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Snowshoeing
at Thorpe
Park--Sunday,
February 12th, at
Thorpe Park
Artifact
Road Show--Sunday,
February 26th,
at TSB Bank in
Forest City
Festival
of Owls Bus
Trip--Saturday,
March 3rd, to
Houston, MN View all
Events >
The
Outdoor Journal by
Naturalist
Lisa Ralls
A
listing of monthly
observances...
February, 2012
Snowy
Owls-- One
bird you might
want to look
for this month
is the snowy
owl! Snowy
owls live in
the Arctic
tundra, but
often migrate
south in the
winter,
sometimes as
far as Minnesota.
Each year a
few are
spotted in
Iowa, but this
is an
irruption year
for the birds;
that means
that many more
are being
spotted in
Iowa than
normally are
here! We don't
know what has
driven them
this far
south, but
this winter is
providing
Iowans with
some excellent
opportunities
to see these
beautiful
birds.
Snowy owls are
different than
other owls in
that they are
diurnal--active
during the
day. This is
an adaptation
they have
acquired to
help them
survive where
the nights are
extremely
cold. They are
also white, to
help them
blend in with
their snowy
habitat. (Our
lack of snow
cover has made
it much easier
to spot the
birds this
year!) Also,
don't go
looking for
snowy owls in
trees. They
are used to
tundra life,
where there
are few trees;
so they prefer
open, grassy
areas and can
often be seen
perched on
telephone
poles, fence
posts, hay
bales, or even
just sitting
on the ground.
So, keep your
eyes open!
Speaking
of Owls...
Despite
the cold
weather that
typically
accompanies
February, now
is the
time that
Great Horned
Owls are
nesting.
Imagine
keeping those
eggs warm
in
weather like
that below...
Record
Cold--
February 3rd
and January
12th have gone
down in
history as the
coldest day in
Iowa. On
January 12th,
1912, the
temperature
plunged to -47
degrees in
Washta, IA,
setting an
all-time state
record. That
record was
tied, though,
on February
3rd, 1996,
when Elkader
also recorded
a temperature
of -47.
Brrrrrrr!
Bald
Eagles--
February is a wonderful
time to view bald eagles! They gather where there
is open water, often along
river greenbelts or the
shores of large lakes. There they are able
to find plenty of fish to
eat. In February, they are
also staking out their
territories and beginning
to build (or fix up) their
nests. Many places have
bald eagle viewing events
during the winter months;
so click here
to find an event to go to! Shed Deer
Antlers--
February
is a great
time of year
to look for
shed deer
antlers! The
best spots are
wooded areas
where deer
might get
their antlers
caught on
low-hanging
tree branches.
Many people
don't realize
that deer do
lose their
antlers each
winter, after
the rut is
over and the
antlers are no
longer needed
to fight for
females. After
the rutting
hormones
subside, the
antlers become
loose and
eventually
fall off. But,
they don't
spend much
time on the
ground before
little
animals, such
as mice, begin
feeding on
them. (The
calcium is a
wonderful
nutrient for
the little
critters!) So,
if you know
where some
deer have been
spending the
winter, you
might want to
take a walk
and look for
an antler or
two--before
they're all
eaten up!
Goldfinches--
Sometime in February, you
may begin to see a few
little yellow patches
showing up on the
male goldfinches at your
bird feeders. During the
winter months, male
goldfinches wear the same
drab colors of the
females. But, once the
days begin to lengthen,
the extra sunlight
triggers the males to
begin turning back into
their well-known bright,
yellow color!
Chorus
Frogs--
By the end of the month,
you should also be hearing
the familiar sound of
chorus frogs calling for
their spring mates! Their
calls sound like a finger
running down the teeth of
a comb. They will begin
calling as soon as our
wetlands open up. You may
even hear them calling
from pools of meltwater in
grassy fields!
Chickadees,
Cardinals, Bluejays--
What do each of
these birds have in
common? You most
likely will begin
hearing their mating
calls as early as this
month! Chickadees
begin whistling,
instead of performing
their normal
"chick-a-dee-dee-dee
call, and cardinals
begin to sing their
unmistakeable "what
cheer, cheer, cheer"
song. And blue jays
make a strange squeaky
wheel kind of sound to
attract their mates.
So be sure to listen
for these welcome
sounds of spring!
Venus--
If you're out
early in the evening,
look to the western
sky and you'll see
Venus shining
brightly! Venus is the
hottest planet in the
solar system,
averaging over 800
degrees! It is so hot
there that lead would
melt, and scientists
believe that, because
of the heat, even the
ground itself is
mushy. Wow...That's
hot!
Minnesota.
Each year a
few are
spotted in
Iowa, but this
is an
irruption year
for the birds;
that means
that many more
are being
spotted in
Iowa than
normally are
here! We don't
know what has
driven them
this far
south, but
this winter is
providing
Iowans with
some excellent
opportunities
to see these
beautiful
birds.
are
wooded areas
where deer
might get
their antlers
caught on
low-hanging
tree branches.
Many people
don't realize
that deer do
lose their
antlers each
winter, after
the rut is
over and the
antlers are no
longer needed
to fight for
females. After
the rutting
hormones
subside, the
antlers become
loose and
eventually
fall off. But,
they don't
spend much
time on the
ground before
little
animals, such
as mice, begin
feeding on
them. (The
calcium is a
wonderful
nutrient for
the little
critters!) So,
if you know
where some
deer have been
spending the
winter, you
might want to
take a walk
and look for
an antler or
two--before
they're all
eaten up!
up on the
male goldfinches at your
bird feeders. During the
winter months, male
goldfinches wear the same
drab colors of the
females. But, once the
days begin to lengthen,
the extra sunlight
triggers the males to
begin turning back into
their well-known bright,
yellow color!