Wintertime and the holidays are upon us, and I wanted to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season, full of family, friends, and good spirits. At this time of year, all of our “gaudily-colored” birds have flown south for the winter, just like all the flowers in my garden have gone to seed. However, that doesn’t mean that all of the beauty of nature is dormant–far from it. Beauty now is more delicate and requires a more contemplative eye to discover it.

Instead of the brilliantly colored warblers, we have what may at first seem like drab brown sparrows. But if you look more closely, even the drabest birds have delicate coloring in lovely shades of black, brown, cream, and even a touch of rust. And I defy anyone to call a Blue-headed Vireo anything but beautiful with it’s steel-blue head, white spectacles, greenish-yellow sides, olive back, and creamy white breast.

Even the common House Wren has it’s own elegance and understanted beauty in it’s soft gray-browns with it’s delicately patterned tail and wings.

Like the woods, swamp, garden, and fields the birds inhabit this time of year, the beauty is still there if you look–it is just more subdued. I actually prefer to go bird watching and walking in the winter as there are no bugs or venomous snakes with which to contend and the cooler temperatures are simply more pleasant for outdoors activities. Even the dogs prefer it and make their delight in the cold more than obvious with their ecstatic romping and energy.

And we do get a few warblers who prefer to stick around despite the challenges of cold weather, such as our dapper Black-and-white Warbler and lovely Palm Warbler. The colors of the Palm Warbler are softer in the winter, but the bird still has its patch of yellow beneath the tail and its jaunty, rusty cap.

So slow down and take the time to look around and enjoy the season. Go outside. It may be the contemplative break you need from all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.

Sometimes, you have to take a step outside to enjoy what life has to offer in all of her glorious seasons.

Happy holidays!