natureswondersbyclyde

      One winter afternoon, several years ago in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, I walked through a two-acre patch of coniferous trees heaped with snow.  I heard something slapping needled, snow-covered boughs ahead of me and saw snow showering down from those limbs.  Then I saw a few large birds winging deeper among the evergreens, and away from me because they were alarmed at my approach.  Not to press them further, I stopped and watched them from where I stood.  They were owls, and I later learned they were long-eared owls.        Since that time, I've been thrilled to see several little groups of wintering long-eared owls roosting by day in groves and clumps of tall evergreen trees in various suburbs of southeastern Pennsylvania.  Those beautiful owls remained on their shadowy, needled perches and stared down at me, I guess because they felt secure there.        After looking at the owls briefly, I quickly scanned the ground below their roost to spot their pellets, which are gr

     It is exciting to me to see flocks of beautiful American robins and starlings eating berries or fruits from deciduous trees, shrubs and vines in suburban areas in winter.  Though these lovely species are not related, they have some characteristics in common, which brings them together in shared habitats, at times.  Both kinds are adaptable, therefore successful in human-made habitats, making them more interesting.  Both kinds are about the same size, and attractive.  Both feed on berries and fruits in winter and spend winter nights in densely-needled coniferous trees, including those planted on lawns.  Those trees protect the birds from predators and cold wind.  But, some of each species are preyed on by Cooper's hawks, sharp-shinned hawks and house cats.        We enjoy the combined beauties and activities of robins and starlings in mixed groups only when they are feeding together on berries, and the fruits of crab apples and Bradford pears in suburbs in winter.  Then they ar

     Few creatures were seen by live camera and our computer screen after Lake Onalaska froze from "wall to wall".  But the creatures I did see in January and February of 2022 on our computer were larger predators, including permanent residents bald eagles and eastern coyotes, and wintering counterparts snowy owls and rough-legged hawks, and short-eared owls and northern harriers.  Each species of predator wintering on Lake Onalaska is there for a reason, making that lake interesting to experience in winter, even if on-line.          Lake Onalaska is a shallow backwater off the Mississippi River in northwest Wisconsin.  Tree-clothed islands, tall-grass marshes and mudflats dot much of the lake.  And the whole area is rimmed by wooded hills, making it more wild looking.      Bald eagles and coyotes are adaptable predators, but they both scavenge as well.  Both these successful species have increased their numbers greatly over the years and are living many places where they had