Winter is for the Birds

By: Judi Stuart
Port Discover - Visitor Services Manager

Winter is for the Birds
We’ve been very lucky so far, because the winter weather has been mild. Of course, that can and probably will change at any time. Just like the children’s fairytale about the grasshopper and the ant who stores food for the winter, we should plan for the future.

For those of us who are nature lovers, that means preparing to feed the birds in our yards. Bird watching is one of the best ways to chase away the doldrums that come in January, February and March. For a few dollars’ worth of birdseed and a simple feeder, you can be entertained and educated at the same time.

Making your yard hospitable to the little creatures includes not only providing food, but also shelter from a wide variety of shrubs and trees of different sizes and shapes. Conifers like pine, fir, cedar and cypress which are plentiful in our area and provide both winter shelter and summer nesting sites.

Water for drinking and preening their feathers, an activity which provides good insulation, is needed year-round. You can buy heaters for birdbaths in order to ensure a constant supply.

If you want to get really involved and become a citizen scientist, you might want to take part in the 15th annual Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) on February 17-20, 2012. This worldwide event is led by the CornellLab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society, with Canadian partner Bird Studies Canada and sponsorship from Wild Birds Unlimited.

Visit www.birdsource.org/gbbc and learn all about the four day event. There is a special part of the site devoted to kids to encourage them to participate. Basically, observers watch birds for a 15 minute or more period and report the species that they see to www.birdcount.org.

As the information begins to accumulate, a real time picture of where the birds are located is developed. The observations, gathered by thousands of bird enthusiasts, enable the scientists to recognize patterns and to answer in depth questions.

What is the diversity found in any given area? Are specific species declining and in need of conservation? Why do some species appear in large numbers during some years and seem to disappear in others? How do snow and cold temperatures seem to affect bird populations?

The site reports that during the 2011 count 92,000 were submitted from across the United States and Canada. Bird watchers identified 596 species and 11.4 million total birds were observed.

Among the things discovered were increased reports of Evening Grosbeaks, a species that has been declining. A small movement of winter finches farther south in their search for food was detected. Who knows what might be observed this winter?

In our area cardinals, mocking birds, chickadees, brown thrushes, robins, vultures, wrens, starlings, towhees, and American goldfinches should be the most evident.

If you decide to participate in the GBBC, you’ll be rewarded by connecting with birds and nature in a meaningful way.
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Watch the video below to learn more about the Great Backyard Bird Count and how you can take part!

Turn Your Eyes to the Heavens

By: Judi Stuart
Port Discover - Visitor Services Manager

Turn Your Eyes to the Heavens
Winter provides a special perspective for those who like to observe things in nature. The landscape changes so dramatically by January that objects which blended in are now more prominent and clearly visible.

Snow and ice outline the silhouettes of trees against the winter sky displaying a magnificent view. Birds and other animals can be witnessed in their quest for food and shelter against the cold.

Early man must have learned from the patterns he observed and knew that the sky gave clues to what might happen in the near future.

Across the world, cultures created celebrations to mark major changes in the environment. Of particular interest was the coming of the winter solstice in December. The word solstice comes from Latin words meaning “sun and “stands still.”

Early people faced terrible hardship when the weather was cold and the days were short, so it gave them cause to celebrate the day on which the day light period actually started getting longer.

They were not certain that they would live through the harsh time. They would have slaughtered their cattle and stored the meat. The beer and wine that they had made in the summer would have fermented and been ready to drink. It was time for a feast and mid-winter celebration.

Stonehenge in Great Britain was constructed over a period of time between 3000 and 1600 BC. Theories about its purpose are that it may have been an astronomical observatory, a burial ground, or a religious site. Sunset on the day of the solstice lines up with a particular spot at the relic.

Scientists recently discovered the origin of the stone used to build Stonehenge was more than 100 miles from the ancient monument. Whatever the origin, it stands as proof that man has always paid attention to the sky.

The winter night sky features some of the most fascinating and easily recognized constellations. They include Orion the Hunter, Canis Major the Great Dog, Canis Minor the Little Dog, Tarus the Bull, Auriga the Charioteer, Gemini the Twins, and the Pleiades star cluster.

Greeks looked at the night sky and created stories about gods and mortals who played out their dramas for all to see sparkling in the heavens. They actually believed that the gods placed the stars in the sky to illustrate their legends.

Other winter night sky object that are more visible are the Andromeda Galaxy, the Great Square of Pegasus, Aldebaran, the Seven Sisters. During winter there is less moisture in the atmosphere which makes the stars appear more distinct.

If you decide to do some stargazing, sit in a dimly lit room for a while before you go outside so that your eyes can adjust quickly to the darkness. If you have binoculars or a telescope, you will see more details. Wrap up and take and snack with you.

Turn your eyes from the bight decorations of Christmas to the wonders of the heavens.
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"Not A Creature Was Stirring..."

By: Judi Stuart
Port Discover - Visitor Services Manager

"Not A Creature Was Stirring..."
“Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even--- a squirrel, a snake, a spider, a grasshopper. Well, as we all know, the peace of Christmas can often be disturbed in unexpected ways.

Take the movie “Christmas Vacation.” Can anyone forget the scene when the squirrel jumps out of the Christmas tree and into Chevy Chase’s living room? Later in the movie a cat chews on an electrical wire and sets itself and the tree on fire. Is it slapstick comedy or reality?

One Christmas afternoon years ago, I was sipping my tea and enjoying a tranquil moment in my living room, when I was startled by something flying through the air. Before I could move, I was again surprised by a fluttering sound and a second object shooting from the Christmas tree. To my amazement, there were two grasshoppers staring at me from the carpet. The warmth of the house had convinced them that it was time to emerge from their home.

My sister had a similar experience when she got up one morning, after having decorated her tree, and found spiders crawling around the bottom of the tree. Every morning, she found the same invasion of the spiders going on. The tree was full of spider eggs. I still laugh at the thought of her jumping around the tree in her pajamas killing the spiders but refusing to take the tree down until Christmas night.

A family in Zebulon, NC recently discovered a corn snake in their newly erected artificial tree which had been stored in the garage. Their six year old discovered the foot long visitor when she was turning on the tree. Although the non-venomous snake won the hearts of the children, the mother wanted nothing to do with him. “Tinsel” as the kids named him now lives in the woods near their house.

It doesn’t seem to matter if the tree is real or fake, creatures will inhabit it. A little precaution is in order when bringing the tree into your house, although rarely would these accidental visitors be harmful to you or your home.

A vigorous shaking will likely loosen any inhabitants. Then inspect it visually for egg casings, etc. Aerosol inspect sprays are flammable and should not be sprayed on the Christmas tree. Most trees are free of invaders or the ones that are there are unnoticeable.

Pine bark adelgids are harmless and sedentary and do not leave the tree. Aphids are sometimes found, but they are usually host specific and will not feed on your houseplants. Sometimes certain bark beetles bore into the trunk of a tree, but they are not a threat because the wood in a home is too dry to attract them. Other creature such as mites, praying mantis, scale insects and spiders are other harmless insects which might be found on your tree.

Here’s hoping all of your holiday guests come with invitations!

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