Only thing I have not observed is a flying squirrel

A (very) common, popular hobby with Americans is bird feeding. Some 60 million of us feed birds in our yards in winter or summer: that’s 40 percent of all Americans. It’s roughly a $6 billion industry. I have several different bird feeders and stations spread out at our cabin; our favorite is the hummingbird feeder on a tree just off the deck. We enjoy watching all of our feathered friends coming in for a snack, but watching a hummingbird is something special.

A fair number of bird breeds stick around for the winter. Some of the most common we can see at this time of year are black-capped chickadees, nuthatches, goldfinches (although they’re not gold right now) and, of course, sparrows. The group that is always a bonus to observe includes the woodpeckers: downy, hairy, red-bellied, and even the gigantic striking pileated woodpeckers all stay for the winter. To attract them, you must buy a feeder designed for suet and peanuts.

Woodpeckers are very different from other birds in several ways. We’ve all heard woodpeckers hammering away, drilling holes looking for insects or creating a space for a home or nest. 

If most birds tried that, they would have to check into the bird infirmary the next day with a concussion or fractured beak. Not the woodpecker: it has a beak larger and stronger than the average bird and an extremely long tongue. Woodpeckers have their brains slightly above the planes of their bill. In other words, the impact from striking the tree is concentrated just below the brain cavity, avoiding direct impact to the brain.

Woodpeckers have a different toe arrangement from typical birds, which have three toes pointing forward and one back. Woodpeckers have two toes forward and two back. This allows a woodpecker to land on trees, defy gravity, and creep up and down. Their tail also acts as the third leg of a tripod when they land on a vertical surface. The tail feathers contain a great deal of black pigment which makes them stronger than those on other parts of the bird’s body. The long feathers are also based in a strong set of muscles that control the tail movement and push the tail downward as a brace against the tree.

Nature has given the woodpecker an arsenal of adaptations to make the bird completely unique. I just purchased a suet bird feeder at a close-out price. I’m very excited to see the woodpeckers at the cabin this spring. I hope I don’t regret it and wake up to the sound of woodpeckers hammering away at the cedar siding of the cabin, enjoying a breakfast of tiny insects.

With the warm weather we’ve experienced, squirrels have been active all winter season. They’ve been visiting bird feeders and raising havoc as they always do. I’m pretty sure I’ve observed every species of squirrel that resides in Minnesota, except for one: I’ve seen gray, albino gray, fox, red, black and ground squirrels.

The only one I haven’t observed is the flying squirrel: Yes, they do live in Minnesota. They are little, furry, and have a membrane which connects the front and back legs. This extra surface area makes it possible for them to glide. They have large eyes because they are nocturnal, and exhibit social behaviors because they live in colonies. To me, they resemble a flying hamster.

At our cabin last summer, at times, we heard scratching sounds and soft screeching late at night. Our oriole feeder filled with jelly hangs just off the deck. Several times, the jelly trays were emptied late at night. It couldn’t have been a gray squirrel or young raccoon because the feeder would have been trashed and the trays littered on the ground. I couldn’t help wondering if that might have been the work of a flying squirrel!!

I’m constructing a feeder designed for them. I will hang a camera to see if I can catch some late action animal dining. I’d be delighted to see a flying squirrel at the cabin this spring. 

February 2 is always Groundhog Day. When the groundhog comes out of hibernation for a stretch, it makes a traditional forecast. If it sees its shadow, the legend is that there will be six more weeks of winter: If it doesn’t see its shadow, spring is on the way. 

It doesn’t take a meteorology genius to realize that, if the sun is shining, the groundhog will see a shadow. If it’s overcast and gray, there won’t be one. This year, 2024, the groundhog saw no shadow so, SURPRISE!, we can expect an early spring.  One of my top 10 movies of all time is Groundhog Day, made in 1993. It stars Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. If you are looking for a good laugh and would like to learn the true meaning of Feb. 2, give the movie a viewing.