Mother Nature is giving us challenges: hot and cold in the winter!
But the time is right to get out there to see what there is to see.
Thinking of snow and tracking can be difficult. The best time to look for animal or human signs in the snow is: having a frozen layer of snow with 1-2 inches of snow on top. You can find information about what to look for when you see tracks of some of our common animals like, deer, canines, felines, birds (feet & wing tips!), squirrels, rabbits and maybe a track that looks like YOUR foot-(could be a bear!), with guide books from your library, bookstore or on line.
You can even have a game with some family or friends: with fresh snow, someone walks/runs around and makes patterns which tell a story. Then someone has to imagine what happened & try to explain it. The tracks will be from the boots. Someone else with a different boot print can add to the story and complicate it!
Remember wild animals are moving thru the woods looking for food, shelter or a mate. AND they are always on the alert since another animal may be hunting them. It is a dangerous life being in the prey-predator cycle.
Trees are bare now so you can have a closer look at the branches, tips & trunk. If you’re lucky, you might find an old bird’s nest still attached to a branch. Clues to what bird built it, will be: where on the tree, what it is it made of, the size and the shape. An empty nest during the winter could be a home for a mouse! A large ‘nest’ high in a tree could be a hawk’s or a drey-summer home that squirrels make. Keep looking around from top to bottom! You might even see an icicle hanging. A break or bite of a branch can have some sap dripping out, if the weather is a little warm. A nice treat for a bird or squirrel and reminding you-maple sugaring will be coming! Yum
Some branches are nice & straight while others are twisted, as a vine. You’ll see some vines that seem to be just hanging from trees. Those could be grape vines which have small curly tendrils. But another vine you might see that twists hard around a branch or trunk that looks like a strangle hold, may be the invasive bittersweet vine. And yes, it does strangle the tree by cutting off the flow of water & nutrients to areas of the tree. This is one of our invasive species that folks need to watch for on their property and plan on removing.
Exploring your yard or the woods now to sharpen your plant identification is fun too. Look at the old flower heads- any seeds left? Evidence of insects-holes, webs, strange shaped curled leaves? This may be easiest to practice with your known plants in your garden and then your eyes sharpen to look for unusual ‘activity’ around a plant in the woods!
Doesn’t matter what the weather, you just have to dress for it. Be prepared from head to toe, layers of synthetics or wool (best) NO COTTON, comfortable sturdy boots and the usual hats, gloves & scarves. And if you get warm, remove one layer; cool off, add the layer back. Cotton is good for summer BUT not in winter. If a cotton layer gets wet (rain, snow or sweat), it can’t dry fast enough & would freeze on you. Wool & synthetics can get wet but still keep you warm. You want to be aware of how you feel-hot or cold- as winter can bring on hypothermia, a chilling that is dangerous.
A short adventure is just as satisfying as a longer one. Take your time, stop, look and listen. The chickadees should be singing their various songs. Listen for the woodpeckers pecking thru looking for that tasty morsel!
Enjoy your quiet time…
