For over two weeks the bohemian and cedar waxwings have been feeding heavily on the mountain ash.

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It is easy to see where they get their name. The wings look just like they have been dipped in red wax.

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Chickadee

I always wonder how the birds can survive at -20 but as long as they can get food they seem to be content. This little chickadee just puffed up its feathers and didn’t seem to mind the cold at all.

Chickadee

Sea Smoke

Cold temperature has the same effect on the warmer waters of Lake Superior. Sea smoke rose from the lake two mornings in a row creating a blanket of thick clouds.

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Vaporized Hot Water

Winter finally arrived in Minnesota. We have experienced below zero temperatures for most of the week. On Thursday morning our thermometer read -20. At -20 degrees hot water will vaporize in less than a second. As soon as I threw this cup of boiling water into the air a gust of wind came up. It sent the water back into my face and made me cringe but the water was already vaporized and cool.

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Window Frost

Below zero temperatures can create other photo opportunities like the frost that formed on the windows of our woodshop. I am always impressed with the beauty of window frost and how it looks like an enchanted forest.

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