©Mimi Kessler
November 27, 2022
Surviving the Big Freeze
- as seen by -
Mimi Kessler
During February 2021, record-breaking winter weather brought Oklahoma to a standstill for 10 days.
As ice accretions brought down powerlines, wild birds faced their own energy crisis. Their metabolisms were working overtime, but with the ground covered in thick ice, there was little to forage upon.
Across Tulsa, American robins (Turdus migratorius) gathered into flocks consisting of hundreds of birds. These flocks moved systematically from tree to tree, frantically stripping everything edible. In a 30-minute frenzy, one of these flocks consumed every single fruit on and underneath a holly tree on our street, before moving further in search of sustenance.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This photo was chosen as one of the top submissions for Wild View’s Freeze Frame Assignment. Check out our current assignment, Moments That Make Us Smile.
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