Nature

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Sundogs can be seen in the early morning or late afternoon hours.

By Stan Tekiela
Nature gives us many gifts at this time of year. Brightly colored birds visit our backyard feeders. Extra fuzzy and fat squirrels burrow through the deep snow to find hidden acorns. But one of the most spectacular of nature’s gifts is a holiday light display in the skies above. We had one just last week.

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By Stan Tekiela
December is an interesting month. It’s a month that can provide some of the most interesting and dramatic winter landscapes of the season and it’s when you feel winter is upon us. But what is funny, December looks like winter, but technically, it’s not winter. Let me explain. The first day of winter is actually Dec. 21 at 6:04 a.m. in the northern hemisphere. The winter solstice! This is at the end of the month! So how can the entire month of December be considered winter?

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As the old saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together.” But have you ever stopped to think about why or how birds flock?

The term flocking is a general termed used to describe many reasons why birds gather in large groups. Some birds, such as crows, gather in large groups to roost at night during winter. This is certainly considered a flocking behavior. Shorebirds gather in large groups along shorelines to feed. This is definitely flocking behavior. And many birds gather in large groups for migration. This is the kind of flocking behavior I want to look at in this column.