Creatures in the Cold: A Photo Essay

Finch in search of food in the snow and gravel. From the photographer: “I was out walking at Laurel Run Park, near Rogersville, Tennessee, and as I finished my second-mile lap, I sat on a bench in hopes of seeing some birds. After a couple of minutes, this finch swooped down. As the snow started to fall, and the little finch bounced around, I slowly raised my camera and captured this shot.”

Black bear in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From the photographer: “It was a cold December morning when a friend and I discovered this black bear resting near a high bank above a small stream. The bear had spent the night at the edge of a field guarding the remains of a deceased whitetail deer. A clear, star-filled night allowed the cold to settle in, leaving the bear covered with frost. The formation of the frost on the bear’s coat shows how well the hollow hairs of a bear’s outer fur prevent the loss of body heat.”

Gray wolf at Bays Mountain Park, Kingsport, Tennessee. From the photographer: “On a generally once-or-twice-a-year snowy day, I head to Bays Mountain Park to take pictures of the snow and animals enjoying it. You can’t get much better than a black gray wolf against white snow, peering at you from behind a tree.”

Bobcat at Bays Mountain Park, Kingsport, Tennessee. From the photographer: “Kirby came out for a short while to inspect this white stuff on the ground and was apparently startled to see anyone else out in this weather.”

A pair of red foxes patrol their territory on a frigid morning in Waynesboro, Virginia.

Bald eagle in southwest Virginia. From the photographer: “Braving the near single-digit temperatures after a heavy snow, we ventured out in hopes of spotting bald eagles. We were excited to find this beautiful bird sitting in a snow-laced tree along the partially frozen Clinch River. I had to let my camera acclimate to the freezing temperatures before I could capture this moment.”

Deer in the cold, Bland County, Virginia. From the photographer: “Coming back from chores on our farm, I was going up our driveway and spotted these deer in the woods alongside our drive.”