Winter Nature Notes
Winter lies quietly upon the land as December brings the shortest days of the year. Summer songbirds have migrated south and mammals are hibernating or hiding in dens to stay warm. What is there to observe in the Conservancy at this time of year? First, you must walk away from the roads and buildings and listen to the silence that has settled with the snows. Listen for small call notes of winter birds. You may not hear much, since birds do not sing a lot in winter. Look in wooded and brushy areas for finches. Our American Goldfinch has lost his yellow summer feathers and is a dull brownish color now. Look for red-colored finches. You may see House Finches, usually close to feeders near homes. You may also see Purple Finches. Can you tell the difference between these two similar species?
Even if you do not see many birds, you still can observe many animals that you may not have realized are present by looking for tracks in the snow. Birds often leave the outlines of their wings when they take off in flight from the ground. Look for bird wingprints and try to guess what bird left the tracks based on the wingspan size.
You will probably see many mammal tracks. Largely nocturnal, mammals may not be easily seen. But you can see where they have traveled and guess what they have been doing if you learn to identify and follow tracks. You will see the ubiquitous white-tailed deer tracks, the heart shaped hoof prints in the snow. Deer are plentiful in the Conservancy and they feed in winter on shrubs and trees. Another common mammal is the eastern cottontail rabbit. Look for their chiseled gnaw marks on shrubs low to the ground. Gray squirrels are active all winter but may remain in their nests in hollow trees or leaves if the weather is very cold or stormy. Look for their distinctive tracks with all four feet together. Walk toward the creek and look for mink tracks. Mink will sometimes tunnel under snow and dive in water under ice looking for food. One of their favorite winter foods is the muskrat. You may see muskrat tracks along the edges of the marsh. Also, look in the marsh for their conical-shaped houses made up of matted vegetation.
Once you find a set of tracks, follow it and try to figure out what that animal was doing. Was it looking for food? Trying to escape predators? There is so much to see in the conservancy during the winter if you spend time outside looking and listening. Remember to dress warmly - you may stay out longer than you thought!
For more information on reading tracks in the snow, visit a great DNR website for kids.
Updated February 2006
With the exception of the DNR website, all links on this page are owned by Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan, http://www.oit.itd.umich.edu/projects/ADW/ or the Herbarium, Department of Botany: University of Wisconsin - Madison, all information including but not limited to images are property of their respected owners and should not be used with out written permission of the copyright owner.