Today's photo is a male ruby throated hummingbird fluffing up his feathers while preening to clean and straighten his feathers. He does this to remove dust, debris and parasites and to keep all the feathers pointing in the right direction. This makes him more aerodynamic and makes flying easier.

Sometimes birds fluff up their feathers to keep warm. Fluffing the feathers traps air between the layers of feathers insulating their body from the cold.

This photo been digitally edited for an illustration in a storybook.

There is something about the first snow of the year that brings a little excitement to an otherwise boring fall. It isn't like we are ready for full-blown winter, yet — but blanketing a browning landscape with white is always an uplifting moment for me.

These photos are from my front deck on November 8, 2019.  While the snow on the trees has melted, we still have a light coating on the lawn. The weather forecast promises another inch or two of snow on Monday and Tuesday, which means we may have started the official winter season here in Maine. I don't expect much snow until well into December, but it is possible the snow is here to stay until spring.