Walker Nature Center
A LOOK INSIDE • Reston BioBlitz 3 • Calendar 4 • Kids’ Corner 6 • Holiday Open House 8
Nature Notes DECEMBER By Sharon Gurtz
• • • •
Woodchucks hibernate. Waterfowl populations peak. Red Foxes begin searching for mates. American Hollies have bright red berries.
JANUARY • • • •
Bald Eagles begin to nest. Great Horned Owls begin breeding. Hermit Thrush and Kinglets can be seen. White-throated Sparrows forage in flocks.
FEBRUARY • • • •
Witchhazel blooms. Woodfern are evergreen. Look for animal tracks in the snow. Running Cedar is evergreen on the forest floor.
BRANCHING OUT Hidden Treasures in Winter By Susan Sims
Winter ushers in various opportunities to celebrate family traditions, engage in snow sports and cuddle up to a warm fire. It also provides unique insight to a hidden world in our surrounding forests. Leaves fall from deciduous trees and give us the chance to discover secretive shelters, tree structure and signs of animal life.
So That’s What a Squirrel House Looks Like When the leaves fall from trees in the fall and into the winter, we’re treated to a special surprise we don’t always see during other seasons – animal shelters. Look high up into the exposed canopy, and you’ll likely notice a sphere-shaped pile of dry leaves and twigs called a drey. Eastern Grey Squirrels, like the Walker Nature Center’s very own Earl the Squirrel, build dreys in tree tops and tree notches at heights of 30 – 40 feet. They line the inside with cozy materials including grass and moss. Yet, squirrel nests aren’t the only shelters you’ll see this winter.
Take notice of tree crevices and cavities exposed by leaf-fall and you may spot other tree dwelling species such as the Common Raccoon, Big Brown Bat and many species of birds, including Reston’s official bird, the Pileated Woodpecker. Cavities provide important habitat for many animals, whether they are in a standing dead tree, called a snag, a log on the ground or in the trunk of a living tree.
Trees Tell Stories Too Leaf-fall provides a chance to learn more about a tree’s growth from a little seed into a mature tree. Look for scars on tree bark and along branches and limbs. Scarring occurs when a tree is trying to overcome environmental stress. Strong winds can snap limbs or damage bark, and in response, the tree will scar over to protect itself from exposure and decay. Scars are often rough and patchy. Sometimes, trees will survive a lightning strike and observers might spot a vertical scar running down the tree. Insects can also cause tree damage from boring or girdling the bark.
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Winter 17/18 Volume Twenty