It was a nice day for a woods walk
Sunday, January 20. There were just patches of snow on the ground and
the temperatures were in the upper forties, maybe lower fifties.
Subnivia had all but disappeared.
Christmas Ferns (pictured above) were about the only
green in the woods, except for some moss growing on old tree stumps.
The Christmas Ferns, however, are hardy, carefree and native plants
which have a lot of possibilities for homeowners who have shady and
wet spots in the yard - Christmas Fern.
On the mid-January walk, we discovered
the newest woodpecker tree. It appears the holes were all freshly
made, particularly the bottom hole.
The following day, 1.21.13, there was
about six inches of snow and it was coming down hard – Subnivia was
thriving once again.
The forecast are predicting upwards of two feet
of snow within the next 48 hours. More pictures of the woodpecker
tree after the storm passes; currently on 1.22 it is a mere 2
degrees, there is about two feet of snow here and another foot
expected tonight and tomorrow.
Dead trees are an important resource
and provide both food and shelter for many insects and small animals.
Some birds, such as blue birds, will use the cavities pounded out by
the woodpeckers for nesting. Squirrels will also use the holes to
store food. A dead tree in a woods is actually a hub of activity and
can improve the quality of life in the hidden world of Subnivia
Nearby, we are building another and the
newest brush pile. A brush pile provides even more protection,
shelter and serves as a food source for many small animals, insects
and birds particularly in the winter months. The plan is to finish
the pile before spring weather arrives and then to plant wild grape
vines along the edges and maybe some other flowering vines that can
take some shade.
The brush is from a tree that blew over
last summer and was cut for firewood. The ashes are then used in the
vegetable garden and around a variety of trees, shrubs and
perennials. Wood ashes are a valuable resource.
Brush piles also enhance the
“under-the-snow” existence of the inhabitants of a hidden world,
called “Subnivia”. This hidden and somewhat temperate kingdom
exists underneath the snow and the dead brush, fallen branches and
trees, as well as old stumps and rocks help to form an under-the-snow
passage system for many small animals such as shrews, moles, mice,
and a wide variety of insects. Learn some more about Subnivia.
Full Wolf Moon
The first Full Moon of 2013, called the
Full Wolf Moon, will be on the evening of January 26. Six days later,
the groundhog in Punxsutawney, PA ((Phil) will make his official forecast
about the end of winter. Perhaps, wolves will eat woodchucks when they venture out of their holes, but so did people. Learn more about a groundhog meat company and that famous groundhog, Phil.
If your searching for some good winter
reading, go to http://www.samhosslerwriter.com/authors-page.html
Sam's books are enjoyable and while
fiction, are based in historical facts in northwestern PA. Special
note of thanks to Sam for the permission to use his wolf picture
which is actually the book cover for a three part series the
Silversmith Chronicles. The series is about werewolves – naturally.
Good Blogs to Read
Links
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