From intriguing celestial events to the return of bird song, there’s lots to command our attention.
Peterborough Examiner – December 27, 2024 – by Drew Monkman
As we begin what will hopefully be a colder and snowier winter than last year, here’s a sampling of what to watch for in local nature in the coming months.
JANUARY
“Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.”
– Robert Frost, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening
- In the first week of January, sunrise is later than at any other time of the year. In fact, the sun doesn’t peak over the horizon until 7:49 a.m. Compare this to June 20 when the sun rises at 5:29 a.m.
- Look for brilliant Venus in the west-southwest about 90 minutes after sunset all month long.
- It’s shaping up to be a good winter for snowy owls as local sightings continue. Sightings are posted on eBird and often on the “Peterborough Ontario Birds” Facebook group.
- White-tailed deer shed their antlers sometime between late-December and early March. Antlers are temporary projections of bone which are grown and discarded each year. They are used primarily for sparring with opponents during the fall rut.
- In wooded areas, mixed flocks of foraging chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers bring life to the seemingly empty winter landscape. These birds are very receptive to pishing.
- Anyone with an interest in nature should consider joining the Peterborough Field Naturalists, now celebrating its 85th year. This month’s meeting will take place at the Canadian Canoe Museum on January 9. Go to https://peterboroughnature.org/ for more information.
- Under the frozen surface of ponds, countless immature insects – larvae and nymphs – remain active. These include fierce, carnivorous dragonfly nymphs and the ingenious larvae of the caddisfly. The latter use bits of plants and gravel to construct cases around their bodies, seemingly for protection.
- The Winter Six and their assortment of bright stars light up January evenings. Look for the constellations Orion, Taurus, Gemini, Auriga, Canis Major and Canis Minor.
- Bass lie dormant under logs, weeds or rocks until the light and warmth of spring restore their energy and appetite. Smallmouth bass virtually starve themselves over the winter.
- Even during the winter, woodpeckers defend feeding territories through a combination of drumming and calling. The loud “wuk-wuk-wuk” cackle of the pileated woodpecker can sometimes be heard on winter mornings.
- Coyotes are quite vocal during their January to March mating season. The young are born after a 63 day gestation period, usually in a ground den.
- By month’s end, we become aware of the lengthening days. Most of the daylight is gained in the afternoon, since the sun now sets more than 30 minutes later than in late December.
FEBRUARY
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.” – Anne Bradstreet
- The Great Backyard Bird Count takes place from February 14-17. This citizen science event creates a real-time snapshot of the whereabouts and relative abundance of birds in mid-winter. Anyone can participate. Go tohttps://www.birdcount.org/ for details.
- Leo, the constellation of spring, already holds sway over the early morning sky. It is one of the few constellations that looks somewhat similar to its namesake.
- Bald eagles turn up regularly in winter along the Otonabee River and open sections of local lakes where they often scavenge fish. One particularly reliable spot to see them is just north of Lock 25 (Sawer Creek) on County Road 32 (River Road)
- On mild winter days when sufficient moisture is available, lichens are able to carry out photosynthesis and to actually grow.
- This is courtship time for ravens. Watch for the male soaring, swooping and tumbling in front of the female. The pair also soars together, then perch and preen one another.
- Bird activity at feeders and at sources of wild food often increases markedly on snowy days. It seems that birds are wired to eat as much as they can in these conditions, maybe sensing that finding food after a heavy snowfall will be difficult.
- Common goldeneyes put on an elaborate courtship display in late winter. The male thrusts his head forward and then back towards his rump. With his bill pointing skyward, he utters a squeaky call. Just north of Lock 25 on the Otonabee River can be a good spot to see these ducks displaying.
- Although tentative at first, bird song returns in mid- to late February as pair bonds are established or renewed. Black-capped chickadees, northern cardinals, and white-breasted nuthatches are the first to start singing. Use the sound identification feature of the free Merlin Bird ID app to instantly see the names of the birds singing or calling around you.
- On February 28, the crescent moon, lit up with earthshine, floats below Mercury in the west 30 minutes after sunset. Venus shines brightly above them. Mercury should be visible through binoculars.
MARCH
With March comes a kind of interregnum, winter’s sovereignty relaxing, spring not yet in control. – Hal Borland
- A total lunar eclipse will occur on March 14. Totality begins at 2:26 a.m. and ends at 3:31 a.m. A lunar eclipse occurs when Earth is in between the moon and the sun, and the moon passes through Earth’s shadow.
- Male red squirrels feud over territory as the mating season begins. Their common “cherr” scolding call becomes louder and more common. After a 38 day gestation, two to five young will be born.
- Chipmunks are making their first appearance above ground since late fall. They remained somewhat active over the winter, however, making repeated trips to their underground storehouses for food.
- Male crows performs courtship displays which include facing the female and fluffing up their body feathers. They then partially spread their wings and tail and bow repeatedly while uttering a brief, rattling song.
- The furry catkins of pussy willows and aspens poke through bud scales and become a time-honored sign of spring. Aspens, like willows, have hairy buds. However, aspen buds grow only on twigs on the upper branches.
- Sugar maple trees are tapped around the middle of March. Daytime temperatures above 5C combined with nights below freezing create the best conditions for a sap run.
- The increase in bird song is now very noticeable.
- Open sections of local lakes and rivers are host to thousands of ducks of up to a dozen species. Some good locations to observe them include Little Lake, Lakefield Park and Campground, and Pengelly Landing on Rice Lake.
- By mid-March, the first northbound turkey vultures are usually seen. Other new arrivals include red-winged blackbirds, grackles, and song sparrows. Robin numbers also increase markedly.
- Thursday, March 20, marks the spring equinox. At 5:01 a.m. the sun will cross directly over the Earth’s equator. On this date, both the moon and sun rise due east and set due west.
- No other season offers as many bright stars and constellations as spring. There are no less than 11 first magnitude stars visible. Ruling over the southeastern sky, the season’s signature constellation is Leo.
CLIMATE CHANGE NUMBERS
In Peterborough, every month in 2024 will have registered a mean temperature higher than the 1971-2000 averages. This includes December which will have been about 1.5 C warmer. It is expected that 2024 will be Earth’s warmest year on record. From January to September, the planet was 1.54 °C warmer than the pre-industrial average. It’s remarkable how quickly we forget how much colder it used to be.
The atmospheric CO2 reading for December 20, 2024 was 425.76 parts per million (ppm), compared to 422.09 ppm a year ago. Compared to pre-industrial levels (before 1750), there is now 52% more CO2 in the atmosphere. In 2023, global emissions from fossil fuels and cement reached a new record high of 36.8 billion tons. CO2 traps heat, causes temperatures to rise and leads to climate chaos.
