20 December 2025
After Sunday’s 6″ of snow, the snow melted midweek (Wednesday’s high up to 60°F), a windy cold front arrived on Friday, and this morning it was 15°F at dawn. In the meantime I found reflections, animal tracks, and an unusual song sparrow.
Reflections: My own reflection in a Christmas ornament, plus the first hint of Thursday’s spectacular sunrise in a reflection outside my window.
Here’s the sunrise that made that reflection.
Tracks in the Snow, 17 December: What are these tracks below the bird feeders at Frick Park? Every set is an arc of four splats (two paws per splat), and the animal seems to wander.
“Splats” and “wander” are good clues. Virginia opossum! See an illiustration and description at Opossum Tracks at Illinois DNR.
A closer look at the opossum tracks at Frick, 17 Dec 2025 (photos by Kate St. John)
A Collared Nape: [“Nape” is the back of the bird’s neck.]
On Tuesday I encountered a song sparrow who was not afraid to get close so I decided to photograph him with my cellphone. That’s when I realized his white collar is not snow stuck to feathers. It is actually leucistic feathers on his nape. Here he is from different angles.
