NATURE

Walking 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.

By Larry Weber , December 11, 2011

Milkweed 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.

By Larry Weber , November 27, 2011

Northland Nature: Opportunistic lichens thriving in the recent rain

After a month of colder-than-normal temperatures, the thaw of the last few days of December came as a surprise. A respite from the chill is often welcomed, but with these days filled with rain, many Northlanders would have preferred the cold.

By Larry Weber , January 06, 2011

Northland Nature: Annual Christmas bird count a useful practice

Birds wintering in the Northland are either those that breed here and remain for the winter or those that migrate from the north to spend the cold season with us.

By Larry Weber , December 23, 2010

Northland Nature: Look for messages in the new snow

Unlike their cousins, the white-footed deer mice, voles are not as likely to come into our dwellings and, except for a few glances as they cross the road or path, we never see them.

By Larry Weber , December 16, 2010

Northland Nature: Northland trees holding snow, some better than others

November exited with a repeat of the statistics for the whole month. Though the second half was much colder than normal, we experienced a respite during this waning time and, for two days, we reached far above the freezing temperatures.

By Larry Weber , December 09, 2010

Northland Nature: Unlike mosquitoes, winter crane flies don’t bite

During our outdoor activities in the next few weeks, if you think that you’ve just seen an insect on the snow or one fly by, you probably did. You may have just seen winter crane flies, not mosquitoes, and they are not going to bite.

By Larry Weber , December 03, 2010

Northland Nature: All hail the aptly named snow buntings of November

Breeding in the tundra, snow buntings are at home in open spaces. Here, despite the cold and wind often felt at such sites, these birds do quite well.

By Larry Weber , November 28, 2010

Northland Nature: Eye-opening morning walk after the big storm

Last weekend’s snow was welcomed by some of us, and it may have changed our November. This month was previously far above normal in temperature. Only three days before the snowfall, Duluth recorded nearly 60 degrees — the warmest day of the month.

By Larry Weber , November 21, 2010

Northland Nature: Don’t miss the yellow-gold of weeping willows

Most willows are found in wetlands and, though much smaller, they are also slow to drop yellow leaves in this season. And for the last month we could see just how common they are.

By Larry Weber , November 14, 2010

Northland Nature: Feeling the effects of the late-October storm

A few days after the storm passed, skies cleared and, in the light of a waning quarter moon, we woke to 20-degree weather. Because of this, a new layer of ice covered all of these ponds.

By Larry Weber , November 07, 2010

Northland Nature: Hardy New England asters still blooming

The early morning is clear and chilly. During my walk, I see the full moon, now in the west, reflected off lake water and on the newly formed ice of the swamp.

By Larry Weber , October 30, 2010

Northland Nature: Woolly aphids are easily mistaken for fungi

Late October in the Northland is a remarkable time. The leaf drop earlier in the month has changed the landscape.

By Larry Weber , October 23, 2010

Northland Nature: Edible ‘oyster’ fungi something to look out for

Mushroom growth in September is expected, but now, as we are going through October, they are waning. Mild temperatures have helped more to appear; we now have some fungi in the woods.

By Larry Weber , October 18, 2010

Northland Nature: Red-bellied snakes prepare for the Northland cold

As autumn unfolds from September into October, we continue to see how nature is preparing for the coming cold. Probably the most obvious are the trees that are now shedding their leaves, usually among a blaze of color that is hard to miss.

By Larry Weber , October 09, 2010