December on the Marsh
December on the marsh could mean a blanket of snow, and who isn’t dreaming of a white Christmas? As temperatures decrease, we may see less open water, more ice-covered areas. As open waters freeze, waterfowl move on. The marsh may seem devoid of life, but that is an illusion. life is still there, unseen but present, waiting for conditions to change to become active once again.
There are still birds to be seen although the population has shifted to the hardy winter varieties like hawks, black capped chickadees, woodpeckers, juncos, cardinals and bluejays. They are always colorful and active on the black & white landscape. Life slows down over winter and turns to the business of simply surviving the extremes that changing weather patterns and shorter periods of daylight provide. The goal for many organisms is to stay alive during this time and wait until conditions change to become active once more.
Many residents stay here unseen, some reside in water or mud under the ice, some produce their own kind of biological antifreeze, others shelter in hidden dens under the ground. Larvae may be tucked away inside plant stems or caterpillars snugly rolled up in cocoons waiting for the temperatures to rise once again for their life cycle to resume. In this way, these organisms have adapted over countless generations to withstand and survive during the season of extremes that we call winter.
December may also bring unexpected visitors from the far north to the marsh. If you have ever seen a snowy owl, you would know that they are large, magnificent creatures with golden eyes and feathers covering their face and feet. Some owls live here all year long, you may hear them calling very early in the morning or during the night. Great horned owls, barred owls and screech owls are yearlong residents. It is rare to see them during the day because they are nocturnal, they hunt and fly at night.
Snowy owls are diurnal, if present, they can be seen during the day. They nest on the tundra and in years when their nesting is very successful, thanks to a large population of lemmings, their preferred food source, they may produce many young birds. If food is in good supply, they may have double or triple their normal number of offspring. When this occurs, when many young are hatched, we may see some individuals find their way to Wisconsin. If there are a large number, it is called an “irruption” year because it only happens occasionally. Snowy owls are not seen at Collins Marsh every year but in the past, they have been sighted numerous times. There have been some sightings in Wisconsin already this year, so I am hoping that they continue our way.
These owls are attracted to flat treeless areas that resemble their summer arctic home and have a good supply of rodents. During the day they may perch in high places, and it is not unusual to sight one on a power pole or the top of a silo. Sometimes they might be seen sitting in a field or along a rocky shoreline. They are often seen at harbors along Lake Michigan. It was once thought that snowy owls ventured south because of shortages of food but recent scientific studies have shown that it is often due to the dispersing of young birds following a good nesting season. I know that many people are dreaming of a white Christmas, but I am dreaming of a snowy owl finding its way to Collins Marsh. If you are lucky enough to spot one, remember to always give wildlife room. Use a telephoto lens if you want to take a picture. Getting too close can cause the animal stress and no one who love’s nature would want to do them any harm. Hopefully, we will have snow cover for Christmas and some interesting birds to enjoy.
