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What's New in the Woods I live on nine acres at the edge of the Adirondack Mountains where the forest begins . This is a mixed forest of tall pine trees and hardwoods, like maple. Many birds and animals live in these woods, and the ground is covered with beautiful small plants. On this page you and I will explore the woods together, watching the seasons change, and waiting quietly for those rare, magical moments when animals appear.

Books About Me School Programs Library Programs What's New in the Woods How-to-Draw Page  Home Page  Buy Bruce's Books	Last winter, the weather was charcterized by El Nino, which meant the snowfall was below average, and the winter weather came late in the season. This year is quite a bit different, I am happy to say. We had a very white Christmas and some places in New York State and Vermont had their snowiest Decembers ever! Here are pictures of my house taken just after 2008 began, and you can see we have deep snow here.               The spruce and pine trees in the clearing to the south of the house have been covered with snow for some time now. This makes our region look like a true winter wonderland. In addition the temperatures have been seasonally cold. It dropped to below zero F. during the first days of January. That kind of weather means the birds must eat a lot to stay warm. I fill my bird feeder with sunflower seeds everyday, and I also sprinkle some on the snow for those birds that prefer to eat on the ground. Here is a ruffed grouse that came to dine. Ruffed grouse do not often come this close to the house. They are a chicken sized bird and quite shy. This bird helped itself to seed while I took its picture Actually I was very lucky to get photographs of the grouse, because they are easily frightened away. I just happened to be sitting quietly and looking out the window when the bird walked into view. They prefer walking, although they can fly quite well. When they do fly they make a great deal of noise due to their short wings that they flap really fast. I had my camera ready, and so by moving very slowly, I was able to take the pictures. The grouse was constantly looking around ready to take off, as you can see here.               Finally the grouse did see or hear me and took off with a great flurry of wing beats. These birds survive the coldest nights by flying directly into the deep snow, which means they leave no tracks leading to their resting spot. They huddle under the snow which is a good insulator, and that, plus their thick feathers, keeps them warm all night. They don't mind the cold as long as they have enough to eat. Other birds that come to visit the feeder include this pair of cardinals. The female is a lovely tan color while the male is bright red. The hole to the left of the cardinal is a tunnel used by the red squirrels to come and to the bird feeder. It is easier to make tunnels in the soft snow than try to run on the surface. Plus a tunnel keeps you safer from the hawks, owls, and foxes that think of small squirrels as a tasty dinner. The mice also make tunnels but their's are smaller. Blue jays also come to feed when the weather gets really cold. This jay is sitting in a nearby tree, trying to decide if it is safe to fly down to the open space and get seed. Blue jays are members of the crow family (Corvus) and are very smart birds. Notice how fluffed this bird is, as the temperature was around zero F.   It is not really necessary to feed the birds, as there is plenty of wild food available in the woods, berries, seeds, and a few insects as well. But I enjoy seeing the birds up close, so I buy a lot of sunflower seeds and keep my feeder well stocked. I usually put out suet also, which brings in the woodpeckers. There is a flock of snow buntings in the area as well. These are true arctic birds that come down "south" occasionally for the winter. They are easy to recognize as they are nearly pure white underneath. I haven't been able to get a photo of them, but maybe you can look them up in a bird book to see what they are like. They are not much bigger than a sparrow. I'll keep watching for new birds and post them as I get a chance. Meanwhile it is a great winter for cross country skiing and snowshoeing. I hope you are warm and enjoying the season as much as I am. Bruce March We are still getting a lot of snow and ice, although the sun is creeping higher each day, and winter is beginning to lose its grip. This is a difficult time for animals. The snow is deep, and often they have used up much of the fat that they stored last summer and fall. These deer look quite healthy although they are clearly looking for food. I put out some hay for them, but we have had a lot of snow and they have not been back to eat it.