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.
Frost on inside of Lodge Moon: January
January is a Roman reference to the god Janus, the god of gates. This god has two faces, one looking forward and the other looking back, as we do at the beginning of a new year. While this sets the tone for this season, the vivid image of frost on the inside of the lodge is equally appropriate, particularly if you notice frost on the inside of your car or house windows on a cold morning. The Osage also called this month Moon that Stands Alone, which speaks for itself if you decide to take a brisk walk in the countryside this time of year.
This is the month when you can see bald eagles flying in the Kaw Valley as well as deer and other wildlife more easily due to the lack of leaves. Listen to the rustle of wind through the tallgrass prairie grasses, and look for rodent trails in the thatch, which become tunnels when it snows. A dry year means that water becomes a wildlife concentrator, with more species taking visibility risks to grab a drink in drought-lowered ponds, creeks and rivers that are made even more inaccessible by the presence of ice. Putting out water next to the bird feeders is more important this winter than most for this reason.
Enjoy the deep blues of the sky this time of year, whether it is duplicated in the subtle blues found in freshly fallen snow or not. While admiring the sky and looking for eagles and migratory waterfowl, keep an eye out for sun dogs and other daytime optical treats caused by the presence of ice crystals in the sky that refract and reflect the sun (and moon) light into circles, spots and other geometric forms. After dark, bundle up and enjoy the striking winter star constellations that can take your breath away especially if you know where to look with a pair of binoculars or a telescope.
Hi, I haven’t seen or heard any chipmunks so far this year, which is really unusual. What are your thoughts on why that might be? Thanks very much!
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Are you talking about the thirteen lined squirrel? Here’s a picture of it:
http://kufs.ku.edu/libres/Mammals_of_Kansas/spermoph-13.html
If not, check that website for your critter, as all the mammals in Kansas are listed there. According to that article on the 13 lined squirrel, they are probably in the midst of having young ones right now, so maybe they are just preoccupied at home and don’t get out much right now! Of course there could be a disease or even worse, someone could have put out poison and exterminated the local population you are used to seeing. That’s exactly what happened to a population I enjoyed over in Topeka where I work. The colony was exterminated by housekeeping because they were afraid the friendly critters might bite someone.
Same folks knocked down a bunch of swallow nests because some folks complained about their swooping behavior, thinking they were attacking them. I quickly told housekeeping that they are insectivores and most likely they are drawn to people walking outside, hoping that the person will scare up a bug or two for them to pick off, and that they are a great asset for keeping the bugs down. I also found out that knocking down their nests now and then can actually keep parasite and nuisance bug populations down in the nests, which are re-used and therefore can build up enough mites and other parasites to create a health issue for the young as well as the parents.
The swallows have since rebuilt and they are now sitting on eggs for hatching, soon to eat that many more bugs!
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