Date: 1/8/26 6:44 am From: Alyssa Johnson <thebarehandednaturalist...> Subject: [cayugabirds-l] EARLY signs of spring
Good morning!
This morning I not only saw a red fox running around our property, but I also caught a whiff of "fox" in the air (skunky, musky scent of their marking). That is one of the earliest signs of the changing seasons in my opinion- breeding season is underway! While I was watching the fox run through the field, I also heard a single Tufted Titmouse singing "peter-peter-peter", a very welcome sound. With the mild temperatures today, it definitely feels like spring is around the corner! Unfortunately it looks like temps will be back in the 20's and teens next week.
"T*he months of the year, from January up to June, are a geometric progression in the abundance of distractions. In January one may follow a skunk track, or search for bands on the chickadees, or see what young pines the deer have browsed, or what muskrat houses the mink have dug, with only an occasional and mild digression into other doings January observation can be almost as simple and peaceful as snow, and almost as continuous as cold. There is time not only to see who has done what, but to speculate why.*"
