Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 3, 1993 TAG: 9212300298
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Patricia Held
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
YOU SEE MUCH MORE IN THE COLD
What better time than winter to observe wildlife? Winter has a way of uncovering all that has been hidden during the rest of the seasons.Snow is one of the best parts of winter. Not only does it provide opportunities to build a snowman and go sledding, but it also allows us to follow the footsteps of local animals. But even when there is no snow winter is a good time to look for tracks. After all of the rain we have had this season the ground is soft enough for animals to leave tracks. Early morning, when the ground is still frozen, one can follow animal footprints wherever there is a bare patch of earth.
There is a lot to learn about animals from their tracks. How a mammal places its forefeet and hind feet as it moves indicates an animal's gait and speed.
Mice, rats, squirrels and rabbits travel by bounding. Prints of all four feet are made with each bound. Prints of the hind feet are side by side in front of the marks made by the forefeet. House cats, dogs, fox and other mammals that run fast usually have prints arranged one before the other in a single line. Perching birds usually leave paired tracks and game birds leave alternating footprints.
Mammal evidence is easily spotted in right now. This is the season to learn more about their secret lives. On freshly fallen snow and thawed and refrozen ground, their imprints can easily be found and identified. A rabbit trail can be followed from brush to burrow and the miniature highway systems of mice can be explored as they weave in and out over the ground.
Take advantage of the frozen ground to explore marshes and other mushy spots. Here is a chance to get a close-up view of birds, muskrats and other animals that inhabit these wet and usually impenetrable areas.
Garden bird feeders provide us with an exceptional opportunity to observe several species of birds. With other food scarce, a feeder is an attraction that most birds will not pass up. In the comfort of our own home we can see cardinals, blue jays, finches, sparrows as well as an occasional squirrel as they feed outside our windows.
Many of our local birds leave other signs of their presence as well. Seeds wedged in the crevices of bark is a sure sign that the blue jay is active in the area. Chips of wood scattered beneath a pine and a squared-off excavation above is a good clue that a pileated woodpecker is working the area. Another woodpecker, the yellow-bellied, leaves small horizontal holes in the trunk of the tree. Beneath a grove of pines look for pellets left by an owl. These oblong capsules are bits of bone, fur and feathers that are undigestable and are regurgitated as pellets.
Bare trees allow us one more opportunity to observe birds and other wildlife with much more ease. With no leaves to camouflage their movement, it is easy to spot birds as well as their last year's nests. As the PATRICIA HELD trees bloom with green these same birds disappear in the cover of the new leaves.
Animal traces are everywhere. A packed-down area in a field is often a sign of a sleeping spot for deer. Look for trees downed by beaver and nearby you will surely find a dam. Take a look at shrubs where the branches are sheared off. If they are torn off, it was most likely done by a deer. If it is a knifelike cut it was probably the work of a rabbit.
While insects are noticeably lacking in the winter months they are definitely present. During the cold season insects are dormant and can be safely examined. Depending on the seasons insects may be found in several stages of life from egg to adult. This is the time to explore the wood pile and tree limbs for tunnels and abandoned nests. Immature insects can also be found in silken cocoons or in galls.
Although there is not as much green about, winter is a time for the botanist too. The evergreens present plant hunters with many opportunities for study. Even trees that have long since dropped their leaves provide a challenge to those who wish to learn more about them. Note that no two trees are alike. By examining their arrangement of leaf buds and scars one can determine their particular species. Other factors such as the tree's habitat and shape can also help determine the tree species.
Seed pods and withered blossoms can also be of interest. Thorns, burs, nuts and flower heads all provide for interesting study.
Do not wait for the first signs of spring to explore the woodlands. Go out now before it is too late. Soon spring and its blossoms will again camouflage the wonders of winter.
Reader's note: An excellent reference guide to help study winter wildlife is "A Guide to Nature in Winter" by Donald W. Stokes, Little, Brown & Co., Boston, 1976.
Patricia Held will respond to readers' questions on the plant and animal wildlife in the region. Mail inquiries to: Patricia Held, P.O. Box 65, Goode, Va. 24556.
Patricia Held is the former director of the Nature Center Museum in Middletown, N.J. She lives in Bedford County.