If you like the weekly posts of Kaw Valley Almanac, you might be interested in purchasing a compilation of these kinds of posts that Ken Lassman has put together into a book, along with essays on the land and the ecosystems of the area. This book was designed not to be just another coffee table book full of pictures; rather it was designed to be used as a guide to accompany you when you take your treks outdoors to observe nature first hand. You can get this book at a number of local bookstores or order it here for $15 + $2 shipping (regular price: $20). Click here to purchase your copy via Paypal.
Ken Lassman has been keeping this almanac for over a decade, He invites you to share your observations and photos in the comments section. You can find his book Wild Douglas County at The Raven Bookstore and The Community Mercantile in Lawrence.
Light of Day Returns Moon: February
The Osage’s name, Light of Day Returns Moon, points to the fact that this time of year adds 13 minutes more sunlight per week, and the weekly gains will accelerate. Light is more of a biological trigger for animals than temperature, and the length of the photoperiod triggers endocrine activities that lead to a host of behaviors including breeding cycled, migrations and fur growth.
You may notice that not only is the sun rising earlier and setting later, but it is also migrating northward at the point of sunset/sunrise on the horizon. another way to char the sun’s progression north is to watch the shadows at noon grow progressively shorter as the transit point at noon gets higher in the sky.
Fear not–spring is on its way, and the signs are fun to ferret out in these prevernal days: look for reddening of dogwood twigs, while willow twigs turn yellow; increasing bird songs in the morning; the emerging snowdrops and crocuses, perhaps the early croaks of the western chorus frog on a warmer evening after a rain.
What’s up with the comet this week?
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It’s still up there, visible with binoculars pretty much due west, most visible between 8 and 8:30pm. There is a small tail visible, and while it’s slowly fading, it’s staying up a little longer each night so the sky is darker. It’s not quite bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, but take a 2 or 3 second digital camera photo and it’ll pick it up. Visit http://www.spaceweather.com for more detailed viewing directions.
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I’ve noticed the redwing blackbirds and grackles are back and my yaupon holly has budded out.
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