Larry Weber
Recently retired teacher Larry Weber is the author of several nature books available now.Contact
Articles
Northland Nature: The woods is greening, from the ground up
After several delayed starts, spring has come to the Northland. A few days of temperatures in the 70s along with the threshold of 15 hours of daylight has put nearly everything in the mood of May.
RELATED CONTENTNorthland Nature: Walking after the snowmelt
The lake is still covered with ice: I’ve never seen it frozen this late before. But the series of warm days at the end of April has melted the snowpack greatly; only patches remain in the woods.
RELATED CONTENTNorthland Nature: After the snow melts
As we start the new month of May, we look at what will be the effects from the record-setting late-season snowstorms of April.
RELATED CONTENTNorthland Nature: Returning north from spring
Each spring for the past several years, I have gone on a trip to the south. It gives me a chance to experience two springs.
RELATED CONTENTNorthland Nature: Among the Ozark spring wildflowers
While camping and hiking in the woods of the Ozarks during recent weeks, I have managed to avoid the April snows of the Northland. Instead of looking out onto a ground coated with several inches of wet snow, I’m able to be immersed in a covering of another type.
RELATED CONTENTNorthland Nature: Encounters with some southern birds
When travelling in the south during April, I feel like I’m looking into the future of what will be happening later in the spring in the Northland.
RELATED CONTENTNorthland Nature: Spring birds at a prairie stopover
Anyone traveling to the south during late March is able to leave winter behind in the Northland and enter into the coming spring.
RELATED CONTENTNorthland Nature: Crocuses: our first flowers to bloom
As we exit the month of March, we look forward to the new month of April that will be hosting more happenings of spring. We now have thirteen hours of daylight with sunsets nearing 8 p.m. And the sunrises shed the darkness given by daylight saving time.
Northland Nature: The return of red-winged blackbirds
Each day after March 20, I walk to a nearby swamp and search the trees along the edge and the shrubs in the swamp for a blackbird.
RELATED CONTENTNorthland Nature: Spring changes at the time of the vernal equinox
We are now at the vernal equinox time, the beginning of spring. And true to the name of equinox, we have an equal amount of daylight and darkness. From now until next September, the hours of light will surpass those of darkness.
RELATED CONTENTColumns
Lobster mushrooms appear in the woods
The rains of May and June that got our warm season off to a start brought a wet one as well. Both months saw far more than usual precipitation, and were also above normal in temperature. July has continued with the heat, if not so much with the moisture. But still we are seeing the effects of a warm, wet early summer.
RELATED CONTENTGreen frog calls, tiny toads emerging
Mid-July is best known for its summer heat. These are the hot days that send us to air-conditioned protection, one of the few times when we speak more of heat in the Northland than of the chill. But mid-July is also a time of many more nature happenings.
RELATED CONTENTAn early summer morning at the lake
The morning is cool, about 50 degrees, when I step out from the house. This is the coolest time of day and patches of fog cling to some of the wetland sites. Songs of the early morning avian chorus greet me as I walk through the yard.
RELATED CONTENTWalking and tracking in the new snow 
The ground is frozen, and after several nights of temperatures lower than 20 degrees, the ice has formed on the nearby lake and swamps. And with the new snowfall that fell yesterday, these are great conditions for a walk. The snow cover is about only one inch, and substantial snowfalls are yet to come. This makes walking on the trails, in the woods and over the ice easy.
RELATED CONTENTWildlife prepare for winter
As we exit November, we leave a time of change. The forest trees stand ready for the coming cold. The frozen ground and ice-covered wetlands are receptive for weather’s next move – a blanket of snow.
RELATED CONTENTMilkweed seeds take to the air
With the cold and snow of late November, we get to witness the onset of the chilly season in the Northland. Each year we observe this seasonal change during the second half of this cooling month. Starting with the small ponds and then the shallow swamps, the wetlands wear a coat of ice. Lakes, being larger and deeper, postponed the freeze until recently. Subsequently, the ground freezes too and with this cold substrate, snowfall is able to stay and maybe even accumulate. Many years, the snow that falls at this time will remain and mark the beginning of our continuous snowpack, lasting until April, frequently for more than 120 days. The landscape has taken on a new view, one that we’ll get used to and live with in the coming months.
RELATED CONTENTWaterfowl pause before heading south
The migration of birds has been going on for the last three months in the Northland. As the daylight of late summer days begins to lessen, the earliest ones, mostly swallows and shorebirds, started working their way towards the south. This was followed by an abundance of songbirds as we entered September. The flights of warblers, vireos and nighthawks were passing by.
RELATED CONTENTSmall mammals prepare for winter
During the first half of November, we can easily see many of the wild critters around us preparing for the coming cold. We might see much of this happening right in our yards or near our homes.
RELATED CONTENTAbundant wildflowers along the bike trail
Flora of September are diverse, but three groups stand out as most dominant: sunflowers, goldenrods and asters.
RELATED CONTENTOrb webs of early September
Early September is the best time to view the abundance of spider webs that have been constructed.
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