Were it not for Thanksgiving, November would not be welcomed by many Midwesterners. Usually depicted as a gray, windy month, it often brings the first significant cold wave of the season and heralds the onset of winter. And it doesn't help that November arrives on the heels of sunny, colorful October!
But November brings many natural highlights to the Heartland. Early in the month, when the weather is still relatively mild, the waterfowl migration is peaking and a wide variety of geese, ducks, grebes, loons and cormorants gather on our lakes and reservoirs. By the middle of November, huge flocks of snow geese are moving south along the Missouri and Mississippi valleys, stopping to rest and feed as they head for coastal marshes. In the woods and wetlands, resident mammals are increasingly active and visible as they engage in their annual rut or collect food for the lean months ahead.
November also brings a change in our regional bird population as visitors from the north (juncos, hermit thrushes, red-breasted nuthatches, winter sparrows) replace our summer songbirds. Finally, by the end of the month, as their mating season begins, our resident owls become more vocal and conspicuous, filling the night with their love calls.
