Midwinter Reflection
Jan. 12th, 2022 03:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
denebalgedi777It is a sunny and unseasonably warm day in January as I write this. Since yesterday a front moved in, and since then, the weather is more akin to early spring than the middle of winter. The world seemed to know it too, as the entire landscape came alive with bird song and a burst of activity not seen since the warmer months. However, this being the upper Midwest, it would be foolish to assume such a condition will last for the rest of the winter. The next major cold front is only just over the horizon, and that's one assertion I will take to the bank.
However as we go into mid-January it's a perfect time for another installment of nature observations. Since starting this project I came to realize that doing weekly updates on local wildlife and conditions will greatly aid the understanding of seasonal dynamics and variations. No 2 years are alike, and in any given year part of the entertainment of natural observation is how that year represents a season in a different and totally unique permutation of events. This is even more true for my local area than many parts of the world, for we are inhabitants of one of the most changeable climates in the world. The upper Midwest in general and Minnesota and North Dakota in particular are known for extreme variability both from one season to the next and within seasons as well.
The word changeable describes the new year of 2022 quite well. The majority of the days since the New years have been frigid, however the streak was broken in the last two days by an unseasonable warm front. Locally I observed a high of 36° F yesterday and a glance at the thermometer outside shows that it is even higher today. This is a classic January thaw, and it is a more vibrant one than they actually predicted. It is premature to assume that this will herald an early spring. Another polar front is already brewing and the end of January is expected to be colder than the norm. When the whole thing is finished, I expect that the month of January will live up to its reputation around these parts for harsh conditions. Still, it is nothing like the static chill and blizzards of Januaries past like in 2019 and 2014.
Activity at the feeders picked up during the frigid days. Dozens of finches came in during that time. This also included the first sightings of redpolls for the year. During very cold fronts I have sometimes expected to see pine siskins or perhaps even a visiting northern shrike from more northerly climes. So far we have not had any of those visitors yet. On a brief trip before the new year I did see what appeared to be a flock of snow buntings northwest of the twin cities. Generally these far northern visitors are signs of a more severe winter, but so far there have only been intermittent visitors. It is a far cry from some other years when we had pine siskins staying for the entire winter owing to prolonged boreal conditions. For the most part, the wildlife has been the same as before-- The only major change is a lone male turkey has come to the feeder the past few days, while the previous visitors were a large congregation of females.
Yesterday it was nice outside, particularly after a long spell of extreme cold, and since I had an errand to run anyway, I went over to a nearby town to a city park that overlooks the river. The river appears to be largely frozen north of town, but south of the town there were large sections that were still open. In the open patches, a great number of swans were swimming around. They were occasionally sparring as well, and perhaps this aggression is a hint of the coming breeding season. Also, sitting out on the thin ice in between bouts of hunting, were at least half a dozen eagles. The afternoon air filled with the musical calls of the swans and of the eagles in flight. They were joined by more humble company, the many chickadees, nuthatches, and they always boisterous red-bellied woodpeckers, enjoying a very hospitable afternoon in the oak groves at the top of the bluff. As idyllic as this picture was, it was only a promise of the springtime to come, as we are only just entering the middle of winter in meteorological terms.
Other sightings of note included three eagles in the neighborhood adjacent to mine, and a red fox on a local trail situated in a restored prairie nearby. The former are always identifiable by their distinctive calls. We were alerted to the presence of the latter however by an unfamiliar series of barks and whines. For a number of minutes we were completely ignorant of the source, and confused as to who could be making such calls. It was only after we rounded the corner and saw the red fox out in the open that we realized. But as soon as it knew it had been observed, the wily creature disappeared into the high grass and was not seen again. It was probably stalking prey perhaps along with its family, as there are many rodents to hunt in tunnels through the snow out in the grasslands just now. Restored prairies are oftentimes home to Marsh Hawks and short eared owls but so far I've not seen any there.
The last two winters have been described as Dark Winters in political circles. But what they seem to have been, at least from the perspective of the natural world, is fairly ordinary. As I grow older, the incessant cold of the winters at this latitude sometimes seems monotonous. But even the bitter season is part of the pageant. There is always something worth seeing at this time of year. Yesterday, the bright sunshine from a sun still low in the sky, or the waxing gibbous moon rising in a bluebird sky were worth the price of admission. It has been clouding up at dusk pretty reliably, and the sun downs have been spectacular. Winter sunsets in the North country are wondrous to behold, like a fire blazing itself down into embers. As long as I am here to witness these things, I will continue to report on them. Half a winter remains, the rest before the rebirth of spring. We'll see what the remainder of the season brings.
However as we go into mid-January it's a perfect time for another installment of nature observations. Since starting this project I came to realize that doing weekly updates on local wildlife and conditions will greatly aid the understanding of seasonal dynamics and variations. No 2 years are alike, and in any given year part of the entertainment of natural observation is how that year represents a season in a different and totally unique permutation of events. This is even more true for my local area than many parts of the world, for we are inhabitants of one of the most changeable climates in the world. The upper Midwest in general and Minnesota and North Dakota in particular are known for extreme variability both from one season to the next and within seasons as well.
The word changeable describes the new year of 2022 quite well. The majority of the days since the New years have been frigid, however the streak was broken in the last two days by an unseasonable warm front. Locally I observed a high of 36° F yesterday and a glance at the thermometer outside shows that it is even higher today. This is a classic January thaw, and it is a more vibrant one than they actually predicted. It is premature to assume that this will herald an early spring. Another polar front is already brewing and the end of January is expected to be colder than the norm. When the whole thing is finished, I expect that the month of January will live up to its reputation around these parts for harsh conditions. Still, it is nothing like the static chill and blizzards of Januaries past like in 2019 and 2014.
Activity at the feeders picked up during the frigid days. Dozens of finches came in during that time. This also included the first sightings of redpolls for the year. During very cold fronts I have sometimes expected to see pine siskins or perhaps even a visiting northern shrike from more northerly climes. So far we have not had any of those visitors yet. On a brief trip before the new year I did see what appeared to be a flock of snow buntings northwest of the twin cities. Generally these far northern visitors are signs of a more severe winter, but so far there have only been intermittent visitors. It is a far cry from some other years when we had pine siskins staying for the entire winter owing to prolonged boreal conditions. For the most part, the wildlife has been the same as before-- The only major change is a lone male turkey has come to the feeder the past few days, while the previous visitors were a large congregation of females.
Yesterday it was nice outside, particularly after a long spell of extreme cold, and since I had an errand to run anyway, I went over to a nearby town to a city park that overlooks the river. The river appears to be largely frozen north of town, but south of the town there were large sections that were still open. In the open patches, a great number of swans were swimming around. They were occasionally sparring as well, and perhaps this aggression is a hint of the coming breeding season. Also, sitting out on the thin ice in between bouts of hunting, were at least half a dozen eagles. The afternoon air filled with the musical calls of the swans and of the eagles in flight. They were joined by more humble company, the many chickadees, nuthatches, and they always boisterous red-bellied woodpeckers, enjoying a very hospitable afternoon in the oak groves at the top of the bluff. As idyllic as this picture was, it was only a promise of the springtime to come, as we are only just entering the middle of winter in meteorological terms.
Other sightings of note included three eagles in the neighborhood adjacent to mine, and a red fox on a local trail situated in a restored prairie nearby. The former are always identifiable by their distinctive calls. We were alerted to the presence of the latter however by an unfamiliar series of barks and whines. For a number of minutes we were completely ignorant of the source, and confused as to who could be making such calls. It was only after we rounded the corner and saw the red fox out in the open that we realized. But as soon as it knew it had been observed, the wily creature disappeared into the high grass and was not seen again. It was probably stalking prey perhaps along with its family, as there are many rodents to hunt in tunnels through the snow out in the grasslands just now. Restored prairies are oftentimes home to Marsh Hawks and short eared owls but so far I've not seen any there.
The last two winters have been described as Dark Winters in political circles. But what they seem to have been, at least from the perspective of the natural world, is fairly ordinary. As I grow older, the incessant cold of the winters at this latitude sometimes seems monotonous. But even the bitter season is part of the pageant. There is always something worth seeing at this time of year. Yesterday, the bright sunshine from a sun still low in the sky, or the waxing gibbous moon rising in a bluebird sky were worth the price of admission. It has been clouding up at dusk pretty reliably, and the sun downs have been spectacular. Winter sunsets in the North country are wondrous to behold, like a fire blazing itself down into embers. As long as I am here to witness these things, I will continue to report on them. Half a winter remains, the rest before the rebirth of spring. We'll see what the remainder of the season brings.
