Nature Notes

While the calendar might suggest the year is coming to an end, the plants and animals we share Lake James and the surrounding landscape with have no concept of such things. The arrival of winter is neither a beginning or an end; it’s just another season with different challenges for survival.

While winter marks a dramatic decrease in the number of human visitors at the park, birds and animals are increasingly easy to spot and observe. Much of that is due to the lack of foliage. The winter gallery of bare trunks and branches are a stark contrast to the calliope of motion and colors during spring, summer and fall. Without leaves to hide behind, wildlife is seemingly more abundant to the human eye.

During this period of feast or famine, songbirds of many species will flock together into roving groups that can be as large as several dozen individuals. These birds might not be of a feather, but they benefit from the partnership by helping each other find food and avoid predators. Birdwatchers can take advantage of the behavior during their hikes by locating the flocks and patiently scanning through them for hidden gems. The most abundant and visible members of these feeding groups are tufted titmice and Carolina chickadees, but there are often golden-crowned and ruby-crowned kinglets, pine warblers, Eastern towhees, Northern cardinals and hermit thrushes in tow. If you’re really lucky, you’ll spot some of the rare winter birds as well; brown creepers, red-breasted nuthatches, fox sparrows and winter wrens to name a few.

It’s also a prime season to watch for mammals of all shapes and sizes. Sure there are deer feeding in the open, but there is also the increased possibility of seeing bobcats, foxes, otters and opossums during daylight hours.

It might seem counter intuitive, but sometimes the coldest days are some of the best days to get outside and do some nature watching, if you can pull yourself away from the fireplace.

See you out on the trail!