New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

We are only days, or maybe my wandering today didn't take me by an already hung bucket, until at least the first drips of spring have begun. Oh, the pain of a brutally ice-cold sap bucket against your cold winter lips to be forgotten at the first sip of the sweet nectar. And worth the ice-cream headache too. Every sip is a total payback. 

 

But next week may see an abrupt halt to such thinking as we may have the coldest week this winter. One step forward, with two steps back, is actually the usual pace at first towards spring. But, before you know it, you are hop-skipping into spring and on your way to barreling into summer. Lately I am realizing my life has been on the same, what now seems like, a fast track. In other words, how do I need to cope with this old person. No way my head is as old as my body. 

 

Then spring, most likely will really spring as sap buckets will be the norm. It'll be interesting to hear the sap results. Has this seemingly harsh winter set back the run? Then again, yet another winter with virtually NO ice on Great Bay. This has yet to be an average winter I would guess compared to historical records. I mean just go back hardly more than two decades ago. Winter ice was the norm on Great Bay,

 I'm pretty sure until 2,000 ish. In just two decades I have witnessed a significant change, no doubt documented in my diaries. Fifty years worth almost.  But I'm predicting a pause in spring for the next week or so. Yes, I spent some time along and around the coast today. Signing books at Barnes& Noble in Seabrook. Then a drive up the entire coast from Seabrook to Odiorne Point Rye and shot a video the whole way. It's only on my You Tube channel nhfishandwildlife.com. Plenty of snow along the coast but a stop by Sandy Point on Great Bay showed practically no ice, but lots of ducks and another video shot.

 

One more thought. With another artic blast coming this would be a good time to get outside and listen to winter a little bit before we lose it. The more wind, even on a sunny day, may get the maples whispering, if you care to listen. Pick the coldest night, put on some boots and a coat, stand outside in a very quiet place, be it your back steps or a park or such. And listen to the popping and clatter going on about you. I like a hill, or mountain top beech stand best. The whole forest seems to be talking some foreign language. Tree-talk. Winter tree-talk versus summer roots-talk. Day or night immerse yourself into a forest. Be sure it's a quiet place forest. Sense winter in the things around you. 

 

Despite the fact that we seem to have gotten a lot of snow in recent weeks I can see nowhere from Central NH south that wildlife seemed to be impeded by snow conditions. And no doubt, where there was an abundance of acorns last fall, that wildlife can easily dig them up. Winter was late to arrive and despite the near zero temperatures we have had with ample snowstorms I don't think the F&G Winter Severity Index will be one for the charts. Still more storms are lined up past the one outside tonight into tomorrow. There is not a hint of wind tonight. Not the storm predicted a couple days ago. 

 

The Blue Jay Circus has come to town at my bird feeder. Well, the back lawn. For the first time in a while I'm tossing two handfuls of whole peanuts as well. I keep meaning to immediately set to watch the circus unfold. That doesn't always happen and just a very few minutes of not looking will disappear the peanuts. How shinny and Reagle they appear in the early morning sun. I've always listened to and loved blue jays. You can learn a lot from a jay.

 

Get Outside. Be Wild! Live life on the Wild Side of NH.