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Almanac for January 2012 Natural events, happenings, and fearless predictions based upon 25 years of observations at Hidden Pond. Your observations may vary! Hidden Pond is not responsible for errors, erratic behavior or other whims of nature. 1st week: February is usually our snowiest month. We are gaining about two minutes of sunshine each day, and our average daily high and low temperatures now slowly begin to rise. Red-bellied woodpeckers now excavate nesting cavities. These cavities may be used later by other birds like bluebirds titmice, wrens, and chickadees that also nest in holes in trees. Red foxes mate now. Litters of 4 to 10 pups will be born in 51 days. Full “Snow” Moon February 7th. 2nd week: The constellation Orion is high in the southern sky in the evening. His belt points to the left toward Sirius, the brightest star in the sky which is 8.6 light years away. Sap begins to flow in the red maples. Their red buds are swelling and on days with below freezing temperatures, sap leaking from the buds may form “sapsicles”. Smooth alder, a shrub found alongside streams and ponds is now in bloom with yellow and purple three inch catkins. Warm days find many birds singing, especially the cardinals who seem to say “what cheer-what cheer!” or maybe “wet year, wet year.” 3rd week: Red shouldered hawks now perform their courtship displays, wheeling and screaming high in the air. Their distinctive cry is described as a two syllable kee-yer, kee-yer. Chipmunks now awaken from their deep sleep or torpor. They are omnivorous, feeding on seeds, nuts, berries, bulbs, insects, worms, snakes, other small animals and even birds. 4th week: Yews are in bloom and release clouds of pollen when nudged. Wood frogs find puddles and call for a mate with a faint quacking sound. Their eggs must develop very quickly into tadpoles, then into small frogs, in a race against the time when the puddles dry up in early summer. Squirrels really do find at least some of the acorns they buried last fall. Hidden Pond Nature Center, Fairfax County Park Authority 8511 Greeley Boulevard, Springfield, VA 22152. Phone 703/451-9588