in the outdoors
A male red-bellied woodpecker shows off his colors. (Photo by Scot Stewart)
Counting Crows “Christmas gives us an opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us.” —David Cameron
T
by Scot Stewart he arrival of winter usually means the days have shortened considerably to the briefest on December 21 at 8 hours, 34 minutes, 10 seconds from the longest on June 21 at 15 hours, 49 minutes. That means it’s 7 hours and 15 minutes shorter at the Winter Solstice. Early winter has become more of a puzzle in recent years. Weather has been less predictable, with warmer stretches and weird snow patterns. It does mean the leaves are gone, mornings are quiet, just the sound of wind, falling precipitation, some rain and a few blowing leaves. Most all of the summer birds— wrens, warblers, flycatchers, swallows, swifts, orioles, thrushes—have headed south, many all the way to the tropics to find warmer days and more daylight. It is not all bad though. What December does mean is that one of the best birding events of the year, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count
(CBC) is on tap. It is a day of opportunity for birders to get out with friends and other bird lovers and explore the neighborhood for all the birds that are still here. Some birds will stay for the entire winter, like the chickadees, woodpeckers and nuthatches that keep us company all year. Others may truly brighten up the day as wanderers make their way through the area, like gulls cruising the Great Lakes, migrants from northern Canada and Alaska, and birds simply continuing to hang around late into the season due to physical condition or other unknown issues. Late in the 19th century, hunters often held “Side Hunt” contests, heading out in teams to see who could bring back the largest number of birds and mammals shot on the day. As birders and conservationists began to see the effects of hunting for “sport,” for fashion and for food were having on birds, some felt it was time to raise public awareness. In 1900, Frank Chapman, an orni-
December 2021
Marquette Monthly
53
