“Each year, after the midwinter blizzards, there comes a night of thaw when the tinkle of dripping water is heard in the land. It brings strange stirrings, not only to creatures abed for the night, but to some that have been asleep for the winter.”
-Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac
Perhaps this break in the weather has conjured up stirrings within you too? Each year around this time we are treated to a reprieve from the cold winds and driving snow of our harsh Wisconsin winters. The first hint of mild weather triggers a primitive reaction within us. With a taste of what’s to come, some develop a yearning for the warmth and comfort of the approaching spring. Others are less anxious to part with the serene beauty and brisk air of the snowy winter landscape. But whether we are ready for it or not, we know that we are entering a time of transition.
Here at Faville Grove, the impending spring is reflected by recent activity in the wildlife community. The nightly courtship hooting of great-horned owls signals that nesting season is almost underway, at least for this early bird. The loss of snow cover has come at a fortunate time for nesting owls, exposing the runways of unsuspecting mice that once found protection in a maze of tunnels under the snow. The unveiled ground is also a welcomed advantage to the stalking coyotes, whose eerie yippings can be heard in the distance. The coyote has also begun mating, in order to time the birth of their kits to coincide with the rebirth of the landscape, a plentiful and opportune time to raise a new generation.
For the outdoor enthusiast, now is the time to scour the woods and fields in search of antlers shed by white-tailed deer. This is when the largest trophies are often found, not during the hunting season, when the wisest and largest bucks are hunkered down by daybreak in the nearest swamp. Those who search for antlers know they are not alone in the pursuit. With mice no longer bound to their familiar snow-lined runways, an exposed antler provides a much needed calcium supplement to their winter diet. Shed hunters who are late to the woods will often find an otherwise perfect trophy gnawed on by the local rodent population.
February is also time to clean out wood duck boxes. Last year’s nesting materials must be replaced to prepare the box for another generation of ducklings. By counting the eggshell membranes remaining in each box, it is possible to learn last year’s hatching success. In Faville Grove Marsh, where neighbor Ohne Raasch maintains 11 nest boxes, he just determined that a total of 123 ducklings hatched, including 19 in one box alone. In just a few short weeks the first of our ducks will arrive to freshly thawed waters. At the waters edge, skunk cabbage blossoms will push through remnants of snow and ice, aided by the remarkable ability to produce heat through metabolic processes, and returning phoebes will find insects attracted to the warmer blossoms.
The February thaw invokes stirrings within us all, wildlife and human alike. Join us at Faville Grove Sanctuary to enjoy the waning days of winter and celebrate the turning of the seasons. We hope to see you soon!
