Final Excursion of 2020

This afternoon, as a snowstorm approaches central Missouri, my wife and I made a final trip to Phillip's Lake for the year.  High clouds, cold air and a steady, southeast breeze made for a chilly walk and the lake's surface was almost totally frozen.

Nevertheless, a trio of ruddy ducks and a lone beaver were observed on the open waters while a ring-billed gull circled overhead.  Other birds were relatively few and far between, dominated by flocks of white-crowned and American tree sparrows.  An American kestrel was the only raptor to grace the scene though a group of crows argued from a lakeside meadow.

In a way, it was a fitting final excursion for 2020, a year we'd just as soon forget.  Then again, nature has always provided welcome escapes during this difficult period, regardless of the weather conditions or the variety of wildlife sightings.  Whether our predicament improves in 2021 or not, we can always count on her wondrous ecosystems to offer solace and inspiration.  Happy New Year!

The Croatian Earthquakes

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Croatia yesterday, a day after a magnitude 5.2 quake shook the same region; aftershocks are sure to follow.  Indeed, the Balkans are highly prone to earthquakes due to the regional geology and natural history.

As the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean continue to open, the African Plate has been moving to the NNE, colliding with the Eurasian Plate.  In addition, the Red Sea (the northern section of the East African Rift) is opening as well, shoving the Arabian Plate to the northeast.  Between the African, Arabian and Eurasian Plates, several microplanes (including the Adriatic and Anatolian Plates) complicate the tectonics from Italy to the Middle East.  Slow motion collisions create rising pressure within and along these plates; intermittent earthquakes release that pressure.

Unfortunately, building codes throughout most of the region have not kept pace with that threat and even minor quakes can cause significant destruction and loss of life.  The geology and tectonics of the Balkans cannot be altered; the political will to protect the populace will offer their only means of defense.

The Dusk Sparrows

As the winter dusk shrouds our property in central Missouri, a flock of white-throated sparrows reliably turns up to forage in the dry flower beds and shrub lines.  Summer residents of forested areas across Canada, the Great Lakes and New England, they are unfazed by the cold evening air.

White-throated sparrows generally arrive in Missouri by mid October, content to spend the winter in our "balmy" climate.  Feeding on the ground or in low thickets, they primarily feast on seeds but also consume berries.  By late winter, their homesick tune begins to intensify and, by mid April, the weather is too warm for these hardy songbirds, sending them back to the North Country.

Knowing that these sparrows could easily head to the Gulf Coast for the winter, Midwest birders certainly appreciate their company during the cold, dark season of winter.  By dropping in at dusk, the white-throats seem to acknowledge and encourage that sentiment. 

A Southwest Storm

As another snowstorm moves across the Northern Plains and Great Lakes region, a second system sits off the coast of Southern California this morning, pumping in much-needed moisture from the Pacific Ocean.  Rain will fall across lower elevations while significant snow should coat the mountains.

Riding along the southern edge of a deep atmospheric trough, this storm will also drop snow across the drought-plagued terrain of the Four Corners region before moving onto the Southern Plains.  Nearing the Mississippi Valley, it is expected to angle to the northeast, bringing a mix of winter precipitation to the lower Missouri and Ohio Valleys before reaching the Northeastern U.S. by New Year's Eve.

Most of the Pacific storms this winter have come ashore in the Pacific Northwest, dropping their cargo of snow across the Cascades, Northern Sierra Nevada, Northern Great Basin Ranges, Wasatch Front and the Northern and Central Rockies.  This southern storm will, to some degree, rectify that imbalance and bring vital moisture to the ecosystems of the Desert Southwest.

The Alborz Mountains

While watching Tehran, a miniseries on Apple TV (which I recommend), one repeatedly sees the majestic mountain wall just north of the city.  These are the Alborz Mountains and the snowy massif near Tehran is Tochal, elevation 13,005 feet.

Wrapped along the southwest and southern coasts of the Caspian Sea, the Alborz Range crumpled up during the mid-late Tertiary Period as the Tethys Sea closed and the Arabian Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate, a process that continues today.  In concert with that uplift, volcanism occurred in some areas and Mt. Damavand, northeast of Tehran, is a volcanic cone that rises to 18,406 feet, the highest point in the Middle East.

Though less famous than the Alps and the Himalayas, the geologic and natural history of the Alborz Mountains is very similar; indeed, they are one of multiple smaller ranges that connect the Alps and Himalayas, creating a mountain corridor from France to Southeast Asia.

Just behind the Front

Today, a potent cold front pushed across the Midwest, bringing blizzard conditions to the Northern Plains. Here in central Missouri, we enjoyed a mild, breezy morning as southwest winds pushed warm air and a few showers ahead of the front.  Knowing that frigid air would invade our region for the next couple of days, I opted for a visit to Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area before the weather deteriorated.

By the time I reached the refuge, the cold front had passed through and a chilly, northwest wind raked the floodplain.  While I encountered a good variety of waterfowl, other birds were few and far between, seemingly aware of the approaching Arctic blast.  An exception was a trio of bald eagles, cavorting in the  cold wind and dipping to send clouds of waterfowl into the air.

Though my visit was brief and the sightings were limited, the crisp, clear air augmented the beauty of the Missouri River Valley.  Besides, I was free to return to my heated home before the temperature plummets later in the day; the wild residents of Eagle Bluffs must adapt or move on to the south.

The Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction

Just after sunset this evening, I went out back to observe the Jupiter-Saturn Conjunction, which reaches its "tightest pass" tonight.  It was easy to find a bright, single point of light in the southwest sky but I needed binoculars to see that it represented both planets (Jupiter being far larger and brighter).

Saturn was just to the right and just above Jupiter.  Of course, this conjunction, the "closest" in 800 years, is purely a result of our vantage point.  In fact, Saturn is just over 1 billion miles from Earth while Jupiter is "only" 550 million miles from our home planet.  Nevertheless, the close proximity of these gas giants, however illusional, was an inspiring sight to behold.

Indeed, many natural spectacles are not what they seem to be.  While it is important to understand their scientific explanation (lest we be drawn to mysticism), their appearance can be an emotional experience nonetheless.  

Our Essential Congress Members?

As the new Covid-19 vaccines roll out, U.S. Congress members have been among the first to receive them, in the name of Government continuity.  Never mind the fact that the action and inaction of our Congressional representatives have put us in the predicament that we find ourselves today.

Throughout the pandemic, half of the Congressional membership backed Trump's disdain for mask wearing and other preventive measures.  Almost as many have condoned (if not fostered) his post election antics which have impaired any recent effective response to the crisis.  Then there are those who have been throwing up roadblocks when bills to offer relief to unemployed citizens, small businesses and nearly bankrupt States have been presented.

Yes, many members of Congress who have been complicit in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Americans are among those first in line for the cure.  Their lack of courage is now matched by their lack of morality. 

The Undaunted

Driving along treacherous, snow-glazed roads through strong gusts of Arctic air is a daunting experience for most humans.  It surely was for us on the High Plains this past Tuesday morning and, despite an official speed limit of 75 mph, we rarely exceeded fifty.  But, for two winter residents of that stark ecosystem, it was just another early winter day.

Clouds of longspurs (likely primarily Lapland longspurs), rose and wheeled above the highway, moving from one patch of barren ground or crop stubble to another.  Having spent the summer in the high Arctic, these hardy birds winter across the Northern Plains, often mingling with horned larks and snow buntings.  Feeding on a mix of insects and seeds during the warmer months, they consume seeds and waste grain on their wintering grounds.

Rough-legged hawks, also oblivious of the weather conditions, hovered into the strong north wind, searching the ground for mice, voles and other small mammals.  When not hunting, they simply perched on a fencepost or billboard, unfazed by the raging ground blizzard.  Also natives of the high Arctic, these large raptors surely feel right at home on the wide-open landscape of the High Plains, however brutal the weather.

Nor'Easter on the Plains

When we left our Littleton farm yesterday morning, an overnight cold front had dropped three inches of fresh, powdery snow along the Front Range.  As we drove east across the High Plains, northeasterly winds began to increase, sending streamers of snow across the highway; unfortunately, several trucks were toppled by the gusts.

The snowy landscape and high winds persisted across western Kansas but, by the time we reached WaKeeney, they were replaced by a calm, snowy mist as the storm system had dipped farther to the south. Indeed, eastern Kansas and western Missouri were unscathed by the potent system, safely within the confines of the atmospheric trough.

Today, the winter storm is moving through the Tennessee and Ohio River Valleys, soon to pull in abundant moisture from the Atlantic Ocean.  As the central low moves up the Northeast Coast, it is expected to drop prodigious amounts of snow across most of Pennsylvania and New England; high winds will produce blizzard conditions in some areas and a true New England Nor'Easter will unfold.

A Distrust of Science

Now that the first COVID-19 vaccine is available and ready for distribution, about 30% of Americans say they are unwilling to receive it and another 10% are uncertain.  Of course, in these politically charged times, when even the use of a mask is considered to be an infringement on our personal freedom and when a small but significant percentage of the population still believe the pandemic is a hoax, being asked to get vaccinated is a bridge too far.

Then there are those who worry that the entire process of vaccine development was unsafely rushed and those young, healthy individuals who feel that they are immune to complications from the virus.  Finally, a sizable segment of our society leans on mysticism to guide their life and therefore distrust science in all of its forms.

We thus face another potential crisis in our effort to combat COVID-19.  If we cannot convince at least 70% of the population to receive the vaccine, we will not reach herd immunity and the virus will continue to circulate in our society.  Hopefully, the Biden Administration will do a far better job of providing science-based facts that are willingly accepted by the American public; if not, the pandemic will continue until enough humans are culled to halt its spread.

The Topography of Metro Denver

Those who have never visited Denver, Colorado, tend to assume that it is surrounded by mountains.  In fact, the city stretches along the base of the Front Range (to its west) and its topography consists primarily of two valleys that merge in the downtown area and then continue northward as a single, broad valley.

The Front Range and its foothills are the most prominent geographic feature of Metro Denver but one also notices a ridge of high ground to the south.  This ridge, now occupied by Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree and Castle Pines, extends northward through Centennial and the Denver Tech Center (along Interstate 25); it divides the Cherry Creek Valley, to the east, from the Plum Creek-South Platte Valley to the west.  The upper tributaries of Cherry Creek and Plum Creek rise along the north side of the Palmer Divide; the latter is a high ridge that stretches west to east between Denver and Colorado Springs, dividing the watersheds of the South Platte River ( to the north) from that of the Arkansas River (to the south).

The South Platte rises in the mountains southwest of Denver and exits the foothills via Waterton Canyon, in southwest Metro Denver.  Within a mile, the River enters Chatfield Reservoir where it receives the flow from Plum Creek.  Below that reservoir, the South Platte flows NNE through Metro Denver, receiving several tributaries from the mountains and merging with Cherry Creek at Confluence Park in downtown Denver.  North of the city, the South Platte River continues northward and then northeastward, taking in many more tributaries from the Front Range and from the High Plains of northeastern Colorado.

A Loner in the Crowd

The other day, while reading outside, I was frequently distracted by the mixed flocks of chickadees, finches, juncos, nuthatches and woodpeckers that moved about our farm.  Then, a loner landed in the elm next to my chair and inched his way up the trunk.

The visitor was a brown creeper, down from the mountains for the winter.  Brown creepers breed across Southern Canada, the Great Lakes Region and New England and southward through the Appalachians and mountain corridors of the West. There they favor mature forest where they construct their nest in loose bark or small tree cavities.

Usually seen alone during the winter months, brown creepers circle up tree trunks and large limbs, searching for insects, spiders and their eggs and larvae; they also visit suet blocks and consume small seeds.  These "bark birds" are always a welcome sight among our more common avian neighbors.

A Futile Protest

Last evening, just before dusk, the frantic calls of black-billed magpies drew me to the kitchen door.  Looking out, I saw that a large, female Cooper's hawk had snared one of them and was completing its kill on the driveway, her wings spread to shroud the victim.

Agitated but helpless, at least twenty magpies shrieked from the nearby trees and garage roof, unwilling to attack the raptor.  Indeed, Cooper's hawks (especially females), like their larger cousin the northern goshawk, are among the only raptors bold enough to feast on magpies which, themselves, are large, aggressive and gregarious birds.

As the noisy protest continued, the hawk dragged her victim into a grove of piñon pines and proceeded to pluck the black and white feathers from its carcass.  By the time that chore was completed, the magpies had dispersed and the Cooper's hawk enjoyed her evening meal in peace. 

A Brilliant Dryness

A broad atmospheric trough currently extends across most of the Lower 48 States, allowing dry, cool air to  plunge southward from Canada.  Dew points are below zero degrees (F) in some parts of the West.

Here along the Colorado Front Range, the air is crystal clear; bright sunshine has pushed the afternoon high into the mid 40s F, with a dew point of 1 degree F.  In other words, the air is so dry that its temperature would have to fall to 1 degree F before fog or precipitation could develop.

Of course, this brilliant dryness, while producing spectacular vistas, is not currently welcome across the West, where a severe drought persists, augmenting the risk of wildfire.  High pressure within the trough is shunting Pacific moisture toward Alaska and the Pacific Northwest and, until this "blocking high" breaks down, hope for snow is but a dream.   

Toward the Cold Moon

As we left Columbia this morning, the full moon gleamed from the western sky.  It was easy to imagine that the bright orb was much closer than the Colorado Front Range, which we wouldn't reach until evening; in fact, it would take us 300 days to cover the distance to Earth's natural satellite.

December's full moon is known as the Cold Moon since it appears during the first meteorologic month of winter.  However, the sunlit surface of the moon is anything but cold, reaching 260 degrees F due to the lack of an atmosphere; on the other hand, the temperature in deep craters on the dark side of the moon is thought to plummet as low as minus 450 degrees F (quite cold).

Of course, gazing at the disc of our familiar nightlight, we do not need nor do we seek such statistics.  We are taken by her beauty and reassured by her permanence, even if she is drifting farther from our home.