Early inspection..

.....this was taken between the last two snowstorms and as you can see there were still some small patches of snow even after a day of rain in between. We had a very brief interlude of sun during which I managed to get a few shots of some bluebird couples investigating nesting prospects in the boxes.

Today the temperature is in the teens and this meadow lies beneath about 6 inches of snow.

I doubt very much that these bluebirds are migrant arrivals because for the last 6 or 8 years we have had small flocks winter over on the homestead. They come into the feeders for mealworms and suet offerings and the winter sumac berries seem to be one of their favorite foraging grounds.

 

(Note) Just for clarification the berries in this photo are not sumac berries they are rose hips from wild multi-flora roses. Although they do provide forage for multiple small mammals and bird species, and the summer pollinators love them, they are an extremely aggressive, invasive species. And I have spent hours trying to route them off banks, hedge rows and out of the elderberry patch.

Done