While cross country skiing in Clearly Lake Park south of Burnville in Dakota Co near dusk around 5:15 p.m., I came to the top of hill and notice a bird fly from the trail. I pulled around my binocs in time to see a cardinal come back and sit down on the trail, on very hard packed snow. It was not foraging or standing. It just sat down only to fly away (again) when I started skiing again. At -10 F, this struck me as very odd behavior. I would expect a bird to perch in a tree in the most sheltered area it could find. I know some birds, like grouse? may roost in loose fluffy snow but sittng down of hard packed in subzero temperatures just doesn't make sense.
If anybody has some insight, please let me know.
