We had some nice weather this fall, but winter — which doesn’t arrive officially until Sunday — has brought us some really cold temperatures and wind. Cold never bothered me much when I was younger but now that I’m all grown up, it does. Snow hasn’t been a real problem so far and I’m hoping that it doesn’t get to be, as I no longer enjoy sitting on my ATV and plowing the driveway.
There is plenty of firewood stacked under cover for me to use in the wood stove in my living room. I use electric heat most of the time and keep it set around 64 degrees, but I like to fire up the old wood-burning soapstone stove in the evening. The visual effect and warmth that it gives off make for a relaxing and comfortable evening.
What does wildlife do when the temperature drops and the wind kicks up?
Many birds just get out of town, heading south to a warmer climate. The great egrets, great blue herons, hummingbirds, shore birds, little herons, vultures and terns are all gone now. The birds that remain depend on open water, so they also leave but generally go only as far south as necessary to find it and food. Diving ducks such as blue bills, golden-eyes, scooters, red heads, buffalo heads, old squaws and canvasbacks move to the open water areas like Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River and some of the Finger Lakes areas that remain open.
Our local resident geese usually stick around, as they have learned to make a living here in the winter, but the regular migrating goose population heads farther south.
Sometimes, a milder winter allows some birds to move into our area from further north and enables them to survive in local marshes. Last year was such a time and I had a ball photographing tundra and trumpeter swans that took up residence in a few marshes. When harsh winter conditions hit, I believe they just headed up to the Niagara River, because as soon as those hard periods disappeared, they were back to a couple of open marshes. There were even about 50 sandhill cranes spending a bit of time here during that winter weather break.
Snow geese, which aren’t often seen around here, made a pretty good showing a few years ago, too. And occasionally, the snow owl moves down from northern tundra country to give us a treat.
Smaller birds — orioles, warblers, martins, flycatchers, catbirds, kinglets, tree swallows and wrens — count on insects for a living and therefore are forced to move south too, but others including blue jays, cardinals, titmouses, woodpeckers, nuthatches, gold finches, mourning doves, house and purple finches, chickadees, white-throated and house sparrows and starlings have learned to deal with our winters. Most of them survive on seeds of some sort, and some, like the woodpeckers, are able to find dormant insects with their special beak adaptations. Many also take advantage of the bird feeders around homes where humans offer them various seeds.
Owls stick out our winters and are able to survive on small animals: mice, voles, even small game such as rabbits, grouse and song birds. Some hawks remain to live on the same things but they “work” during the day.
Eagles also remain, unless severe winter conditions drive them to open water areas for brief periods. They, of course, start their nesting season in January with nest building and egg laying in March.
Some animals like woodchucks, bears, chipmunks, skunks, some insects, reptiles and amphibians use some form of hibernation underground to avoid winter. Their metabolism and heartbeat are slowed way down. Some, including bears and chipmunks, enter a lighter type of torpor and are easily aroused. Reptiles and amphibians use a system called brumation, which is slightly different from true hibernation. Foxes, coyotes, otters, beavers, squirrels and muskrats remain active during winter, as do larger animals such as deer. Raccoons will “den up” during really harsh conditions.
All of these creatures have to endure the cold, windy conditions that we hate. They have great insulating furs, but they don’t have the conveniences of protection that we do, and they must work hard to find food.
Oh, now the wood stove is calling for more wood. I think I will heat up some old pizza for supper and watch the birds around my bird feeder.