A Yard Full of Snow

Since I moved to Chicago about 20 years ago, I can’t remember having this much snow on the ground for this long. It would snow, be pretty for a few days, and then melt leaving everything covered in a layer of depressing gray and brown. So for as much as this winter has been a struggle, I do find it much prettier and cheerful than a normal winter. One caveat though; it would be easier to enjoy if it weren’t so constantly frigidly cold.

After the last snowfall earlier this week, we are now over 60 inches of snow this year so far, making it the 7th snowiest winter ever. For the true weather nerds out there, by my measurements this is equivalent to 5.5 inches of rain since December 1, and has average around 7-8% water content. That’s very fluffy snow–great for all of us snowblowing and shoveling, but not very good for snowmen.

Chicago snow

We have not seen our road since Christmas. The main roads are clear, but we’re a little lower on the village plowing totem pole. I’ve never used my 4 wheel drive as much as I have this year, and on the plus side, my two relatively new drivers have become great snow drivers.

The plants and shrubs are hopefully surviving the snowpack. I wasn’t really prepared for so much snow, so the evergreens are on their own to battle the weight of the snow. The yews and boxwoods seem to be doing pretty well, but some of the Arborvitae are not fairing quite as well and pretty large branches are falling over. We’ll have to do some more tying up of the branches in the spring. I’d hate to lose the privacy screen they provide.

Another casualty of the snow is the Christmas decorations. Santa is apparently still welcome at our house, and will be until he ground thaws.

The lights are also going to be up for a while. As much as I love Christmas lights, we have at least unplugged them so as to not annoy the neighbors.

Our shed has been snowed in also since December. And not just snowed in, but the frozen ground heaved the stones in front of the door and we haven’t been in since before Christmas. Thankfully, the snowblower had already been brought up to the garage, but inside is still all the sleds, snowshoes and a few more bird feeders. Bummer for such a snowy winter!

Then there’s the ice. As the sun has become higher in the sky finally, the snow-covered roof is beginning to drip. Many of the shrubs have become encased in ice. This Alpine Currant reminded me of an icy jellyfish.

While the icy shrubs are one thing, icicles on the roof are much scarier. There are inches of ice on the roof and in the gutter. This is not going to be good as the temperatures begin to rise this week 🙁

And I’m sure this pretty monarch wishes it had found a way to migrate south instead of spending the winter on my fence. But, on the flip-side, it’s located right out the side door and reminds me that one day, the real butterflies will return

Nest Cams

Over the winter, I have enjoyed watching birdfeeder cams (see previous post “Birdfeeder Cams“). Now that spring is around the corner somewhere, it’s time to start following some of the nest cams.

The first nest cam that I began following is the Ferris State University (MI) Osprey Cam. They’ve been streaming video of a nesting pair of ospreys in their parking lot for five years. It’s still a little early for the Ospreys to be back yet, so the cameras are not up and running. They usually return the end of March/early April. You can check their Facebook page for updates as to when things will get going again for the year.

Here’s a shot from last year. See the car in the left corner? That’s me!!

Here’s another shot from the cam last year w of the whole family.

Until the Ospreys are back, I’ve been watching some other nests. In Hawaii, a pair of Laysan Albatrosses recently laid one egg, which hatched successfully about 2 months later on January 27th. This nest is in the yard of a personal residence near a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The chick will take 5-6 months to grow to adult size and take flight. During that time, it may spend up to 17 days alone, as the parents go on long foraging trips out into the ocean. Once the fledgling takes flight, it will leave the nest and not return to land for the next 3-5 years.

With the weather the way it is here, how can you not enjoy watching this family?

Also on the Cornell Lab site, high above the athletic fields you can watch a pair of Red-Tailed Hawks that have been nesting at Cornell University for the last four years. Big Red, and her mate Ezra, have just arrived back and have begun to rebuild their nest again.This will be the third year these bird’s nest activity has been streamed. To learn more about Big Red and Ezra, be sure to check out their FAQ page.

Interesting place to build a nest, but they seem to like it.

The Decorah Eagles site in Decorah, IA, follows a breeding pair of Bald Eagles that have been together since the winter of 2007-08. Since 2008, they have hatched and fledged 14 eaglets. They expect this year’s first egg to be laid around February 17th. So far, the pair has been busy setting up their nest and getting ready. I’m always so surprised how early Eagles will lay their eggs in such cold climates. I’ve seen them sit there, covered in snow with the wind howling, keeping those eggs safe and warm. This nest cam is part of the non-profit Raptor Resource Project which specializes in the preservation of birds of prey.

This is just a few of the nest cams that are out there. As more come back on-line for the season, I’ll mention them. If you have a favorite bird, I’m pretty sure someone has a nest cam on it. Nest cams have really multiplied the last few years and for the most part, people are respectful of the birds. It’s a great way to follow the trials and tribulations that these birds go through, from predators, to finding food, to fighting the elements. It’s really exciting to finally see the babies take flight and then one day take off, never to come back. Then it’s time to cross your fingers and wait and see if mom and dad come back again next year.

An Icy Chicago River

This past weekend we were downtown and had a great view of the Chicago River that runs right through the heart of Chicago. With a winter like this, it’s no wonder it’s covered with ice. Even Lake Michigan has the most ice cover to date in 20 years. The ice in the river did make for some interesting photos…

Of course, no pictures of Chicago are complete without a skyline view.

(Some photos by Steve)

A Midwinter Walk

Between polar vortexes, my husband and I had a chance to go for a walk in one of our local forest preserves. One thing that that I find remarkable about the Chicago area is the forest preserve system. They are maintained by the individual counties, but their common general goals are to preserve open, natural space and land conservation. Considering we are within such a huge major metropolitan area, the forest preserve system is amazing in it’s success in preserving natural spaces and proving places for people to go and connect with nature. One of these, the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, currently owns or manages over 25,000 acres of land at over 60 forest preserves, or about 12 percent of the total land in DuPage County. And it’s still growing.

These Forest Preserves include places to do most any outdoor recreational activity you could imagine, and many have educational programs for all ages. Adding into that the local parks, I can’t imagine you’re ever more than 5-10 minutes from a beautiful natural space.

So only a short drive from my house, we had a wonderful scenic walk on a relatively warm, snowy day.

On a sunny day in the winter, the river is running bright and clear.

There are always resident Canadian Geese and Mallard Ducks to be found on the water.

Watching the ducks hop in and out of the water was quite entertaining and the ice made the funniest squeaking noise every time they hopped up onto it.

I, and others, have been finding such interesting patterns in the ice and frost this winter. Looks like some kind of alien spiders have landed on the ice here.

Bullies at the Bird Feeder

By the title, you’d think I was talking about those pesky squirrels again. But not this time. This time it’s an even more obnoxious bully, the Blue Jay.

Despite how handsome they look, looks can be deceiving. They are the original “Angry Birds”. My mom Peggy has a terrible time protecting her feeders, as well as the smaller birds visiting her yard, from the very unfriendly Blue Jays. The Blue Jays aggressively scare away the other birds, sometimes even killing them, then gluttonously eat up all the seed they can. It’s very frustrating to say the least.

Would you mess with this guy????

They don’t just eat what they need, but hoard it in their beak and expandable throat and esophagus. It’s said they can hold five to six Pin Oak acorns in their esophagus and beak, so you can imagine how many sunflower seeds it could hold! Once they’ve gorged themselves, they take their cache away and store it for later. Usually, they bury it in the ground like a squirrel or a dog might. Then they return for more.

Blue jays are also highly intelligent. They are remarkable in their ability to mimic other birds like raptors, presumably to further scare off any competition. They are also uncanny in their ability to figure out bird feeders. Peggy has even seen them hanging upside down from her suet feeder pretending to be a Downy Woodpecker.

So what to do? There are ways to hinder their ability to get to the feeders. The suet feeder above is often suggested as one way, but in her yard they’ve figured it out. Another option for protecting the suet from being devoured is to use a metal cage. The small woodpeckers can slip right in, but leave the Blue Jays looking longingly at it.

They’ve also figured out how to get out peanuts from this tube feeder that is usually visited by White and Red Nuthatches, Titmice and Chickadees. Into another cage it goes. The Blue Jays can get a few peanuts now and then, but it’s a lot of work

You can also sometimes adjust the type of seeds you put out. Blue Jays are much fonder of sunflower seeds than safflower seeds, and really don’t like nyjer (thistle) seeds.

Feeders like this Heritage Farms feeder also work to keep the Blue Jays off. The feeder perch can be weight adjusted to keep out the heavier birds. The seed tray gets shut tight when a too-heavy bird lands on it. Peggy has it set to allow Cardinals and Rose-Breasted Grosbeaks to land and eat, but if a little bird lands on the perch with them, it’ll close. That’s a small sacrifice to make to keep the Blue Jays off.

Do you have any bullies in your yard? The other day in my yard, one of the Cardinals was chasing off sparrows trying to eat seed off the ground. Oddly though, he seemed fine with the Juncos also eating the seeds. I guess even he knows which birds are a nuisance.

Photos by Peggy

Squirrel Calisthenics

Anytime you put out a bird feeder, you are also bound to be inviting squirrels to your yard. So, I now have a group, scurry, dray, or whatever a bunch of squirrels might be called, who visit on a regular basis. I’m beginning to be able to pick each out based on their coloring and eating habits. One in particular is quite the gymnast. I’m not sure he’s getting any net positive calories, but he sure seems to be having fun doing this.

I really can’t even be upset he’s eating the sunflower seeds because as someone else in my family said, “It’s the most adorable thing I’ve ever seen”. This guy seems to be the only one who has figured this method of eating from this feeder. Another one clings a little better, but doesn’t last very long on the feeder. Either way, they don’t get much to eat one seed at a time. The others just scavenge the seeds on the ground or on the snowman statue’s hat. Not too much of a bother…yet. Plus, it gives Daisy something fun to do outside.

Here’s a movie of him getting a workout:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jEqoyC6dCQ

As a bonus, if you watch the background, you’ll see some Juncos and a Downy Woodpecker coming to visit.

Hidden Nests

I am one of those that snoops gently around in the bushes in the spring looking for those secret nests. But, I’m not usually very successful, so one of the things I love about fall and winter is finding those hidden nests that were so painstakingly made and camouflaged so well. I am always so surprised when the leaves fall off the bushes and there they are! How did I miss them?

We walk right under this crabapple tree to get to the backyard. We could tell that birds were hanging out in this spot because of the mess on the bricks below, but the leaves were too dense to spot the nest until the leaves dropped.

This one was in a fairly young Redbud.

A friend needed a nest for a classroom project. Luckily she asked in the early fall so I knew just where to get a perfect one for her. It had been abandoned in a Blackhaw Viburnum.

Then there’s the ones you stumble upon out in the forests and fields.

There’s actually two nests in this shrub. Pretty unusual to be so close together, so maybe one was from a prior year.

And of course, there’s the squirrels who need to nest as well.

Winter Visit to the Morton Arboretum

The other day, before the polar vortex descended into the Chicago area, Steve and I went out for a walk and lunch at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, IL. The Arboretum is a real local treasure where we can always find something interesting every time we visit. Today we walked around one of the very snowy and quiet trails, and then took time to walk through the Children’s Garden. Even though we had no kids with us today, it’s a beautifully laid out garden, easy to explore on a snowy day.

You never know what you’ll find when walking around. I’m still not sure who made these beautiful nests, but I’m leaning towards a Red-Eyed Vireo. The nest is pretty small, would fit in the palm of my hand, and was about 6 ft off the ground. Any thoughts?

Once we had enough outdoors, we were lucky enough to get tickets to the last day of the 12th annual Enchanted Railroad Model Train display. It’s definitely for all ages, no kids are necessary to enjoy.

Thanks LGB Model Railroad Club of Chicago for such interesting displays every year.

And of course, the trip was topped off by lunch in the Gingko Cafe and a trip to one of the best gift shops around. Whenever I stop in there, I am reminded that the book “Man of Salt and Trees: The Life of Joy Morton” by James Ballowe is on my “to read” list.

Sub Zero Window Art (It’s Cold Out There)

As the snow finally subsided, the temperatures dropped and the winds picked up. We went to sleep with temperatures already below zero and that was to be the high for the day. We were at -18 in the morning and it hasn’t become much better.

So of course I had to go out and try to take a few pictures, but it was honestly so cold I could only snap a few before my fingers became painfully cold. That was enough, back inside to enjoy the sun from the warmth of the house. Watching the TV news, it is obvious that not everyone was able to make it home last night. Many highways and roads became closed from blizzard conditions, black ice is making open roads treacherous and the airports are still a mess. Hopefully this passes soon and everyone is home safely.

Outside this morning, the snow was squeaking under my feet and the sun was shining brilliantly. Snow drifts had formed in the driveway and everything had a smooth, wind blown look to it.

Outside one of the porch windows there was this beautiful frost.

Snow and More Snow

The last couple of weeks we have already had what feels like, and may turn out to actually be, a whole winter’s worth of weather here in Chicago. The problem is, it’s only early January. I grew up in the snow belt of Buffalo, so I should be used to this. But, over the last 20 years, I’ve become a bit more used to the weather here. And the weather we’ve had lately is highly unusual both in low temperatures and snowfall. In some cases even record breaking and we I know we aren’t alone!

Storms all seem to be needing a name these days. The Weather Channel has officially named this storm “Ion”. But, really, I find the whole concept of officially naming snowstorms like hurricanes odd. The US NWS Chicago is using #chiberia to tag photos and comments. That’s actually fun since you can easily follow storm reporting from everyone on Facebook and Twitter. Then there’s #windchillmageddon. That’s my husband Steve’s contribution. Do you have a name to add? Whatever the case, this has been quite a couple of weather weeks, and I’m sure this will be a stretch of weather we’ll all remember.

I finally got all my feeders and seed out there just in time. I wish I had already picked up the heated birdbath my mom is passing on to me since she got a new one. I think the birds could be using some spa time. She says hers is busy all the time.

The feeders are all full.

The arborvitae and other shrubs are providing the birds with some winter protection from the snow and wind. They collect in the shrubs, then pop out to the feeders. Back and forth all day, until something invisible scares them off for a bit.

Daisy spends most of her time outdoors staring at the tree…

..and the squirrel quite boldly staring back.

Here’s some more storm images from my yard. Doesn’t look quite as inviting as in the summertime.

As of Sunday night (1/5/13), we’ve had about 8.5 inches in the last 24 hours, and about 21 inches since New Year’s Eve when this all started. The water content has averaged about 8%, making it nice and fluffy snow. While I am writing this Sunday night, the temperature has just dropped below zero with significantly dangerous wind chills. It’s not expected back above zero for about 34 hours. Brrrr. The kids are getting and extra day off so they are happy. Hope you are all warm and safe!

Category: Nature