The Harbingers Of Snow Arrived In The Early Morning

A husky rolling warble sound
Then a sharp chi-chi-tik chi-tik
I peek from behind twitched curtains
A snow bunting salutes my peek

The background chi-tiks of her peers
Seem to encourage her to bide
So li'l snow bunting holds my gaze
And I open the window wide

She curtsies before entering
My small, unassuming abode
And circles once and with keen eye
A nest of spiders — soon she's found

Promptly she flies, same as she came
Her abruptness colors me dazed
I wave goodbye, searching the sky
No more ivory Queen Anne's lace

Eddies of wind twirl with white dust
Cheeks puff out, and my brows prick up
I watch a ghost-cloud lunge & lift
Soon it'll snow! I start to hiccup.

© 2023 selmamartin.com

Snow Bunting (Yuki-hoojiro)

The Snow Bunting arrives in Hokkaido as a winter bird, and numbers vary considerably
yearly. They’re normally first seen around November and stay until about the end of
March.

During the winter, they move around over a large area and are rarely seen in the same
place two days in a row.

The Snow Bunting’s Japanese name literally means “white cheek,” and they belong to
the “White Cheek” genus (Hoojiro-zoku), but their silhouette is quite different from other members of this genus.

Both the winter and summer plumage is basically white, and its black wingtips stand
out when it flies.

In the *Okhotsk area, large flocks of several hundred to several thousand gather in
some years from mid-to-late March along the banks of Tofutsu Lake before they migrate
to the breeding grounds, and we can hear their calls.

Source: Birds of the Okhotsk region

The Sea of *Okhotsk is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean.
It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east,
the Kuril Islands on the southeast, Japan's island of Hokkaido
on the south, the island of Sakhalin along the west, and a stretch
of eastern Siberian coast along the west and north.

Source: Wikipedia

I’m nowhere near the Sea of Okhotsk, but who’s to say I didn’t hear them outside
my window this morning? I didn’t actually see them; perhaps I only dreamt it, but
I heard their lovely chi-tik call.

And so, I rewrote a poem to include the white-cheeked snow bunting (Yuki-hoojiro) for you. I hope you like my attempt at one more winter warmth poem.

And then tonight, the temperature fell,
and wind gusts hit my area,
And guess what?
We got flurries.
So there, it wasn’t a dream, right?
Right!

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Selma Martin

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This Post Has 31 Comments

Annette Rochelle Aben January 25, 2023 Reply

Thank you for the knowledge and your lovely poetry!
1. Selma Martin January 26, 2023 Reply
  
  The pleasure is all mine. Thank you for reading and tweeting. You are a gem. XoXo
Sadje January 25, 2023 Reply

A beautiful poem Selma
1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
  
  Thanks, Sadje. Stay warm.
  1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
    
    Aaysid, I appreciate you saying. Blessings. Keep warm.
  2. Sadje January 28, 2023 Reply
    
    Thank you Selma. ❤️
Aaysid January 25, 2023 Reply

This is beautiful!❤️
d.a.simpsonwriter January 25, 2023 Reply

Beautiful 💖💫
1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
  
  Aww — thanks, D.A. 💗
  1. d.a.simpsonwriter February 1, 2023 Reply
    
    You are most welcome
rajkkhoja January 25, 2023 Reply

Lovely poem written. I like.
1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
  
  Thanks for saying. ❤️
  1. rajkkhoja January 29, 2023 Reply
    
    Most welcome 🌷
Kym Gordon Moore January 25, 2023 Reply

Beautiful poem Selma. I never heard of the white-cheeked snow bunting (Yuki-hoojiro) before. You taught me something new today my friend. 🦅🦜🐦
1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
  
  So glad I did. Be warm my friend.
  1. Kym Gordon Moore January 30, 2023 Reply
    
    Thanks Selma and you too my dear! Hugs and smooches! 🤗💖😘
Tricia Sankey January 25, 2023 Reply

Gorgeous verses, enjoyed! 💓
1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
  
  Thanks. Tricia. Hope you’re warm.
  1. Tricia Sankey January 29, 2023 Reply
    
    💓
Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet January 25, 2023 Reply

Exquisite poem, Selma! The photo and the information about the birds were delightful!
1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
  
  Glad you found this if value, dear Cheryl. Keep warm. Spring is closer than we know. XoXo
Meelosmom January 25, 2023 Reply

An amazing and beautiful post!
1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
  
  I’m delighted to hear you say so. Thanks so much, Barbara. Keep warm.
Michele Lee January 25, 2023 Reply

You did a fine job describing the scene. Beautiful imagery, Selma!
1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
  
  Michele Lee. Blessings.
memadtwo January 25, 2023 Reply

I love the playfulness of your verse, and as you know I always like to learn about birds! (K)
1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
  
  K, I know you like birds. Yes 💕 glad you enjoyed this. Keep warm.
Conny January 28, 2023 Reply

I love the vivid description that woke up all my senses! Lovely poem, Selma!
1. Selma Martin January 28, 2023 Reply
  
  Woke up your senses. Precious to know this. Blessing you with warmth.
Belladonna January 31, 2023 Reply

Beautiful poem and what an interesting animal.Never heard of it.
1. Selma Martin February 9, 2023 Reply
  
  Yes, cute little things… thanks for reading and commenting, Belladonna. BTW, I just pulled 3 of your comments out of spam. Sorry ’bout that. So glad you visited. bless you.