January 1998

     Happenings in and around Linnaeus Arboretum

January averages out as the coldest of all months of the year here in Minnesota, and yet if a person is very observant, signs of spring can be noticed.

Listed below are a few observations from a year ago in the Linnaeus Arboretum area, and out of the area when indicated. These events can be used to anticipate upcoming winter happenings and will help to compare this year with last.

1 -- White-breasted nuthatch heard singing "whi,whi,whi.." spring song over and over. During the January melt this afternoon, honeybees were out on cleansing flights.

2 -- Northern cardinal heard singing "what-cheer, cheer, cheer..." spring song at Cologne. Mosses at bases of trees are lush green and a banded woolybear caterpillar is moving about this spring-like afternoon.

4 -- Pine siskins very numerous at some Minneapolis feed-ers. Over 300 cedar waxwings seen in a grove of red cedar trees near LeSueur; about 40 wild turkeys in area too.

5 -- Flying squirrels visit feeding stations at night; they relish corn and sunflower seeds. White-tailed deer bucks continue shedding antlers.

10 -- Beautiful frost patterns on some windows this cold day; they look like miniature frost covered forests, bird wings and feathers, or maybe white ferns. Much steam fog coming off Lake Superior, which is wide open.

12 -- A spectacular behavior pattern of American crows in winter is their communal roosting. They roost in huge flocks, and every morning the birds disperse from their roosts in small groups to feed and then return at sunset in the same way. Six eastern bluebirds, near Welch, come to a water dish.

13 -- Animal tracks those of deer, squirrels, pheasants and more are interesting to observe, and the new snow on evergreen boughs is a beautiful sight. Ring-necked pheasants are busy picking up gravel along country roads. The gravel goes into the gizzard and is used in the first stages of food digestion.

19 -- First raccoon out and about. Pine siskins numerous at St. Peter feeders. The Minnesota River is partly open.

21 -- Duet hooting of great horned owls tells us this species is setting up nesting territories. They are the earliest birds to hatch young in this region, and usually start nesting the first part of February. Big flock of Bohemian waxwings in Thief River Falls.

27 -- Icicle-growing day. Skunks being smelled. Downy and hairy woodpeckers drum on resonant tree branches or other "signal posts" to announce territories and estab-lish pair bonds.

28 -- Black-capped chickadees and white-breasted nuthatch-es filled the air with their spring songs. Mississippi River at Hastings lost its ice cover today.

31 -- In forested areas the snow cover reveals deer tracks, trails and beds. Northem cardinals sing "what- cheer, cheer..." over and over. This spring music makes us humans feel good. Now is a good time to get out to prune your apple trees. Oak trees can also be trimmed successfully during the winter.