New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Looking Nice for Ice

Tuesday 01/06/2015

Ten days ago I was not thinking of safe ice. Oh what a week of cold temps can do to change ice conditions and my mind. Especially the dive in temps slated for the rest of the week. That said the Suncook and Merrimack Rivers remain largely ice free. No doubt that will change too by week's end.

Winter was gone here from Christmas through Saturday. Hardly a spot of snow to be found anywhere around here. In fact the lawns and fields remain pretty green. I can't help but think the wildlife are having a pretty easy winter. Though not so much so the white snowshoe hare about. We ended up with about three inches of slushy snow by Sunday morning that is now turning into a concrete like coating. That may not be so good for our critters. Even the trees are hanging again with an icy coat. That does make me worried for our birds.

But I had a flock of robins here all weekend dining on the berries from the bittersweet vines to the barberry bushes. All now considered invasive species. In my day I planted plenty of these. Each year I would convince the Londonderry Fish and Game Club to spend $100 on wildlife plantings we got from the state nursery. They were for the most part consisting of what now are invasive species. Autum olive, barberry and bittersweet. But I can tell you the fruits are still beneficial for our winter wildlife and nothing of equal value seems to be offered now of native species.

Still we are in the depths of winter temperature wise. So keep those bird feeders full and freshen up that suit. Birds like chickadees must eat a third of their body weight daily to survive the next bone cold night.