![]() According to the National Wildlife Federation, We all know that groundhogs are true hibernators and we wait for and celebrate the mythical day, Groundhog Day, when Punxsutawney Phil emerges to falsely forecast the weather. Once lakes freeze over, they’ll use underwater entrances to reach their food cache and stay cozy in the lodge all winter. Beavers are now adding mud to fortify their lodges and gathering more saplings to store in underwater caches. Coyotes fare well in winter by hunting rabbits and pouncing into the snow to capture meadow voles they detect by sound. They scurry about their under-snow expressway and life goes on, unfazed by weather extremes above. Meadow voles are mouse-like creatures that stay active all winter by creating small tunnels through dried grasses under the snow and building grass-lined nests. White-footed mice plan ahead and will move into abandoned bird nests, adding leaves for protection and insulation and sometimes even cap off the nest with berries that double as an emergency food stash. When winter storms rage they retreat to the shelter of cedar thickets. White-tailed deer grow a thick winter coat and their hollow hairs help insulate them from cold winds. Sandhill Cranes feed on a diet that includes berries, tubers, seeds, frogs and even mice, food types that will be difficult to find after snow covers the land.Īlthough chipmunks are often billed as true hibernators, in reality they store acorns, seeds and berries in underground dens and nap deeply during periods of extreme cold, but they will come topside during periods of milder weather. Turkey Vultures depend on decaying, not frozen, creatures and the days of roadside abundance will soon vanish. ![]() Warblers and vireos feast chiefly on insects and flying insects and caterpillars can’t be found in winter. Osprey are exclusively fish eaters and lakes that freeze over deprive them of a food source. Hummingbirds can’t find nectar after the last of the flowers wilt. Most of our Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Sandhill Cranes, Turkey Vultures, Osprey, vireos and warblers left our county weeks ago. ![]() Biologists believe it’s a combination of factors, including decreasing hours of daylight and decreasing food supplies that trigger the urge for birds to migrate. MIGRATIONĬontrary to myth, it is not the cooler temperatures alone that stir wildlife into migration. But what about the wildlife in our midst as temperatures continue to fall and food gets harder to find? They have three choices: migrate, stay active, or hibernate. Although some humans head south for the entire winter, most of us simply adapt to the cold with heavier coats, warm houses, vacation dreams and weather-adjusted outdoor plans. Hours of daylight are diminishing and leaves are cascading downwards with each gust of wind. Pumpkins were laced with frost last Saturday morning and that sudden temperature plunge sent motorists scrambling for window scrapers as squirrels went into overdrive nut gathering mode.
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