Walks with Charlie - Dec/Jan

This is a guest column from Charlie Frisk.

This is the first of what is hoped to be monthly phenology reports from Baird Creek. I hike the trails at Baird Creek two to three times a week and I am always fascinated with the seasonal changes. If any of you have contributions that you would like to make to this column e-mail them to kathyf44@netzero.net

Late December, early January reports

On Dec. 23 I observed a pileated woodpecker in the park for only the second time. The pileated was observed on the high ground just above the hemlock grove, the same location it was seen two years ago. Two years ago I was watching one pileated and heard another one in the distance so hopefully the park has a breeding pair. I have observed pileated excavations in many locations in the park. The pileated work can be easily identified because the holes are roughly rectangular and much deeper and larger than those of other woodpeckers.

This year was a bumper acorn crop. Oaks typically have three lean years followed by a bumper year. The lean years depress the squirrel and chipmunk populations so that in the bumper year many of the acorns go uneaten and have a chance to become great oaks. When there was still snow on the ground it was easy to see where deer had dug down through the snow and leaves to get to the acorns on the forest floor. During the lean years almost every acorn is eaten or stored away by squirrels or chipmunks as soon as they hit the ground. This year there are still acorns lying around on the forest floor in January.

On January 1st I observed skunk cabbage and marsh marigolds poking through the ground in the seeps at Christa McAuliffe Park. Gary Fewless, (botany professor from UWGB), said that when very cold weather such as we had in early December is followed by a period of above freezing temps like we had in late December that these plants are tricked into thinking spring has come. He said the skunk cabbage are well adapted to sub-freezing temps and will not be hurt, but the marsh marigolds will not survive their early adventures. Only a couple of marsh marigolds pushed through but Gary said that in years where large numbers of plants are fooled into sprouting early the population can be greatly depressed the following spring due to the die off.