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The same raven has been coming to visit over the past few days. Each time, it returns to the same spot right alongside the frozen river. It walks across the snow, pauses, sometimes rubs its head against the ground like it’s scratching an itch, and even carried food in its beak once. It’s head rubbing behavior is called feaking . It’s how many birds clean and take care of their beaks. The raven could have been wiping away some bits of food on it. In other times of the year, th

We had one warm rainy day which melted some of the snow pack over the river, leaving just a thick layer of ice. It revealed these tracks, frozen in time, which belong to a river otter. When they walk on ice, their tracks can leave an impression that almost looks like something was scooped right out of it. Frozen rivers become a good travel route for otters in the winter. They make paths across them to find good fishing spots. A few days later, we watched a fox follow the same

Even in December, we still have some dandelions peeking up above the snow. Today we sat and watched the chickadees hop around from one to the next to snack on their seed heads. They worked so carefully to pick them apart, and left tiny tracks and crumbs on the surface of the snow. It was such a simple little moment, but a good reminder that there’s still plenty of life all around us.

We call December’s full moon the Cold Moon, a name that comes from the Mohawk people. It’s name was inspired by the growing cold and the arrival of winter. Before people used calendars like the ones we have today, moon cycles were one way to keep track of passing time. Each full moon has its own special name that helps mark the changes happening in nature. This month’s full moon is a reminder that the nights are getting longer, and the world outside is preparing for its cold

December 1st was the start of meteorological winter . That’s how meteorologists, who track temperatures and seasonal patterns, determine the season. In their system, winter is neatly divided into three months: December, January, and February. But there’s another way to think about seasons, too. Astronomical seasons follow the Earth’s journey around the sun, which means winter doesn’t officially begin until the winter solstice on December 21st. By that method, winter lasts un