INTRODUCTION

WINTER, I believe I’m safe in saying, is the most controversial of all seasons in the sense of people’s feelings and sentiments!  Winter always seems to evoke quick and often negative reactions from people when they describe it or give their interpretation of same. 

Case in point, I am going to name the four seasons and alongside each name of season, I am going to mention some related words that I have heard over the years describing each season.  Feel free to compare this analogy of words with your own experiences.

SPRING:  Rejuvenation of Life, Warmer Weather, Spring Flowers, Longer Daylight, Mother’s Day, etc.

SUMMER: Warmth of the Summer Sun, Vacation, Fun Times, Swimming, Fishing, Hiking, Golf ,etc.

AUTUMN: Beautiful Fall Colors, Comfortable Temperatures, etc.

WINTER:  Cold Weather, Short Days, Snow & Ice, Hard Getting Around, etc.  **Anyone detect any negativity?**

I did a little web searching to compare the seasons and, long story short, all the sites had basically the sentiments as noted above.  Market research company YouGov found the following: “In a survey of the four seasons, summer rates high as 25% of Americans look forward to the warmer weather. Fall is the favorite season of the nation, with 29% responding that they prefer an autumnal climate. A winter chill is only preferred by 7% of us.” (NOTE:  They must have forgotten Spring!?  Maybe merged with Summer?)

OK, so bottom line, I think that most of you would agree Winter represents the harshest of seasons and represents more difficult times!!

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Holidays are over and just looking forward to moving on. Been keeping pretty busy along with getting out and about looking for stuff!  My “out and about” is, while always enjoyable and interesting, produced nothing earth shattering. 

I will say, (**NOTE: Not being Negative Here**)  Winter visits in general usually do not offer the wide range of colors, wildlife, etc., as compared to the other seasons!  Having said that, when you do get those Camera Moments, they can be really stunning, unique and beautiful! 

PERSONAL OBSERVATION: I enjoy each and every season on its own merits, HOWEVER, by the end of each season, I am always looking forward to and ready for, that wonderful change in season!

So, I was going through some of my photo archives and came across photos of wildlife in the snow.  Thumbing through the photos on my screen, I began thinking that maybe this would be an interesting story or theme, if you will, for my Photo of the Week article.  My game plan would be to select several Wildlife in the Snow photos, mention the fact that most people think winter is the most challenging of seasons, AND THEN tie it all together with this statement:

“If you think it is a difficult season, ever wonder how our outdoor neighbors, The Wildlife, feel?” 

I think I just figured out my Photo of the Week article.

INTERESTING FACTS

Mother Nature is truly remarkable and our wildlife neighbors have a few tricks up their sleeves dealing with cold, wintry conditions or, really, any conditions. Remember, they also deal with the different seasons and, in many cases, each season is a different lifestyle! 

In the wild, you must be flexible or have a strategy that will keep you alive.  Many animals use Hibernation, Migration or Creating Food Caches as their strategy to survive. Today, we are looking at animals that utilize flexibility as a way to survive the winter.

Bald Eagle:  They are known for being fishermen, swooping down, flying just above the water and snatching fish close to the surface! They are also excellent at stealing fish from ospreys.  During long cold spells, when waterways freeze over, they resort to hunting small game and or scavenging off carrion. The photo shown is one of five bald eagles in Allamuchy that were scavenging several deer carcasses laying in the fields during a very long cold spell.

Raccoon:  They have an interesting way of dealing with food shortages.  Raccoons do not formally hibernate, BUT they can remain inactive for up to a month, just resting, and all the while their bodies can survive on stored fats!  Raccoons have adapted very well to mankind.

Fox:  Our red fox has an ever-changing diet that matches each season.  In the warmer times, they eat just about anything: insects, fruit, vegetables, eggs, small mammals and birds.  In winter, their diet is more from hunting small mammals. The large ears on foxes help them hear animals under ground and under snow, which they can then dig out or pounce on through the snow.  Foxes will continue hunting after they are fed, caching extra prey for another meal later on. Known for their thick, fluffy tails, they are not just for looks. Foxes normally live out in the open, and even on frigid winter days and nights, when they want to rest, they ball up and wrap up in their fluffy tails!

White-tailed Deer:  This species is a good swimmer! The winter coat is specially adapted for swimming. The deer’s hair fills with air, almost like a life jacket, so that it would be hard for it to sink even if it gets tired! Deer graze on green plants in warmer weather, including aquatic plants.  In the winter, they brows on woody vegetation, including twigs and buds of various trees and bushes. They also have a four-part stomach, which lets them eat things other mammals can’t and helps them get nutrients directly from the food AND get nutrients created from their own digestive systems.

Coyote:  Coyotes are great runners who are opportunistic eaters. They will eat small animals, birds, insects, frogs, snakes and even fruit.  In winter, carrion from larger animals like deer are an important food source.  They usually hunt alone, but may combine efforts with one or two others so they can run in relays to tire prey out OR one will wait in ambush while others chase their quarry toward it. A strong swimmer, coyotes don’t hesitate to chase prey into water.

Ring-necked Pheasant:  Native to Asia, they now have a wide range in North America. Their habitat is farmlands, pastures and grassy woodland edges.  When you pass by Rutherfurd Hall in Allamuchy, keep in mind that Rutherfurd Stuyvesant introduced Ring-necked Pheasant into this area over a hundred years ago for his private 1,000 acre hunting area, called Stuyvesant Park.

Hope you have enjoyed your visit with some of our outdoor neighbors.  Before you complain about or give a negative statement about how hard your winter is, maybe remember about your outdoor neighbors!

Enjoy Your Open Space

Charlie Fineran

Charlie Fineran is Allamuchy’s Director of Open Space, Allamuchy Township Environmental Commission Chairman and Allamuchy Historical Society President.