It didn't seem like November!

What a strange November! Now, our warm temperatures are due to a Colorado Low, as well as the jet stream swooping up and away from us. I know people out west had a dump of snow, but we are outdoors in t-shirts. We'll get it soon, in the meantime...

I heard an interview with Michael Runtz, a Carleton  University professor who is a highly respected biologist. He was commenting on our bizarre weather, our warm spell during November, and its impact on our critters. I've been wondering about it, myself.

Rodents and Mammals

In summary, the mammals are benefitting from having a longer foraging period. The mice and voles are pretty active. The cats are bringing them home after their morning forays.

Beavers and otters have open water, moose have access to food, which is often frozen over in November. Runtz was in Algonquin Park and spotted beavers adding food to their food caches. The otters were active, and didn't have to swim under or run over the ice. Moose don't have to be careful of ice. 

Critters in dens will meander outside but stick close to home.  The bears are fine, too. Not our bear, which is disintegrating. JB bought him a t-shirt. Here he is, JB wearing his Chicago Bears toque.

I've noticed our deer are having a blast. The fawn was off to the left, eating up the lilac leaves. They are doing well.

deer twins from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Momma was eating up the grass, and the pumpkin guts I threw out (after toasting burning the seeds). I shall go at it, again, with another pumpkin.

Meantime, I'm putting out my pumpkins as I harvest the seeds. The springtails (AKA snow fleas) are nibbling on them, as well as other bugs. There is a layer of springtails in the goldfish pond, too. The alewives are nibbling them.

Bunny is a happy camper, as it eats greens. I cannot tell if it is a rabbit, hare, or snowshoe rabbit.

bunny from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.

Reptiles and amphibians

Reptiles and amphibians don't fare so well. I spotted a wood frog (below) and a gray tree frog out in the yard. They should be hibernating under the foliage, but instead they are out and about using up precious stored fat, which they should save until in spring. The snake I saw was pretty cold, as night temperatures have been cool. They seem to know to find shelter in their hibernaculum. 

The froggies are awake in the goldfish pond. I removed and relocated them (4+2+2+2 = four trips) before it got cold, again (last night!).  The pond, which I dug, isn't deep enough for our winters. We could get -20 C. mid-winter, and I've had bad experiences with critters overwintering. They are so dark, not their usual lighter green colours. There were two leopard frogs, the rest were green frogs, but one junior bullfrog, plus 2 other greens remain in the wee pond. I couldn't catch them. 

Here I am. Bucket in hand, off to the frog pond down the hill, across the meadow, through the forest into the pond. It was darn good exercise! I made 4 trips, total. Each time I caught them, down I went. It took all day!

Cinnamon snuck outside, he'd been in for the day, as he likes to make the frogs jump from the goldfish pond into the water. This doesn't help me catch them! JB came with me.

Birds

The birds are fine. There is lots of food, for those who overwinter. It's light levels that draw them south, if they are migratory. Almost all of them have gone. The chickadees are climbing up and down trees, as well as nuthatches, and looking for bugs hiding in nooks and crannies. 

This cedar and birch tree are growing together. In the space between, at the bottom, the woodpeckers have been looking for bugs.

Ticks

Sadly, I plucked an embedded tick off of JB Monday, Nov. 9th. That is not good. It wasn't on long, and wasn't engorged. I put on antibiotic cream, and a bandaid. It was hidden under his watch strap. We anticipate the best. It's going to get cold today, and they will hibernate.

We're back to 4 C. this morning. Brrrrr.