Throughout the life of this blog, I have often referred to winter as "the quiet season." Indeed, once we get away from human activity, we appreciate this silence during the cold, snowy months. Bird song is suppressed, many animals are hibernating (as adults, larvae or eggs) and most of nature's predators are nocturnal, resting in their dens or cavities during the day.
There are exceptions, of course. Roving bands of crows, magpies, and blue jays make their presence known and woodpeckers drum away for their meals. In some areas, where waterfowl, gulls or terns are wintering, they can be quite noisy as well. Here along the Front Range, Canada geese are the primary noisemakers; comprised of permanent and winter residents and joined by their smaller cousins, cackling geese, their vocal flocks are often heard from a distance, intensifying as they stream overhead.
By the end of this month, the silence will begin to break as male songbirds respond to the lengthening daylight. Their urgent tunes will then ring through our neighborhoods, announcing the onset of spring.
