Winter Survival

I have been wondering about our friends who live in the out of doors throughout the winter. Some animals remain and stay active in the winter. They adapt to the changing weather. Many make changes in their behavior or bodies. To keep warm, animals may grow new, thicker fur in the fall. Food is hard to find in the winter. Some animals, like squirrels, mice and beavers, gather extra food in the fall and store it to eat later. We watch them taking food from our feeders and hiding it. A squirrel buries nuts...how do they find where they have buried them? Some, like rabbits and deer, spend winter looking for moss, twigs, bark and leaves to eat. Other animals eat different kinds of food as the seasons change. The red fox eats fruit and insects in the spring, summer and fall. In the winter, it can not find these things, so instead it eats small rodents.
Animals may find winter shelter in holes in trees or logs, under rocks or leaves, or underground.I have a big barrel in the woods, laid on it's side, to make a home for some creature. I have found nesting material in it in the spring. To try to stay warm, animals like squirrels and mice may huddle close together. The biggest problem for most animals in the winter is finding enough food. If an animal's main source of food is very scarce in the winter, like insects or green plants, it may solve this problem by hibernating. This deep sleep allows them to conserve energy, and survive the winter with little or no food.
Most hibernators prepare in some way for the winter. Some store food in their burrows or dens, to eat when they awake for short periods. Many eat extra food in the fall while it is plentiful. It is stored as body fat to be used later for energy.If an animal lives in an area where the winter is mild, it may hibernate only briefly, or not at all. However, even when the weather is severe, hibernators may wake up for short periods every few weeks to use their "toilet rooms" and eat if food is available. So, in reading this...I have been thinking about how nice it is for the mice, who come into our basement...They must think that it is Heaven on earth. All toasty warm and inviting until...SNAP goes the mousetrap. Also the moles who burrow in our back yard and make tunnels across the lawn...are they down there taking a snooze? The little vole, who leaves a track of bare lawn next to Blue...is he hibernating or just chilling out? Are the critters in the woods hiding in crevises and holes in trees....looking for me to fill the feeders. I am watching what I think are Common Ravens right now. Two huge black birds with craggy necks and a huge wing span, strutting around our garbage cans. The are marching like soldiers on a mission. They are out for food...roadkill and garbage. They almost dare you to hit them with your car. They are survivors. The little birds are so active in the winter...trying to keep warm. We feed them all. When I came in to my computer two bluejays were on the feeder and little juncos waiting underneath for a tiny seed to drop. Here are some ideas on how to attract birds.

(1) String popcorn and cranberries on a long, doubled piece of thread. String whole peanuts on another thread.

(2) Slice fruit crosswise, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Poke a hole about 2/3 of the way across each slice, thread a 12 inch piece of string through it and tie the ends together.

(3) Put peanut butter or suet into the holes in a pine cone. Tie a string to it.

(4) Cut suet into large pieces and put it into an onion bag.

(5) Hang food from trees and bushes in sheltered areas, where you can see it. Be patient. It takes time for birds and animals to find the food. Try different locations. Note: If you choose to begin feeding the birds regularly, try to do it throughout the winter. They start to depend on you and may have trouble finding other sources of food later in the winter.

This is a cold day and I have compassion for all creatures great and small. I am going to go and fill the feeders and then make a warm breakfast for Joe.

Balisha