Go to the winter woods: listen there, look, watch, and ‘the dead months’ will give you a subtler secret than any you have yet found in the forest.
~ William Sharp (writing as Fiona Macleod), Where the Forest Murmurs
The freezing temperature takes my breath away as I step outside for a winter walk up into our pine woods. The crunch of my boots in the snow is so loud I’m unaware, at first, of any other sound, but as I stop and lean against the rough bark of a Loblolly Pine, I hear much more.
The soughing wind has a voice all its own. Anyone who has grown up near pine trees remembers this sound with keen longing. It’s sometimes a soft murmuring, but it can become wild and menacing in high winds.
Though its needles are exquisitely adapted for most winter weather, I see scars on my tree where ice-laden branches have broken off in the past. High above, a squirrel scolds from a nest built in the crotch between two branches.
I notice some fur stuck to a broken piece of bark where a white-tailed deer has used the tree as a hide-scratcher. And yes, there’s a narrow deer trail leading off into the underbrush. On a nearby trunk, I see another raw place where a buck has rubbed its antlers, trying to scrape off the fuzzy coating. I wonder where the deer go when it’s dark and cold?
As I stay still, I notice the canopy is not quiet at all, but abuzz with bird flutter and chatter. I catch glimpses of a cardinal’s flashy crimson and the cerulean spark of a Blue Jay. The Downy and Red-bellied woodpeckers are good at camouflage, but their distinctive drumming gives them away. The tiny Black-Capped Chickadee chitters its alarm call.
The fresh snow is tailor-made for the winter sleuth. Scratches, markings, and footprints are all evidence of winter activity. There’s the distinctive print of a rabbit’s feet. I can see where the neighbor’s dog came through looking for something to chase. Unidentified tracks lead to little holes burrowed into my brush pile, the perfect hiding place for tiny, scurrying creatures. I wouldn’t dare poke my hand in any of them.
The cold has seeped through my boots, so I mosey inside for some hot chocolate. But now, when I look out the kitchen window towards the pine woods, I no longer see just trees bending in the wind. It’s a beautiful ecosystem filled with nature’s secrets, waiting to be discovered by those hearty enough to venture outside in the winter.
Don’t let the cold keep you from enjoying your connection with nature. Bundle up and get outside. What can you see that’s unique to winter where you live?
Photo credits: Pine cone: Galina Barskaya. Other photos: John A. Cottrell, Jr., M.D.
This article was published in the “Slice of Life” column of Elan Magazine on January 8, 2019.
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The ducks! In winter, mergansers with their wonderful red, punk hair-do, hang out. Sometimes Western Grebe, Surf Scoters, and Buffleheads.
Yes, these are wonderful winter sights! I also love the kak-kak-kak and the red top-know of the pileated woodpecker here in Virginia. Don’t know if you have them out there in Washington state.
Beautiful and highly sensory. Love this, Elizabeth. And I learned a new word: soughing. Thank you!
Thank you, Denise — yes, I love that word — and it is an example of another wonderful word “onomatopoeia” — a word that sounds like what it means.
So beautiful… winter is one of my favorite times for these very reasons! And when it snows, the birds and other creatures seem to pop into visible fields like Christmas tree ornaments to remind me there is more to this world than human. Beautiful piece!
Thank you so much, Judy! I find I need to remind myself how important it is to get outside when the weather’s cold, but Mother Nature always rewards me when I make the effort.
I thought Maine was cold – until I moved to North Dakota! At this point, I’m thinking 35 is a heat wave. The moose…I was driving my Camaro (1976) when I happened upon the moose – I saw her coming out of the woods to my left, I slowed and then stopped, just to watch her pass. She was right in front of my car, and she stopped and gave me the once over, then went on her lumbering way.
“Lumbering” is such a descriptive word! And perfect for the way a moose moves.
Oh, wow, this reminded me of the time I spent in Maine. I remember the sound of the pine trees rubbing and nuzzling each other! We used to see herds of deer – something I’d never seen before I moved up there – either walking through the woods or running and jumping. I was also stared down once by a moose. I never realized how HUGE those animals are! Ah…thank you for reminding me of these wonderful memories.
I love Maine, Karen! I’ll bet a Maine resident would read my comment about feeling cold at 35 degrees and think, “Cold? She doesn’t know what cold is!” Maine winters, I understand, can be brutal.
And the size of moose? Yes absolutely impressive. We spent a week in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, one time, and we were warned to watch out for moose on the road, especially in the early evening when they tend to come out and lick the salt off the road. I didn’t see one “up close and personal” though.
Thanks for visiting and commenting!
I could swear I was walking right beside you, Elizabeth.
Such beautiful visual imagery in this piece! Thank you for taking me along to observe the woods in winter.
My birthplace is on the East Coast in Southwestern Pennsylvania. I miss the “crunch” of snow beneath my feet. The freezing cold temperatures and windchill factor?? Not so much. 😉
You’ve delivered up a good old fashioned chunk of nostalgia — thank you!
Melanie, it’s always a treat to see your smiling face! Yes, I’ll bet in Pennsylvania you experienced woods very similar to mine. It makes me happy that my piece brought back good memories.
So glad to see you here, April!
Actually, this piece was about my own observations in the woods — I included Cindy’s lovely quote about creation singing because it’s so true, yet we forget it in the winter, sometimes. Or maybe you clicked the link to her post about her Nature Study in Winter. She does, indeed have a good eye.
We are definitely on the cusp between winter and spring. I heard the spring peepers yesterday for the first time, and my Canadian maple tree is beginning to flower. Early bulbs are popping up too!
I enjoyed this piece very much. Cindy really looks around her with an attentive eye. It makes me want to get outside myself. I feel that here on our ridge in the Shenandoah Valley, we are on the cusp between winter and spring.
April, I hope anyone who enjoys reading about nature will click on your name to visit your blog EARTH CONNECTION – you have a gift for shining a spotlight on he natural beauty all around us, and the importance of fighting to save it from human encroachment.
Thanks for visiting, Cindy, and for your part in inspiring me to get outside and pay attention!
Elizabeth,
What a wonderful post! There ARE so many exciting “secrets” to find in the winter world, aren’t there?