Southern Wisconsin is falling way behind for precipitation for January so far (in the double digits below normal).
We had a couple of snow events in December and early January. The biggest one (about 6 inches over two days) came just in time to give us a white Christmas. But then it warmed up and all that snow melted.
I don’t usually hike in the winter, but I’ve made it a goal to go birdwatching every month of the year. It’s more fun to venture out and see what I can find beyond the regular backyard visitors.
In my head, winter hiking would be a very peaceful experience with snowflakes softly falling amidst the distant chatter of a Black-capped Chickadee or some Canada Geese.
In reality, the snow was so crunchy underfoot that my friend and I couldn’t hear a thing, much less carry on a conversation. But we did have some lovely views over the 2 miles we walked.
The following weekend all the snow was gone and it looked like early November outside again.
Because it’s been such a mild winter, many birds decided to stick around southern Wisconsin for much longer than they usually would. Sandhill Cranes, Red-headed Woodpeckers and Turkey Vultures are just a few of the species that have been spotted recently.
A Brown Creeper and a sleepy Barred Owl have been my favorite bird finds so far this winter.