I tend to think of winter as a time of withdrawing. But this
year my schedule will be opening up after banding ends,
making winter a time of opportunity.

In some ways winter is the simplest season. Cold. White. The
bountiful busyness of summer has faded. Many species take
advantage of this leveling of the playing field by getting a
quick start when the sun returns. Trout lilies and other
spring flowers sprout from bulbs long before leaves shade the
forest floor. Deer breed in the late fall to give birth in
spring.

The other evening I heard great horned owls in the back woods
as the light faded. These owls are raptors seen in a mirror,
darkly. They rouse at dusk and hoot to attract a mate in the
late autumn when other bird song has quieted. The breeding
season takes off in winter after which pairs may lay eggs as
early as February. The eggs are very cold hardy and the female
helps by creating a warm environment through metabolism
and insulation.

We tend to only think of mammals and birds moderating their own
temperatures, but the talent is more widespread than once
suspected. The wet areas of our forest are littered with skunk
cabbage leaves emerging in tight rolls which will unfurl in
spring. Skunk cabbage are known not only for emitting an
unpleasant odor when bruised but also for creating their own
warmth. Their prehistoric-seeming flowers can melt their way
through snow to bloom in late winter and early spring.

Until then, it's nice to see green coming instead of going.